Signposts for School Refusal Interventions, Based on the Views of Stakeholders

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• School refusal (SR) presents developmental risks for youth and distress for families.
• Current interventions improve school attendance but are not universally effective.
• Effective support for SR requires tailored strategies for youth and families.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide practitioners and organizations with practical guidance for developing and delivering interventions for school refusal.
• To present 14 evidence-based signposts for effective SR intervention.
• To support professionals working with youth and families experiencing school refusal.

Main Methods:

• Practice-based manuscript synthesizing findings from the 'Knowing What Works' project.
• Informed by views of 76 professionals, 39 youths, and 86 parents involved in 21 SR interventions.
• Supported by a review of existing literature on school refusal intervention.

Main Results:

• Development of 14 signposts outlining essential conditions for effective SR intervention.
• Stakeholder input highlighted key elements for successful interventions.
• Signposts integrate practical experience with empirical evidence.

Conclusions:

• The 14 signposts offer a framework for enhancing the development and delivery of school refusal interventions.
• The signposts can guide practitioners in supporting youth and families.
• Evaluation of the signposts' utility is recommended for continuous improvement.