"(...) I know you were not at school today. You and Paul. You were seen in the park by a neighbour. With your school bags at 10am. Why did you run away? Do you want to have your behaviour reduced? (...)".

Sometimes it's really hard to explain the reason for this. It could be an impulse: "we're blowing off steam in maths?" and already a group of pupils are running out of school laughing. But it can also be the other way round. It may be that a child is afraid of a subject - e.g. the teacher asks questions in the middle of the room during every lesson, humiliating the pupil in front of the class (despite appearances, very demanding teachers, who are also kind and fair, usually do not arouse fear) or the child feels rejected by the class, e.g. because he or she is wet or has a serious speech impediment.

In some youth groups, truancy becomes a lifestyle (one who goes to school is a lickspittle). Skipping school can also be linked to problems in the family or other problems, becoming an escape and forgetting them.

There are very few students who have never run away from school. Even more so nowadays. One-off truancy is usually not associated with serious consequences and is even considered by most teachers themselves as one of the many 'attempts at adulthood' to be made.

However, when is it appropriate to be concerned that it is more than a 'mere attempt at adulthood'? This should be considered in the following circumstances:

• it does not happen once in a while (e.g. on a friend's birthday, truancy day)
• the pupil treats it as normal
• skipping lessons becomes a way of coping with stress at school, fear of answers, tests or other problems e.g. at home
• the pupil ties himself/herself to a group of so-called "difficult youths" through truancy, and stays out of school involve smoking, drinking alcohol, drugs
• solitary escapes cause and increase isolation from the class and peers