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School absenteeism and school refusal behavior in youth: A

contemporary review
Author links open overlay panelChristopher A.Kearney
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2007.07.012Get rights and content

Abstract
Absenteeism from school is a serious public health issue for mental health
professionals, physicians, and educators. The prevalence of unexcused absences from
school exceeds that of major childhood behavior disorders and is a key risk factor for
violence, injury, substance use, psychiatric disorders, and economic deprivation. This
article involves a contemporary research review on absenteeism prevalence, comorbid
physical and psychiatric conditions, classification, contextual risk factors, cross-cultural
variables, assessment, intervention, and outcome. Contextual risk factors include
homelessness and poverty, teenage pregnancy, school violence and victimization,
school climate and connectedness, parental involvement, and family variables, among
others. A description of intervention includes medical, clinical, and systemic
interventions. Medical professionals, community- and school-based mental health
professionals, and educators are encouraged to fully understand the parameters of
school absenteeism to develop better, consensual policies regarding definition,
classification, assessment, and intervention of youths with problematic school
absenteeism.
 The impact of class absenteeism on
undergraduates’ academic performance:
evidence from an elite Economics school in
Portugal
Aurora A.C. Teixeira

Pages 230-242 | Published online: 11 Jul 2014

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 https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2014.937730

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Abstract
The empirical literature focusing mainly on the USA suggests that class absenteeism
undermines students’ academic performance and that an enforced mandatory
attendance policy may be beneficial. Based on a different cultural and economic
context, and using data on 146 second-year management students enrolled in a
macroeconomics course at an elite economics school in Portugal, it is shown that even
when controlling for potential endogenous factors associated with attendance and
academic performance, absenteeism considerably lowers the students’ final grade
(about 2 points in a 0–20-point grading scheme). In addition, it is established that a
compulsory, though flexible, attendance policy contributes to improving students’
academic performance.

1. 3. INTRODUCTION Absenteeism is a common problem in every university. According to

Merriam Webster Dictionary, absenteeism is a “chronic absence”. In the context of school, it
is the habitual or intentional failure to attained school. While every students may miss some
school activities now and then, absence becomes a problem when the student is away from
school for many days. Going to school regularly is crucially important for a student’s
education and social skills chronically absent students are at a disadvantage both socially
and academically. They miss out on critical stages of social interaction and development with
their peers. School absenteeism is an alarming problem for administrators, teachers,
parents, society in general, and pupils and particular. Unaccepted absences have a negative
effect on peer relationship (Malcolm, Wilson , Davidson, Kirk 2003).

Money on the Mind

Finances are affecting students' academic experience, with ability to get a job as
a big factor in deciding on a major, according to this year's National Survey of
Student Engagement.
By
Allie Grasgreen

November 15, 2012

3 COMMENTS

The recession may be over, but as tuition and debt continue to rise, many
students are still under extreme pressure to make ends meet – and for some, it’s
at the expense of academic pursuits.
In part responding to critics who wondered why they hadn’t explored this earlier,
the creators of the National Survey of Student Engagement this year asked how
finances were affecting students’ academic activity. The results, NSSE director
Alexander C. McCormick said, are “not too surprising, but worrisome.”
About 60 percent of full-time seniors who work more than 20 hours per week said
it interfered with their academic performance, but just as many said they
frequently looked into working more hours to cover costs. Further, 32 percent of
first-year students and 36 percent of seniors said financial concerns interfered
with their academic performance.
And 27 percent of freshmen and 34 percent of seniors said they “often” or “very
often” chose not to purchase required academic materials because of the cost.
“You have to wonder what the impact is,” said McCormick, who is also an
associate professor of educational leadership and policy studies at Indiana
University at Bloomington. Ones hopes that students are renting textbooks or
borrowing from a friend rather than simply going without, but even then, he said,
if a student can’t open a textbook whenever needed, it’s not ideal.

Perhaps it’s also not surprising, then, that when asked whether a series of factors
“substantially” influenced their choice of major, 55 percent of seniors said “yes” to
having the ability to find a job (with more minority than white students saying so),
and 52 percent noted potential salary. Nearly 59 percent pointed to career
mobility or advancement, and 41 percent said potential for management
positions. Still, academic interest and personal talents won out, with 89 percent
of seniors answering in the affirmative to both.