50 Scolionophobia is an intense fear of school. It s not a clinical diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but some healthcare providers view it as similar to specific phobias. Children with school phobia often become physically ill at the thought of going to school. A fear of spiders is the first on the top ten list of common fears among children. FEARS AND PHOBIAS Fears in childhood are a normal part of a child s development. They may change throughout childhood, but they are usually mild and short-lived, and come and go as the child grows. When intense, irrational fears persist and are connected to a specific thing, instead, they are known as phobias and become more problematic. Main fears Toddlers and very young children are learning how to manage their emotions and are still unable to fully understand what surrounds them. They can t distinguish between what is real and what is not and may still suffer from separation anxiety. 4 to 6-year-old children know more about the world and can pretend, so sometimes their fears are activated by their imagination. They may be afraid of the dark (and what it may hide), noises, thunder, darkness, dogs, monsters, or scary dreams. 7-year-old or older children may begin to fear things that could happen in real life like natural disasters, violence, death, or things they hear from the surrounding world. 106 BABIES AND CHILDREN belittled, ridiculed, or pressured into getting over their fears too rapidly. They should not be protected from their fears otherwise they do not get the chance to overcome them; rather, they should be supported and accompanied to face them following their pace. Phobias Children who do not outgrow their fears and have excessive or disproportionate anxious reactions to certain situations must be helped to keep these phobias under control because they may interfere with their usual daily activities: they can have anxiety attacks, cry, throw tantrums, tremble, and sweat. Some common phobias include: natural environment (storms, heights); daily situations (enclosed spaces, lifts); blood or injections; animals (dogs, spiders, snakes) . Preteens tend to focus their fears on social aspects. School and peers deeply influence their life, so they might feel anxious about homework and marks, bullying, as well as their look, their body, or whether they will be accepted by their peers. However, they are also concerned by bigger issues, which can range from injustice to climate and equality. How to treat phobias Parents and school play a pivotal role in any treatment process, but sometimes an individual or group therapy is needed. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is recommended in that it teaches children to learn new and different ways to face situations or objects. How to deal with fears Adults should talk to the children about their fears, validating them and providing reassurance, even suggesting solutions. Children should not be to belittle: sminuire, minimizzare injection: iniezione to outgrow: superare grazie alla crescita to sweat: sudare to tremble: tremare