School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised Research Articles

Some psychometric properties of the school refusal assessment scale–revised: Parent and child version in Tanzanian context

Considering the increase in primary and secondary school dropout rates worldwide, it is necessary to identify the underlying causes, particularly in places with high school refusal rates, such as Tanzania. Today, only a limited number of studies can explain, through valid and reliable measurements, why students in Tanzania refuse to attend school. The current study used confirmatory factor analysis techniques to investigate some psychometric properties of the child’s and parent’s versions of the School Refusal Assessment Scale–Revised (SRAS–R) in the Tanzanian population. Since previous studies found significant associations between the parent–child relationship and the risk of school refusal, we included the associations between the SRAS–R scales and measures of psychological control (parent ratings) and parent–child communication (child ratings) as external validity criteria. We collected data from five public primary schools, including 502 grades three to seven children with their parents (N = 465) in Ruvuma, Tanzania. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the four–factor model (avoidance of stimuli provoking negative affectivity, escape from aversive social situations, attention seeking, and tangible rewards) showed a good fit for both the parent and child versions of the SRAS–R. In line with expectations, we found a negative association between parent–child communication and school refusal and positive associations between the parent version of the SRAS–R subscales and the psychological control scale. The findings of this study support the use of this measurement in an African context and Tanzania specifically. The discussion stresses the appropriateness of Western cultural instruments in the African context.

Validation of the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) in the General Adolescent Population in China

Validation of the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) in the General Adolescent Population in China

School refusal profiles maintained by negative reinforcement and their relationship with self-perceived health.

Health alterations and school refusal behavior may significantly affect student evolution in all areas of student lives. The objective of this study was to use latent profile analysis to identify school refusal profiles sustained by negative reinforcement and to determine their relationship with distinct self-perceived health variables (Satisfaction, Well-being, Resilience, Performance, and Risk-Taking). The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) and the Child Health and Illness Profile (CHIP-CE/CRF) were administered to 737 students (60.9% male) aged between 8 and 10 (M = 8.76, SD = 0.74). Three profiles of school refusal maintained by negative reinforcement were obtained: no risk, moderate risk, and high risk. It was confirmed that school refusal through negative reinforcement correlates negatively with health dimensions, also finding that a higher risk profile for school refusal is associated with lower levels of self-perceived health. Similarly, it was determined that the high-risk profile is the most maladaptive, with significantly lower data in four of the five self-perceived health dimensions that were evaluated. In conclusion, remaining in situations with no or moderate risk of school refusal due to negative reinforcement encourages higher levels of self-perceived health, while being at high risk of school refusal due to negative reinforcement is associated with worse self-perceived health.

Typologies of Spanish Youth with School Refusal Behavior and Their Relationship with Aggression

ABSTRACT School refusal behavior is a serious problem that has significant consequences for the personal, academic, and social adjustment of young people. Although school attendance problems have been associated with physical violence, aggression or cyberbullying, there is a lack of studies that have analyzed the relationship between this problematic behavior and aggressiveness based on the Buss – Perry Aggression model. This work has two main goals: first, to identify school refusal behavior profiles based on the functional model of this variable; and, secondly, to analyze possible differences in four major aggression dimensions based on the Buss – Perry aggression questionnaire (Physical Aggression, Verbal Aggression, Anger, and Hostility) depending on the profiles identified. Participants were 1,509 Spanish adolescents (60.6% male) aged 12–18 years (M = 14.81; SD = 1.85). The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) and the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) were administered. Four school refusal behavior profiles (Non-School Refusal Behavior, Low School Refusal Behavior, Mixed School Refusal Behavior, and High Mixed School Refusal Behavior) were identified using Latent Profile Analysis, and differential functioning of those profiles across the dimensions of aggression was found. The Mixed School Refusal Behavior and High Mixed School Refusal Behavior groups showed the highest mean scores in the dimensions of aggression. These findings highlight that the identification of different profiles and risk factors regarding school refusal behavior may be relevant for early intervention. Findings are discussed in relation to the importance of reducing the risk of violent and aggressive behaviors to prevent school attendance problems in adolescents and younger ages.

