Attachment theory as a lens for examining the school avoidant student

Abstract

Attachment theory as a lens for examining the school avoidant student The purpose of this study is to better understand why a school avoidant student has a difficult time staying attached to a school community. For a school avoidant student, the school environment is too challenging to manage resulting in an emotional and physical disengagement from school. A school avoidant student will seek to protect themselves from intense feelings of anxiety and will detach themselves from the school community as a protective measure. Specifically, this study seeks to understand a school avoidant behavior within the lens of attachment theory. ¶ Attachment theory helps to explain why a student doubts or questions the responsiveness of the school community during times of emotional crisis and need. How a student regulates their attachment to a secure school base will determine whether a student is willing to take risks to learn and socialize. This study used a newly developed instrument titled the School Personnel Perceptions of a Quiet Student Scale or SPPQSS and reliability was tested using a correlational, cross-sectional quantitative study using a 5-point Likert Scale. Data were gathered from a non probability sample of school psychologists, school social workers, guidance counselors, school nurses and teachers. Results indicated that although school avoidance can be defined through the lens of anxiety, at its root, it is about how a student cannot regulate their feelings of attachment which causes them to disengage and isolate from the school community to protect from feeling anxious