School Refusal in Adolescents: The School-Based Counseling Professional's Role

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to reduce the likelihood of adolescent emotionally dysregulated behaviors to lessen the incidence of a particular strand of chronic absence referred to as school refusal (SR). Adolescence, the period between ages 10-19, is a time of trials and tribulations in a young person's management of emotional development. During this intense stage of growth an adolescent's ability to emotionally regulate impacts their individual sense of mastery, identity, and intimacy (Strauss et al., 2016). This project will focus on adolescent development and the practice of emotion management skills, interpersonal effectiveness strategies, and decision-making skills to reduce the likelihood of emotionally dysregulated behaviors. The proposed project will utilize Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to lessen the incidence of SR by promoting adolescent student awareness, identification, and management of adverse emotions and behaviors.