Comprendiendo el comportamiento de rechazo escolar en la adolescencia: perfiles de riesgo y estilo atribucional ante los resultados académicos

Adolescents who show a tendency to refuse school could also be experiencing poor motivation towards learning. The present work aimed to identify profiles of adolescents with school refusal behavior (SRB) and to examine whether these possible groups differed in academic self-attributions. Participants were 1183 Spanish students (53.7% girls) from 14 to 17 years old (M=15.58, SD=1.08). They answered to the Spanish versions of the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) and the Sydney Attribution Scale (SAS). Four SRB profiles were found by the Latent Profile Analysis technique: non-SRB, moderately high SRB, anxious SRB, and high SRB. Statistically significant differences were identified among the four groups in all the academic self-attributions examined. The anxious and high SRB profiles showed a greater tendency to attribute their academic failures to ability, while they tended to attribute their successes less to internal causes. Intervention strategies are suggested to attend these risk SRB profiles.

Understanding school refusal behavior in adolescence: Risk profiles and attributional style for academic results

Adolescents who show a tendency to refuse school could also be experiencing poor motivation towards learning. The present work aimed to identify profiles of adolescents with school refusal behavior (SRB) and to examine whether these possible groups differed in academic self-attributions. Participants were 1183 Spanish students (53.7% girls) from 14 to 17 years old (M=15.58, SD=1.08). They answered to the Spanish versions of the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) and the Sydney Attribution Scale (SAS). Four SRB profiles were found by the Latent Profile Analysis technique: non-SRB, moderately high SRB, anxious SRB, and high SRB. Statistically significant differences were identified among the four groups in all the academic self-attributions examined. The anxious and high SRB profiles showed a greater tendency to attribute their academic failures to ability, while they tended to attribute their successes less to internal causes. Intervention strategies are suggested to attend these risk SRB profiles.

The predictive ability of school refusal on high social anxiety in Chilean adolescents

There is a growing interest in quantifying the risk of presenting maladaptive behaviors through the use of multivariate prediction algorithms such as logistic regressions. The objective of this study was to analyze the predictive capacity of school refusal behavior on high levels of social anxiety. The study used a sample of 895 Chilean adolescents (54.3% girls) aged between 14 and 17 years. The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) and the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A) were administered. The results revealed that adolescents with school refusal presented significantly higher scores in social anxiety than their peers with low scores in school refusal. This is due to feelings of social aversion, negative affectivity, fear of evaluation, or the use of this behavior to pursue the attention of significant others. This type of school refusal was found to be a positive and statistically significant predictor of high scores for social anxiety. On the contrary, when school refusal is based on obtaining tangible reinforcement outside the school, this factor acts as a negative and statistically significant predictor of high scores for social anxiety. These findings are discussed with reference to the differences found according to the type of school refusal behavior and its impact on the appearance of high levels of social anxiety.

Classifying Students With School Refusal Behavior and Their Relationship to Learning Strategies

Students with School Refusal Behaviour (SRB) are a diverse group, often associated with negative academic repercussions (e.g., low academic performance, learning difficulties or academic demotivation). The aims of this research were: 1) to identify school refusal behaviour profiles based on low and high scores on the four functional conditions assessed by the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) and 2) to examine the relationship between SRB profiles and learning strategies. The SRAS-R and the Inventory of Learning and Study Strategies-High School version were administered to 1,261 students aged to 14 to 18 (M = 16.51; SD = 1.84). Four SRB profiles were obtained: SRB by positive reinforcement, Low SRB, SRB by negative reinforcement and Mixed SRB. School refusers belonging to the Mixed SRB and SRB by negative reinforcement profiles are characterised by low scores on learning strategies, except for the Anxiety dimension. The practical implications of these findings suggest that implementing study techniques and learning strategies programmes, in addition to courses on anxiety management and self-care will help students improve their learning paths and reduce anxiety-based school refusal.

School Refusal Behaviour Profiles and Academic Self-Attributions in Language and Literature

School refusal behaviour has a major impact on the lives of children and adolescents, seriously affecting their personal, academic and social adjustment. The objectives of this research were: (1) to identify, using latent profile analysis, school refusal behaviour profiles based on the functional model and (2) to analyse the relationship between the identified school refusal behaviour profiles and academic self-attributions in language and literature. The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) and the Sydney Attribution Scale (SAS) were administered to 926 Spanish students (51% boys) aged 8 to 11 (M = 9.57; SD = 1.07). Four school refusal behaviour profiles were obtained: low school refusal behaviour, school refusal behaviour by positive reinforcement, mixed school refusal behaviour and high mixed school refusal behaviour. School refuser profiles, characterised by high scores on the first three factors of the SRAS-R (high mixed and mixed school refusal behaviour profiles), reported higher scores on an academic self-attributional style, in which they associate their failures with a lack of ability and effort. Results are discussed, considering the relationship between school refusal behaviour and unsuitable attributional styles in language and literature. Promoting effective coping skills to deal with school failure situations will seek to improve, as far as possible, the needs of all students contributing to a healthy learning environment.

