Examining the Relationship Between Social Loneliness, School Belonging, and Avoidant Behaviors Among Students in Educational Settings
Keywords:
social loneliness, school belonging, avoidant behaviors, students, thematic analysis, educational environmentAbstract
This study aimed to explain students’ lived experiences of the relationship between social loneliness, school belonging, and avoidant behaviors in educational settings in Tehran. This qualitative study employed thematic analysis. The participants were 24 lower- and upper-secondary school students from Tehran, selected through purposive sampling with attention to variation in gender, grade level, and school type. Data were collected exclusively through semi-structured interviews. Sampling continued until theoretical saturation was achieved; initial saturation occurred at the twenty-first interview, and three additional interviews were conducted to confirm the stability of the emerging categories. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using NVivo software. The analysis followed the stages of familiarization with the data, initial coding, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and producing the final report. The analysis yielded five main categories: “feeling socially invisible,” “weak emotional connection with school,” “avoidance as a psychological self-protection strategy,” “the role of teacher and peer relationships in intensifying or reducing loneliness,” and “retreating into private and digital spaces.” The findings indicated that students’ social loneliness was not merely related to the absence of friends; rather, it was closely tied to feeling unseen, unheard, and lacking a meaningful position within the school community. Reduced school belonging gradually contributed to withdrawal from classroom activities, psychological disengagement, avoidance of group participation, and distancing from educational interactions. The findings suggest that students’ avoidant behaviors should not be interpreted solely as low motivation or individual weakness. Instead, such behaviors often represent maladaptive yet psychologically meaningful responses to social loneliness and weakened school belonging. School-based interventions should therefore focus on strengthening supportive relationships, promoting meaningful participation, improving teacher-student interactions, and developing an inclusive school culture.
Downloads
References
Allen, K. A., Cordoba, B. G., Parks, A., & Arslan, G. (2024). Adolescent school belonging and mental health outcomes in young adulthood: Findings from a multi-wave prospective cohort study. School Mental Health, 16, 595–609. doi: 10.1007/s12310-023-09626-6
Allen, K. A., Kern, M. L., Vella-Brodrick, D., Hattie, J., & Waters, L. (2018). What schools need to know about fostering school belonging: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 30(1), 1–34. doi: 10.1007/s10648-016-9389-8
Arslan, G., & Allen, K. A. (2021). School victimization, school belongingness, psychological well-being, and emotional problems in adolescents. Child Indicators Research, 14, 1501–1517. doi: 10.1007/s12187-021-09813-4
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497–529. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497
Bayat, N., Fokkema, T., Mujakovic, S., & Ruiter, R. A. C. (2021). Contextual correlates of loneliness in adolescents. Children and Youth Services Review, 127, 106083. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106083
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. doi: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Eccles, J. S., & Roeser, R. W. (2011). Schools as developmental contexts during adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21(1), 225–241. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00725.x
Goodenow, C. (1993). The psychological sense of school membership among adolescents: Scale development and educational correlates. Psychology in the Schools, 30(1), 79–90. doi: 10.1002/1520-6807(199301)30:1<79::AID-PITS2310300113>3.0.CO;2-X
Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability. Field Methods, 18(1), 59–82. doi: 10.1177/1525822X05279903
Kearney, C. A. (2008). School absenteeism and school refusal behavior in youth: A contemporary review. Clinical Psychology Review, 28(3), 451–471. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2007.07.012
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage.
Loades, M. E., Chatburn, E., Higson-Sweeney, N., Reynolds, S., Shafran, R., Brigden, A., Linney, C., McManus, M. N., Borwick, C., & Crawley, E. (2020). Rapid systematic review: The impact of social isolation and loneliness on the mental health of children and adolescents in the context of COVID-19. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 59(11), 1218–1239.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2020.05.009
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1–13. doi: 10.1177/1609406917733847
Osterman, K. F. (2000). Students’ need for belonging in the school community. Review of Educational Research, 70(3), 323–367. doi: 10.3102/00346543070003323
Qualter, P., Vanhalst, J., Harris, R., Van Roekel, E., Lodder, G., Bangee, M., Maes, M., & Verhagen, M. (2015). Loneliness across the life span. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(2), 250–264. doi: 10.1177/1745691615568999
Rubin, K. H., Coplan, R. J., & Bowker, J. C. (2009). Social withdrawal in childhood. Annual Review of Psychology, 60, 141–171. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.60.110707.163642
Wentzel, K. R. (1998). Social relationships and motivation in middle school: The role of parents, teachers, and peers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 90(2), 202–209. doi: 10.1037/0022-0663.90.2.202
