What causes EBSNA?
Some of the most common causes of EBSNA include:
- Anxiety – feeling scared about leaving home, doing schoolwork, being around others, or dealing with changes
- Bullying – feeling unsafe or picked on at school
- Mental health difficulties – having problems like anxiety, depression or panic attacks
- Sensory differences – feeling overwhelmed and distressed by things like loud noises, bright lights, or busy crowds
- Lack of support for learning difficulties – not getting the help they need at school, which can cause stress, frustration, and low confidence
- Not wanting to be noticed – feeling the need to hide any difficulties so other students and teachers don’t see them
- Bad past experiences – feeling embarrassed, punished, or not supported at school
- Not having friends – finding it hard to make friends or feeling left out
- Pressure to do well – being afraid of failing or trying hard to meet high expectations
The causes of EBSNA can be different for each person, and often there is more than one reason. EBSNA often starts because of difficult experiences at school.
EBSNA is more likely to happen to some groups of children and young people, especially those who:
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- Live in housing that is not safe or stable
- Have been in foster care or looked after by someone other than their parents
- Have serious medical needs, like a long illness or an ongoing medical treatment
- Have physical impairments such as coordination or mobility problems, or severe injuries
- Have recently lost someone close to them
- Have parents who are in the Armed Forces
- Are part of a minority or marginalised group (for example, LGBTQ+, or a racial, ethnic, or religious minority)