Exploring different types of school refusers through latent profile analysis and school-related stress associations.

Children experience significant number of stressful situations at school during their academic years. The aims of this study were to identify school refusers groups of children through latent profile analysis and to test their associations with school-related sources and manifestation of stress. Data were obtained from 755 schoolchildren (8-11 years) from public and private schools of Alicante and Murcia (Spain), using the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) and the School Situation Survey (SSS). In general, positive and statistically significant correlations were identified between school refusal behavior and school-related sources and manifestations of stress. School refusers groups were derived from the combination of high and low scores in the four functional conditions assessed by the SRAS-R. "Low School Refusal Behavior Profile,""School Refusal Behavior by Positive Reinforcement Profile" and "Mixed School Refusal Behavior Profile" were identified. The percentages of children within these profiles were 47.7%, 46.6%, and 5.7%, respectively. The Mixed School Refusal Behavior Profile was the group with the highest average scores in the school-related stress factors. In contrast, the group with the lowest mean scores was the Low School Refusal Behavior Profile. By comparing the Low School Refusal Behavior Profile with the Mixed School Refusal Behavior Profile, the largest effect sizes were found. Findings are discussed from a socio-ecological perspective considering the school context conditions as key elements in the development of school refusal behaviors.

Form, Function and Feedback on the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised in Children on the Autism Spectrum.

School refusal is more prevalent in children on the autism spectrum than among their peers. The function of school refusal can be explored using the school refusal assessment scale-revised (SRAS-R) but its relevance to children on the spectrum has not been investigated. Parents of 121 children (M age 11.9years) on the autism spectrum completed the SRAS-R and provided feedback on it applicability. Confirmatory factor analysis suggests unsuitability of the original four-factor structure proposed for neurotypical students. Only 41.7% of parents considered the questionnaire an adequate method for reporting on school refusal in children on the autism spectrum with the majority (90%) identifying additional questions to evaluate factors associated with school refusal in autism.

Testing the Functional Profiles of School Refusal Behavior and Clarifying Their Relationship With School Anxiety.

Students with school attendance problems are a diverse and heterogeneous group whose patterns of symptomatology can change over time. This study aims to identify different school refusal behavior profiles and to determine whether these profiles differ from each other based on four situational factors and three response systems of school anxiety across gender. The participants were 1,685 Spanish students (49% female) aged 15–18 years (M = 16.28; SD =0.97). The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) and the School Anxiety Inventory (SAI) were administered. Latent profile analysis revealed five school refusal behavior profiles: Non-School Refusal Behavior, Mixed School Refusal Behavior, School Refusal Behavior by Positive Reinforcement, Low School Refusal Behavior, and High School Refusal Behavior. The results indicated that High School Refusal Behavior and Mixed School Refusal Behavior groups were the most maladaptive profiles since it obtained the highest mean scores on school anxiety. In contrast, Non-School Refusal and School Refusal Behavior by Positive Reinforcement groups revealed the lowest scores in school anxiety. Non-significant gender-based differences were found, only girls were more represented in the mixed school refusal behavior profile in comparison with boys but with a small effect size. Findings are discussed in relation to the importance of promoting good mental health to prevent school attendance problems in adolescents and younger ages.

Association between School Refusal Behaviors and Anxiety Level among School-Age Children

Background: School refusal is considered a serious problem that may cause many stressors to the child and that also interferes with the child's social and educational achievement. Anxiety may not just associate with “school refusal”, but also including unexcused absences or truancy. The study aimed to investigate the association between school refusal behaviors and anxiety level among school-age children. Design: using a descriptive correlational research design was adopted for this study. Sample: - included 630 school-age children who selected randomly from five primary and preparatory schools at Sohag city in March 2019. Tools: A student demographic data and Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders to assess a child's anxiety and The School Refusal Assessment Scale Revised (SRAS-R). Results: 13.42 ± 2.71 was the mean age of school-age children. Regarding the severity of school refusal was moderate among more than one third of school age children. There was a statistically significant association between School-age children's anxiety and their school refusal behaviors p < 0.05. Conclusion: school refusal behavior was significantly associated with anxiety level among school-age children. A high percentage of school-age children reported that primary reason for school refusal was the desire to stay with one or both parents at home Recommendations: School-age children should be provided with health information about behavioral strategies in the management of school refusal.

