Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA) has been extensively studied in Western contexts, yet little is known about its manifestation in non-Western settings. This study applies BERTopic and semantic network analysis to 60,000 counseling-based narratives from Chinese adolescents to examine the psychological, familial, school, and systemic factors underlying EBSA. The analysis identified seven thematic domains: anxiety-driven symptoms, sensory overload, family conflict, peer and teacher difficulties, post-COVID adjustment, systemic barriers, and loss of belonging. These results validate the cross-contextual relevance of established EBSA constructs while also revealing institutional challenges unique to the Chinese context. Methodologically, the study demonstrates how computational text analysis can extend qualitative inquiry to large-scale, culturally grounded data. Substantively, it advances EBSA research by integrating individual, relational, and systemic dimensions, offering both cross-cultural insights and practical implications. The findings suggest that Chinese schools should strengthen teacher-student trust, foster collaborative family-school partnerships, and adopt systemic, preventive strategies to reduce EBSA and promote student well-being.
Author: Hang Chen
Institution: Xi'an Eurasia University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,353
OpenAlex ID: W7128726706