No abstract

No abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the factorial invariance and latent means differences of the Spanish version of the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised for Children (SRAS-R-C) in a sample of 1,078 students (50.8% boys) aged 8–11 years (M = 9.63, SD = 1.12). The results revealed that the proposed model in this study, with a structure of 18 items divided into four factors (Negative Affective, Social Aversion and/or Evaluation, To Pursue Attention and Tangible Reinforcements), was the best-fit model with a tetra-factorial structure, remaining invariant across gender and age. Analysis of latent means differences indicated that boys and 11-year-old students scored highest on the Tangible Reinforcements subscale compared with their 8- and 9-year-old peers. On the contrary, for the subscales of Social Aversion and/or Evaluation and to Pursue Attention, the differences were significant and higher in younger age groups compared to 11-year-olds. Appropriate indexes of reliability were obtained for SRAS-R-C subscales (0.70, 0.79, 0.87, and 0.72). Finally, the founded correlation coefficients of scores of the SRAS-R-C revealed a predictable pattern between school refusal and positive/negative affect and optimism/pessimism.

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.

School attendance is an important foundational competency for children and adolescents, and school absenteeism has been linked to myriad short- and long-term negative consequences, even into adulthood. Many efforts have been made to conceptualize and address this population across various categories and dimensions of functioning and across multiple disciplines, resulting in both a rich literature base and a splintered view regarding this population. This article (Part 1 of 2) reviews and critiques key categorical and dimensional approaches to conceptualizing school attendance and school absenteeism, with an eye toward reconciling these approaches (Part 2 of 2) to develop a roadmap for preventative and intervention strategies, early warning systems and nimble response, global policy review, dissemination and implementation, and adaptations to future changes in education and technology. This article sets the stage for a discussion of a multidimensional, multi-tiered system of supports pyramid model as a heuristic framework for conceptualizing the manifold aspects of school attendance and school absenteeism.