Exploring patterns of school absenteeism: Links to school climate in adolescents

School climate or perceiving the school as a friendly environment enhances students' sense of belonging and school attendance. However, there is a clear lack of previous research related to school absenteeism/school attendance problems and school climate. Therefore, this study examines the connections between school absenteeism and school climate. The Assessing Reasons for School Non-Attendance (ARSNA) and the What’s Happening In This School? (WHITS) were answered by 997 adolescents ( M age = 14.91, SD = 1.82). Using latent profile analysis, four school absenteeism profiles were identified. MANOVA showed that students of the Non-school absenteeism profile reported the highest school climate scores, while those of High school absenteeism scored the lowest. These findings suggest that a positive school climate foster school attendance and reduces the risk of absenteeism. This research offers a foundational framework for developing targeted educational strategies to address school absenteeism effectively from a global and holistic perspective.