Abstract
In order to reduce school attendance problems and aggressive behavior, it is essential to determine the relationship between both variables. The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the mean differences in scores on aggression, based on school refusal behavior, and (2) to analyze the predictive capacity of high scores on aggression, based on school refusal behavior factors. The sample consisted of 1455 Spanish secondary school students, aged 13–17 (M = 14.85; SD = 1.56). The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (I. Avoidance of negative affectivity, II. Escape from aversive social and/or evaluative situations, III. Pursuit of attention from significant others, and IV. Pursuit of tangible reinforcement outside of school) and the Aggression Questionnaire (I. Physical Aggression, II. Verbal Aggression, III. Anger, and IV. Hostility) were used. Results indicated that students having high levels of Physical Aggression, Verbal Aggression, Anger, and Hostility received significantly higher scores on school refusal behavior. In most cases, school refusal behavior was found to be a positive and statistically significant predictor of aggression. Students that base their school refusal on the pursuit of tangible reinforcements outside of school earned higher scores, and other functional conditions underlying school refusal behavior were found to be associated with aggression issues. The role of aggression as a risk factor for school refusal behavior is discussed.
Highlights
School attendance and academic success have long been recognized as fundamental and crucial competencies for children and adolescents (Kearney et al, 2019)
The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between school refusal and aggression in Spanish adolescents aged 13–17
Results show that students having high scores on Physical Aggression obtained a higher mean score on school refusal behavior, with statistically significant differences for the first two factors of the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R)
Summary
School attendance and academic success have long been recognized as fundamental and crucial competencies for children and adolescents (Kearney et al, 2019). School attendance problems concern educational authorities as they are considered a violation of school rules and social norms (Donat et al, 2018). Problems regarding school attendance include distinct types of school absence or general difficulties in attending or staying in school (Heyne et al, 2019). It is difficult to establish one unique model that includes all of the potential causes of this behavior (Gonzálvez and Inglés, 2019). According to a functional model of school refusal behavior (see Figure 1), four basic conditions exist, upon which the failure to attend school may be based: I. Pursuit of tangible reinforcement outside of school (Kearney, 2002)
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