By Zi Jia Ng

Nearly 30 percent of K–12 students in the United States were chronically absent in the 2022–23 school year. Have you had a student who refuses to go to school? How about a student who attends but skips class? Or a student who puts their head on the table when told to work on a task during class?

As adults, we may run because we think we can’t handle a situation in what’s known as avoidance, or we may hide because we don’t want to deal with a situation in what psychologists call escape. Students are no different. Avoidance/escape is a key factor in current national concerns about student absenteeism and disengagement. Think about 15-year-old “Avery,” who experiences an upset stomach because of test anxiety. Or 16-year-old “Andres,” who puts his head on the table because of frustration with schoolwork.

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