SAD often presents in adolescents, but it can present in children as well. Like adults with social phobia, children with SAD are so afraid of being judged or criticized that they may try to find ways to avoid certain types of social situations. It is not just a "phase" or bad behavior. Children with SAD might also make statements that can indicate their fears.  Common statements include “what if statements” such as, What if I look stupid? What if I say something wrong? What if I mess up? Similar to SAD in adolescents and adults, childhood SAD is more than just shyness. It is normal for a child to feel anxious in new situations, but after exposure to the new situation and getting support from parents and peers, they can succeed. SAD interferes with a child’s ability to be social. Children with SAD may do things like avoiding school, not answering questions in class, avoiding parties, etc.  Children who have SAD suffer from an extreme fear of criticism by their peers as well as adults. This fear often interferes with day-to-day activities because children will do things to avoid the anxiety producing situation. Some children will cry, scream, hide, or do other things to avoid an anxiety producing situation. Some children also have physical reactions to anxiety such as shaking, sweating, and shortness of breath. These symptoms must last for more than six months to be considered SAD.  Children who are just shy may sometimes try to avoid activities or have mild anxiety about certain situations, but the anxiety is not as extreme or as long lasting as it is with SAD children. Shyness will not interfere with a child’s happiness in the same way that SAD will.  For example, it might be hard for a child to give a book report, but a shy student can still do it when necessary. A child with SAD might refuse to do the assignment due to extreme fear or even skip school to avoid it. This might be misinterpreted as acting out or being a bad student, but the root cause is fear. SAD will often make children extremely uncomfortable, even fearful, of interacting with adults and with other children. Even a simple conversation with a relative or playmate could cause crying, tantrums, or withdrawal.  Your child may express fear of new people and be unwilling to meet new friends or go to social gatherings where there might be unfamiliar people. They may also refuse or try to get out of participating in events that involve other people, especially in large numbers, such as field trips, play dates, or after-school activities. In severe cases, your child may experience anxiety in seemingly simple social interactions, such as asking a peer to borrow a pencil or answering a question in a store. He may display symptoms of panic, such as heart palpitations, sweating, chest pain, shaking, nausea, shortness of breath, and dizziness. Children with SAD may have trouble concentrating or participating in class because they are terrified of being judged or failing. Activities that require interaction or performance, such as giving a speech or speaking up in class, may be impossible for them to perform. Sometimes, SAD co-occurs with other disorders, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or learning disorders. It is important to get your child evaluated by a medical or mental health professional so that you know exactly what the problem is and how to address it. Recognizing SAD in children can be difficult since children might struggle to express their feelings and might act out in response to the fear.Children with SAD might have behavior issues or begin missing school in order to cope with SAD. In some children, fear associated with SAD might even be expressed through outbursts or crying. Harassment may be the cause of your child’s social anxiety or it may be making it worse. Since falling victim to bullying is a major risk factor for developing social anxiety disorder, there is a good chance that your child may be dealing with some form of harassment. Talk to your child’s teacher and any other adults who watch your child around other children to find out if your child might be getting bullied and make a plan to intervene.
كن على دراية بأنه يمكن إصابة الأطفال باضطراب القلق الاجتماعي. ميِّز بين اضطراب القلق الاجتماعي والخجل عند الأطفال. افحص كيفية تفاعل ابنك مع الآخرين. استفسر من معلم طفلك عن أدائه. ضع في اعتبارك تحديات التعرف على اضطراب القلق الاجتماعي عند الأطفال. اكتشف ما إن كان طفلك يتعرض للمضايقة.