ABSTRACT
John is 13. The school has labelled him a ‘truant’. The fact is that he has attended school on three occasions in the first six weeks of the Autumn Term. He is also a member of a local counselling group for secondary-aged pupils run by the school psychological service. During his time in this group, he has revealed that he is afraid of his classmates because they tease and bully him. He has manifested a wide range of interrelated social and personal problems. Although well adjusted and growing in confidence as a member of the group, his non-attendance continues unabated. He appears to look forward to his counselling sessions. He hates school.
