What to do about teenager who refuses to go to school?

School refusal is quite common and can be a result of many interconnected factors. The first step of addressing school refusal is to better understand the root cause, which could include missing support systems, academic challenges, lack of opportunity, and an often overlooked root cause, anxiety. Once you identify the root cause, you can work with your teenager to build a step-by-step plan for addressing the concerns involved and take small daily steps toward getting back to school.

Chronic absenteeism is a growing problem and challenging to address. The solution depends on the root cause of refusal which can include academic performance concerns, anxiety, social concerns, career prospects, and more. You should work with a school counselor and speak with your teenager to better understand what is driving their school refusal. Work on a plan together that addresses their specific concerns. For example, discuss the path to various careers they are interested in, and start incrementally building toward full attendance starting small and building up.