When school becomes an insurmountable hurdle

Fear of bullying, panic in class crowds, excessive pressure - some young people rarely or never attend school for months or years. School absenteeism can have lifelong consequences. A project in Bochum is helping.

Philipp seems cheerful and open-minded. It's hard to imagine that the 13-year-old dropped out of sixth grade months ago because school became a misery. "I've been bullied to death since the third grade, I had constant stomach aches." In March, a classmate threatened to beat him up. That was the end of it. "I was completely depressed and often had to cry on the school bus," says the Bochum native. Theresa hardly went to school for almost a year. "I had panic attacks in the morning. I rarely made it to school," says the reserved 15-year-old in a very quiet voice.

School absenteeism affects quite a few adolescents in Germany and can have dramatic consequences, emphasizes expert Heinrich Ricking from the University of Leipzig. In addition to Philipp and Theresa, eight other young people come to the Unicus day group in Bochum. For all of them, everyday school life had become an insurmountable hurdle. Their regular school released them from school for a year with the aim of being able to attend classes again after stabilization at Unicus, explains social education worker Eva-Maria Hagenguth. Some have been at school for months, some for years, hardly or not at all. The youth welfare office assesses their needs as part of the integration assistance.

Support is often lacking

What leads to truancy? "We are dealing with highly sensitive young people who are very susceptible to disruption and who are unable to cope with stress factors and the resulting stress," explains Hagenguth. "Young people come to us who are chronically unable to attend school due to mental illness, anxiety disorders, school phobia, social phobias or serious strokes of fate." Neglect and problems with aggression can also be reasons. "They often lack the necessary support overall." Many are high-performing, have talent, but "have no idea of their potential, see no prospects and cannot contain their emotions".

It's not about skipping school here and there. The people in question are completely out of school and out of the social group, says Hagenguth. There are extreme cases: "We've had teenagers who haven't left their room for up to two years." Researcher Ricking explains: "The pupils drift out of the school system for months, sometimes years, and become disconnected." In addition to mental illness, the following often plays a role: "They are marginalized, less socially integrated." And some are marked by experiences of failure and defeat. It is not uncommon for them to need help from child and adolescent psychiatry.

Absenteeism is not uncommon

There are no statistics, but according to Ricking, studies suggest that around three to five percent of secondary school pupils have to deal with habitual and chronic absenteeism. Impending consequences: A drop in performance, no school-leaving certificate, poor career prospects, social and psychological problems. "So it's not just a school problem, it can become a life problem." Although awareness of the issue has grown, it is also often trivialized. In full classes, warning signs such as staying out after the break or frequent lateness are often overlooked. More expertise and early intervention are needed.

The problem is that help often comes too late, so prevention is very important - such as working on the school climate and violence prevention, keyword bullying. According to the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Education, the "phenomenon and extent" are not easy to ascertain. The terms truancy, absenteeism and refusal to attend school are not used consistently.

Happy again at last

The comprehensive concept includes many educational interventions to achieve emotional and social stabilization, promote motivation to learn and help participants reintegrate into school. An excerpt: In one morning, the young people are asked to express their moods or reflect on character traits they aspire to. It's time for a circle of chairs, and there are animal figures to choose from in the middle. Philipp picks out the orca: "It can be nice, but if you attack it, it hits back." There is also a team challenge. A marble has to be moved quickly across the common room without falling to the floor. Every hand is needed. Some are lively, others are more inhibited - but everyone takes part.

The animal can be nice, but it doesn't have to be ...

A weekly schedule provides for group and individual work. A team of social workers and educators look after the young people. "We want to stabilize them, give them security and help them feel capable of acting again. Self-esteem is a big issue," emphasizes Hagenguth. Getting through the lessons is less of a challenge, it's all about social skills. So speaking in front of others, performing - anything but trivial.

A presentation in the form of "PowerPoint karaoke", for example, can help. Theater roles are also used for practice. Mountain biking or boxing together, making music, shopping and cooking are also part of it. "I never managed presentations at school. I don't like being the center of attention," says Theresa. In her first few weeks at Unicus, she always wanted to be alone in the morning. "I had to come down in an extra room first, I hardly ever talked. Now I feel very relaxed here." Unicus participants also need patience and a strong will. "I definitely want to go back to school and do my A-levels," says Theresa. "Everything here is good for me. The small group is more relaxed at first and I meet people who have been through similar things." She hopes "that the transition won't be too stressful". Philipp feels motivated for a fresh start at another school in the summer. "I'm finally happy. Now it's like a new life."