The 7 most common phobias in boys and girls of school age

We understand phobia as an intense rejection of a stimulus that is linked to discomfort and alteration in the functionality of the subject. In this way, it is necessary to distinguish phobia from fear, since the latter is an adaptive reaction to certain stimuli or situations.

Although phobias can appear at any age, there are some that arise more frequently in a vital period or age. Most phobias or anxiety disorders require meeting criteria for 6 months, although in some cases we will see that this period is shorter.

So some of the phobias that occur most commonly in school age they are the phobia of animals, which can refer to different species; dental phobia, which usually appears at age 12; separation anxiety (fear of losing or being separated from the attachment figure); social phobia (fear of being judged or observed by others); school phobia (fear of going to school); blood phobia; and the phobia of the dark.

In this article we will talk about the distinction between phobia and fear, the phobias that are most frequently shown in school age and what their main characteristics are.

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What do we understand by phobia?

Before talking about the different types of phobias, it is necessary to know what this term refers to, what it entails. A phobia is an intense rejection of a stimulus, this aversive sensation It is related to anxiety referred to as an anticipatory response to a future threat, that is, to an event that may or may not appear. We will consider this phobia or anxiety pathological when it affects the functionality of the subject that presents it.

On the contrary, fear is an adaptive and functional reaction, it makes the individual remain alert in the face of an imminent threat, whether real or imagined. In this way, During childhood some fears appear that are considered evolutionary and that are shown more frequently at certain ages.

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What are the most frequent phobias in boys and girls during the school period?

Now that we know the main differences between fear and phobia, we must keep in mind that not all fears that arise in childhood are dysfunctional and it is necessary to assess the degree of affectation to consider it a phobia. In the same way, we must also assess temporality and observe its presence for 6 months or more.

Specific phobia is the most common anxiety disorder in childhood., where the anxiety or discomfort is directed towards a specific stimulus, it can be an animal, a situation, a type of environment or linked to blood or wounds. For its part, during adolescence it is more common to observe generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia or panic disorder.

Even so, each case is unique, for this reason, a child may develop an anxiety disorder other than specific phobia or an adolescent may show a specific phobia for the first time. We have seen that within phobias there are different categories, let's see which are the most frequent at each age.

1. animal phobia

The phobia of animals, also known as zoophobia, tends to appear from the age of 7, being the specific phobia that is shown earlier. The feared animal can be anyone, with specific names depending on which one it is. For example, we can talk about cynophobia if the phobia is of dogs, ailurophobia if it is of cats, or the best known arachnophobia to refer to the phobia of spiders.

The reactions that cause this type of phobia can be different: from agitation, need to escape, increased heart rate, increased breathing, belly pain. Likewise, we will also see that in the presence or possible presence of the animal it is hypervigilant and an increase in attention towards the feared stimulus.

As with other mental disorders, the cause of onset is linked in part to genetic predispositions; It has been observed that parents with this type of phobia increase the risk that their children will also show it; and environmental factors such as bad experiences that the child may have had with the animal or by imitating the behavior of an adult.

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2. blood phobia

Blood phobia, also called hematophobia, usually appears at the age of 9, characterized by fear of blood or other stimuli that are linked to it, such as wounds. This phobia is special or presents a different trait from the others, the subject before the phobic stimulus shows a vasovagal pattern or biphasic response, where first an increase in body tension and activation is observed, to later produce a fainting and loss of consciousness.

In this way, we can talk about different types of symptoms or reactions, some will appear in the first phase, the increase, and others in the decrease phase. In the period of increase, the most typical sign is the increase in the speed of the heartbeat and blood pressure; On the other hand, in the descent phase we can observe dizziness, increased sweating, paleness... Signs that can lead to fainting.

3. tooth phobia

Dental phobia, also known as dental phobia or odontophobia, usually appears after the age of 12. Anxiety arises when you go to the dentist or when you think about it. The most frequent symptoms are similar to those observed in other phobias, trying to avoid the stimulus, for this reason they do not go to the dentist despite having the need to do so.

Likewise, they can also feel hypersensitivity to pain, feeling more damage and a sensation of choking, especially when the dentist proceeds to insert an instrument into the mouth or to inspect it.

4. separation anxiety disorder

Separation anxiety disorder is described as phobia of separation from home or attachment figure, usually mother and father. This anxiety usually presents at 9 years as the average age of onset, showing different symptoms such as excessive concern about the loss of the linked figure, intense discomfort before separation or anticipation of separation, resistance to go to school or any other place or physical affections such as headache or vomiting, among others.

Unlike most anxiety disorders, this affectation requires the fulfillment of minimum criteria for 4 weeks.

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5. school phobia

There are authors who believe that school phobia is a manifestation of separation anxiety disorder, since it shows reluctance to separate and go to school, but there are other authors who point out the distinction between the two alterations. Thus, we define school phobia as a very intense fear of going to or staying in school, showing a rejection of school and multiple absences. In this case the time criterion is two weeks.

It is necessary to distinguish between school phobia (where the child is anxious to attend school and her parents disagree with his behavior and they want him to go), dropping out of school (in this situation the behavior of the child is not as important as that of the parents, who allow or decide that the child does not go), and truant (in this case the child does not go to school, but it is not due to the presence of anxiety or phobia).

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6. Social phobia

Social phobia usually shows up at age 6, although this is the average age; that is, it is also possible for it to occur in younger or older children. This anxiety disorder is described as an intense and persistent fear of being judged or observed by other subjects. This anxiety affects the life of the individual, and can refer to any situation of a or to specific situations where the subject must act in front of another person or group of people.

It is important not to confuse this phobia with shyness, since the latter is not considered a pathology, it is a normal personality trait and does not affect the functionality of the individual.

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7. phobia of the dark

Fear of the dark is an evolutionary fear and usually shows up from about two and a half to six years old; At these ages we will not consider it a phobia unless it is excessively intense. This fear tends to disappear, but if it continues to appear in advanced ages, affecting the subject's functionality, we can assess it as a phobia. This phenomenon as psychopathology is usually linked to a traumatic experience related to darkness.

The symptoms present in this phobia can be: the need to sleep with the light on, panic attacks (palpitations, a feeling of suffocation, sweating, tremors...) linked to the fear of the dark, nightmares and trouble sleeping, physical symptoms (nausea, vomiting, stomach pain…) and avoidance and inability to sleep alone or be alone in one place Dark.

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