Prevalence of school refusal across sex and grade in Ecuadorian adolescents

Abstract

Prevalence of school refusal is difficult to determine due to the discrepancy in the definition of the construct and the lack of national information. In this sense, the present study aimed to analyze the differences in prevalence of school refusal, understood as the resistance to go to school or to remain in it, across sex and grade. The sample consisted of 1,786 Ecuadorian students aged between 15 and 18 years (Mage = 16.31; SD = 1.01). The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised for Children (SRAS-RC) was used, whose factors assess the avoidance of stimuli that provoke negative affectivity (Factor I), the escape from social aversion and/or evaluative situations (Factor II), the pursuit of attention from significant others (Factor III), and the pursuit of tangible reinforcement outside of school (Factor IV). The Z test for difference in proportions was used to establish whether there were differences between the percentage of students classified with high school refusal behavior across sex and grade. The proportion of girls was significantly higher in Factor I, while the percentage of boys was significantly higher in Factor IV. Significant differences across grade were found in Factor I between first and third grade and between second and third grade of baccalaureate, and in Factor IV between first and third grade. The practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Keywords

• rechazo escolar
• prevalencia
• sexo
• curso
• adolescencia