Subtyping of Adolescents with School Refusal Behavior: Exploring Differences Across Profiles in Self-Concept

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health 2019-11, Vol.16 (23), p.4780
• Main Authors: Gonzálvez, Carolina, Díaz-Herrero, Ángela, Vicent, María, Sanmartín, Ricardo, Pérez-Sánchez, Antonio M, García-Fernández, José M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior - psychology; Child; Cluster analysis; Emotions; Female; Humans; Latent class analysis; Male; School attendance; Schools; Self Concept; Self esteem; Social factors; Statistical analysis; Student Dropouts - psychology; Students; Students - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16234780

Not all adolescents with school attendance problems attribute their behavior to the same causes. Knowing the subtypes of students who reject school and their relationship with new variables, such as self-concept, is an unresolved task. This study aimed to identify different school refusal behavior profiles and to determine whether these profiles differed from each other based on the scores of the eleven dimensions of self-concept (Physical appearance, Physical abilities, Parent relations, Same-sex relations, Opposite-sex relations, Honesty, Emotional stability, Self-esteem, Verbal, Math, and General school). The participants were 1315 Spanish students (57.6% male) aged 12-18 years (M = 15.21; SD = 1.74). The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised and the Self-Description Questionnaire II-Short Form were administered. A latent class analysis revealed four school refusal behavior profiles: Moderately High School Refusal Behavior, Moderately Low School Refusal Behavior, Mixed School Refusal Behavior and Non-School Refusal Behavior. The results indicated that the Mixed School Refusal Behavior group was the most maladaptive profile and revealed the lowest mean scores on self-concept. In contrast, Non-School Refusal and Moderately Low School Refusal Behavior groups revealed the highest scores in all dimensions of self-concept. Implications for working toward the prevention of school refusal in students with low self-concept are discussed.