Factors Associated With Truancy

Abstract

Although truancy has been studied extensively, less attention has been given to the actual voices of the truants themselves. The current study helps fill that gap by examining recollections from a sample of 34 emerging adults (ages 18-25) who experienced various levels of high school truancy across different geographical settings. A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews was used to explore how former truants spent their time while being truant. The findings highlight factors in the contexts of the individual, home, and school that can impact the decision to be truant from school.

Entitlement and adherence in schools

“…Bimler and Kirkland (2001), Dahl (2016), Charlton, et al, (2004), and Reid (2004aReid ( , 2004bReid ( , 2005) also identify home background as a crucial influence on attendance. Several factors related to home situations have been seen as contributing to truancy, namely, lack of parental monitoring, parental condoning of absence, caring for family members, (un-)employment, possible drugs and alcohol issues, and low expectations of educational outcomes (Dahl, 2016;McKendrick, 2015). Home contexts were seen to be the most influential factors by teachers and schools.…”

“…Historically, truancy has been broadly understood as students absenting themselves from school without reasonable excuse or permission (Dahl, 2016;Wilson, Malcolm, Edwards and Davidson, 2008). Increasingly, though, understanding of why students are absent from school whilst not ill and having no apparently legitimate reason has led to more nuanced and complex ways of conceptualising truancy.…”

“…Increasingly, though, understanding of why students are absent from school whilst not ill and having no apparently legitimate reason has led to more nuanced and complex ways of conceptualising truancy. Shute and Cooper (2015) argue that in-school truancy, the skipping of individual lessons is much more prevalent and problematic than instances of whole day absenteeism; Dahl (2016) offers a typology of truants from, skipping class, through moderate (4-9 days) to chronic truancy (more than 10 days); and Wilson et al (2008) highlight the problem of deciding what kinds of absence may be considered as authorised (and by definition not truancy) and unauthorised.…”

“…Hilton's (2006) Scottish study found similar relationships among long periods of truancy, exclusion from school and pupil disaffection. The impact of repeated and lengthy absence on truants, therefore, may be cumulative and detrimental to academic attainment, continuity of learning and the development of social relationships with their peers (Wilson et al, 2008;Dahl, 2016). Wilson et al, (2008) also reported frustration among non-truanting children at attention being diverted from them towards returning absentees, about truants asking them for help to catch up, and at the effects on friendship between themselves and potential friends who truant.…”

“…These same researchers established three sets of influences that encompass the range of reasons for nonattendance. These are home influences, school factors and pupil perspectives (Attwood and Croll, 2006;Dahl, 2016;Shute and Cooper, 2015).…”