Although maladaptive fears are complexly determined and often refractory to change, advances in cognitive-behavioural counselling offer considerable promise. Of the many fears displayed by children, several—performance anxiety, social anxiety and school phobia—are of concern to school staff. In describing the major fear reduction procedures (e.g. systematic desensitisation) this article highlights the need to be flexible and to ensure that interventions are age-appropriate. Despite the differences between fear-reduction procedures, they all aim to expose the individual to the fear-eliciting stimulus. Awaiting further research is the role of the teacher in the identification and management of anxious students.
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