El rechazo escolar y la ansiedad cognitiva

Hay diversos factores que pueden repercutir negativamente en el rendimiento académico, así como en una positiva adaptación social y escolar. Uno de ellos es la ansiedad escolar a nivel cognitivo, conocida como aquellos pensamientos e imágenes de carácter negativo ante situaciones escolares que desencadenan circunstancias de evitación y/o escape del aula o institución escolar. El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar las diferencias en rechazo escolar en función de las altas y bajas puntuaciones en ansiedad cognitiva, en una muestra de 1588 adolescentes entre 12 y 18 años de edad, matriculados en cursos de educación secundaria y bachillerato. Para ello, se aplicó la escala cognitiva del Inventario de Ansiedad Escolar para Educación Secundaria (IAES) y la Escala de Evaluación del Rechazo Escolar Revisada (SRASR). Los hallazgos del estudio muestran que los adolescentes con alta ansiedad cognitiva, a diferencia de sus iguales con bajas puntuaciones, puntúan significativamente más elevado en tres de las cuatro dimensiones de la SRAS-R. En conclusión, estos resultados apuntan sobre consecuencias negativas en la adaptación escolar y psicosocial del alumnado, en consonancia con literatura previa, lo que respalda la necesidad de diseñar intervenciones que minimicen la problemática.

Perfiles de rechazo escolar: Identificación y comparación entre adolescentes ecuatorianos y chilenos

School refusal behavior is defined as any child or youth’s difficulty to attend classes or to remain in the school. This behavior could be based or not on anxiety and prevalence rates from 5 to 28 % if it is considered any type of rejection towards the school. Adolescents demonstrating school refusal behaviors are very likely to demonstrate poorer academic performance, more stress, behavior problems and family conflicts. The psychological, social and educational relevance of the present study is due to the scarce of previous studies that have evaluated the school refusal behavior in Latin America and the high dropout rates that they face in this region. This study is focused on two countries, Ecuador and Chile, in order to identify possible differences regarding school refusal behavior scores between adolescents in both countries. The aim of this investigation was to examine the mean differences scores on school refusal behavior and the formation of school refusal behavior profiles in Ecuadorian and Chilean adolescents to determine whether these results differ from one another based on the geographical origin. In this study participated a total of 4266 students aged between 13 and 17 years old from Ecuador ( M = 14.83, SD = 1.86; N = 1588) and Chile ( M = 15.23; SD = 1.26; N = 2678). These students were selected by cluster random sampling. The measure used to assess the school refusal behavior was the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R). The SRAS-R is a self-report measure that assesses the relative strength of four proposed functions, or maintaining variables, of school refusal behavior: Factor I. Avoidance of school-based stimuli that provoke Negative Affectivity; Factor II. Escape from aversive Social/Evaluative situations at school; Factor III. Pursuit of Attention from Significant others; and Factor IV. Pursuit of Tangible Reinforcement outside of school. The SRAS-R was administered during the school day (a session of approximately 20 minutes) in groups who completed the scale anonymously in accordance with the ethical standards and also emphasizing the voluntary nature of the test. Regarding the results, mean differences scores on school refusal behavior revealed statistically significant differences of small magnitude with Chilean students reaching higher mean scores in school refusal behavior in order to pursuit the attention from significant others and to obtain tangible reinforces external to the school, in comparison with their equals from Ecuador. Cluster analysis confirmed four school refusal profiles in both countries: Low School Refusal Behavior (characterized by low school refusal behavior scores for the four factors of the SRAS-R), High School Refusal Behavior (characterized by high school refusal behavior scores for the four factors of the SRAS-R), Anxious School Refusal Behavior (profile that combines high scores on the first three factors of the SRAS-R and moderate scores for the fourth) and Absentee School Refusal Behavior (profile that combines moderate levels for the first three factors of the SRAS-R but high in the fourth factor). The results revealed a small variability between the school refusal behavior profiles across the countries. However, Chilean adolescents scored significantly higher than Ecuadorians in school refusal based on the search for tangible external reinforcements. The results of this research supported a low variability of the findings according to the country. The generalization of these results supports the transcultural validity of the SRAS-R and emphasizes that Ecuador and Chile share a similar situation regarding school refusal behavior. Some limitations of this work are considered, and they are proposed as future lines of research. To conclude, the results are discussed taking into account the defining cultural characteristics of each country.

