Self-image in school phobia.

Leventhal, Theodore; Sills, Malcolm

doi:10.1111/j.1939-0025.1964.tb02369.x

Cited by 68 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 12 publications

(6 reference statements)

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“…Accordingly, the statistical null hypothesis was rejected and the alternate hypothesis accepted: School-avoidant students did have a lower level of self-esteem than school-accepting students. The finding of this dissertation was opposite to the beliefs and attitudes as expressed by Leventhal and Sills (1964) and Coolidge, Tessman, Waldfogel, and Wilier (1962) in the literature review. This conclusion was checked and verified by rereading the Self-Esteem Index Examiner's Manual (Brown & Alexander, 1991) Craig's mother responded with a similar statement regarding…”

Section: Research Questioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…This fear became displaced upon the school, the child clung to the mother, and the cyclical pattern was initiated. Leventhal and Sills (1964) rejected the theory of school phobia by arguing that school phobia would occur at an earlier time than it does and that the child's independent behavior from the mother in other areas was successful even in the severe cases of school phobia. They believed that the school-avoidant students "overvalue themselves and their achievements and then try to hold onto their unrealistic self-image" (p. 686).…”

Section: Theories Of School-avoidance Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Leventhal and Sills (1964) reported that once the environmental information had been evaluated, the mental health professional focused on the child's fantasies. They recommended applying pressure gradually and a confrontation, if necessary, to get the student back in school.…”

Section: Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

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A case study of ten school-avoidant students

Richards

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Section: Research Questioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Theories Of School-avoidance Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

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A case study of ten school-avoidant students

Richards

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“…The theory also lacks an explanation as to why the same unresolved dependency relationship between mothers and children is observed in other families without school-phobic children (Levanthal & Sills, 1964).…”

Section: Lack Of Generalizability Concerning Pathological Mother-chilmentioning

confidence: 99%

School phobia: A critical analysis of the separation anxiety theory and an alternative conceptualization

Pilkington

Piersel

1991

Psychol. Schs.

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A review of the literature on school phobia reveals that the predominant view concerning its etiology is the separation anxiety theory. This theory is critically anlayzed on three major grounds: (a) methodological problems of the research; (b) its lack of generalizability concerning pathological mother-child relationships; and (c) its lack of emphasis on possible external, etiological variables. A case is made for reexamination of school phobia, in light of recent research highlighting the potential role of environmental variables, thereby taking it out of the realm of neurotic behaviors. An alternative conceptualization is offered that views school refusal as a normal avoidance reaction to an unpleasant, unsatisfying, or even hostile environment. It is suggested that we shift our research attention to the school environment and personnel in terms of their contribution to the etiology and maintenance of school refusal behaviors.Broadwin (1932) was the first to describe the school phobia syndrome, stating that absence from school was consistent, although the reason was incomprehensible. Although he noted that some children said they were afraid of school, afraid of the teacher, or afraid that something terrible was happening to mother while they were at school, Broadwin (1932) discounted such statements as rationalizations for a more general deep-seated neurosis. Johnson, Falstein, Szurek, and Svendsen (1941) were the first to actually use the term school phobia, differentiating it from truancy and classifying it as a psychoneurotic disorder. However, Johnson (1957) later restated that "school phobia is a misnomer. Actually it is a separation anxiety which occurs not only in early childhood, but also in later years" (p. 307).Since that time, many defiinitions of school phobia have evolved, with most emphasizing separation anxiety as a critical element. For example, Green (cited in Davidson, 1960) described "school-phobes" and "mother-philes," arguing that such children were not runningfrom school so much as they were running back to mother. Goldenberg and Goldenberg (1970) further stated that school-phobic children appear to dread some aspect of the school situation, as well as dreading physical separation from home and mother. Freedman, Kaplan, and Sadock (1970) actually defined school phobia as "a young child's sudden fear of and refusal to attend school; usually considered a manifestation of separation" (p. 1328). More recently, Achenbach (1982) commented that there appears to be general agreement that school-phobic children fear separation from parents more than they fear school. Thus, the key etiological assumption in school phobia is a fear or reluctance to be separated from mother. A second, less central etiological assumption in school phobia is fear of something unpleasant occurring at school. Although providing no references or other empirical support, Crowell and Walters (19%) state that "one of the common manifestations of depression and anxiety is the syndrome of school refusal" (p. 216).

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“…6). She allowed herself in this hour to use quite angry and violent language in talking about the psychotherapist, as if acting out an 'omnipotent self image' [Leventhai. and Sills,16], At the beginning of the sixth art therapy hour she was in a restless mood. The art therapist mentioned that the happy pictures she had painted were of her farm life, and asked what she would paint as an unhappy picture.…”

Section: Art Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%