Socio-demographic correlates of school refusal among primary school students in Ranchi City

Introduction: School refusal has some distinctive features and it can affect the academic achievement of the students very negatively. Several socio-demographic factors are responsible for school refusal. This study intends to see the role of some socio-demographic factors in school refusal among primary grade students of five private schools of the city of Ranchi. Methodology: It was a Cross-sectional school-based study on five private schools of Ranchi city. Total students approached were 1640, out of which 52 students were selected purposively as per the study criteria. Socio-demographic Data Sheet and School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) were used and descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, one way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc test were used. Results: Factors like the gender of the students, parental education, monthly family income and family type have a significant impact on school refusal behaviour of selected students. Conclusion: School refusal is a complicated problem and it has been influenced by various factors. &#x0D; Keywords: School refusal, demographic variables, parents, family, absenteeism

Identifying Risk Profiles of School Refusal Behavior: Differences in Social Anxiety and Family Functioning Among Spanish Adolescents.

School attendance problems negatively affect students’ development. This study attempted to identify different school refusal behavior profiles and to examine their relationship with three dimensions of social anxiety (fear of negative evaluation, social avoidance and distress in new situations, and social avoidance and distress that is experienced more generally in the company of peers) and the perception of family functioning. Participants included 1842 Spanish adolescents (53% girls) aged 15–18 years (M = 16.43; SD = 1.05). The School Refusal Assessment Scale—Revised (SRAS-R), the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A), and the Family APGAR Scale (APGAR: Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, and Resolve) were administered. Latent class analysis revealed four school refusal behavior profiles: non-school refusal behavior, high school refusal behavior, moderately low school refusal behavior, and moderately high school refusal behavior. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) indicated that adolescents’ with the profile of high school refusal behavior showed higher scores in all the subscales of social anxiety. In contrast, the non-school refusal behavior group revealed higher scores in the perception of good family functioning, whereas the high school refusal behavior profile obtained the lowest scores in this scale. These findings suggest that students who reject school are at a higher risk of developing social anxiety problems and manifesting family conflicts. These students should be prioritized in order to attend to their needs, promoting self-help to overcome social anxiety and family problems with the purpose of preventing school refusal behaviors.

Child and Adolescent Social Adaptive Functioning Scale: Factorial Invariance, Latent Mean Differences, and Its Impact on School Refusal Behavior in Spanish Children

This study aims to examine the factorial invariance and latent mean differences across gender of the Spanish version of the Child and Adolescent Social Adaptive Functioning Scale (Study 1) and to value the function of social functioning as a protective ability of school refusal behavior (Study 2). Participants were Spanish students aged 8–12 years carefully chosen by simple random cluster, 345 for the first study (M = 9.17; SD = 1.03) and 1,032 students for the second study (M = 10.02; SD = 1.77). The measures used were the Child and Adolescent Social Adaptive Functioning Scale (CASAFS) and the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R). Results about the validation of the scale supported the model proposed in this study for the CASAFS, with 15 items and a four-factor structure (school performance, peer relationships, family relationships, and home duties/self-care). Findings revealed invariance across gender for this model and good internal consistency levels were exhibited in each of the four dimensions of the CASAFS (0.76, 0.72, 0.74, and 0.71). Latent mean differences did not report differences between boys and girls. Regarding the second study, the social functioning acted as a protective factor of school refusal behavior by negatively and significantly predicting high scores in school refusal behavior due to anxiety symptoms or feelings of negative affect linked to the obligation to attend school. Opposite results were found for those students who justify their refusal to attend school in pursuing tangible reinforcements outside the school setting. These findings strengthen the reliability and validity of the CASAFS and the idea of social functioning as a person’s ability which could prevent school refusal behavior is discussed.

Relationship between school refusal behavior and social functioning: a cluster analysis approach

On the basis of the heterogeneous casuistry that characterizes the students who refuse going to school, it is useful to have a classification of this population in homogeneous groups. For this, the aim of this study was, first, to identify by cluster analysis the profiles of school refusal behavior based on the functional model evaluated through the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-S). Secondly, it is intended to analyze if there are differences in social functioning scores according to the school refusal profiles identified. This study involved 1212 Spanish children between 8 and 11 years old (M=9.12, SD=1.05) who completed the SRAS-R to evaluate the school refusal behavior and the Child and Adolescent Social Adaptive Functioning Scale (CASAFS) to assess social functioning. Four profiles were identified: Non-school refusers, School refusers by mixed reinforcements, School refusers by tangible reinforcements and School refusers by negative reinforcements. The profile of Non-school refusers achieved the highest average scores in social functioning, while School refusers by mixed reinforcements group obtained the lowest average scores in social functioning. In general, the profiles found support the clusters identified in previous studies. The implications of social functioning on school refusal behavior are discussed.

不登校アセスメント尺度改訂版(SRAS-R)の一般児童への適用と妥当性の検討(原著)

不登校アセスメント尺度改訂版(SRAS-R)の一般児童への適用と妥当性の検討(原著)