Behavioural experiments: Helping pupils face fears

This resource is designed to help school staff understand and support behavioural experiments in pupils working on social anxiety.

It offers practical, therapist-informed strategies for staff to encourage, reflect with, and reassure young people as they face fears. Emphasising small steps and real-life learning, it reinforces that gentle, calm support from trusted adults can make a meaningful difference to therapeutic progress.

References & Further Reading

  • Alves F, Figueiredo DV, Vagos P. (2022)  The Prevalence of Adolescent Social Fears and Social Anxiety Disorder in School Contexts. Int J Environ Res Public Health
  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
  • Clark, D. M., & Wells, A. (1995). A cognitive model of social phobia. In R. G. Heimberg, M. R. Liebowitz, D. A. Hope, & F. R. Schneier (Eds.), Social phobia: Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment (p. 69–93). The Guilford Press.
  • Connor, K.M., Davidson, J.R., Churchill, L.E., Sherwood, A., Weisler, R.H. and Foa, E., 2000. Psychometric properties of the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN): New self-rating scale. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 176(4), pp.379-386.
  • Hofmann SG. Cognitive factors that maintain social anxiety disorder: a comprehensive model and its treatment implications. Cogn Behav Ther. 2007;36(4):193-209. doi: 10.1080/16506070701421313. (Accessed 29/02/24)
  • Kashdan, T.B. and Herbert, J.D., 2001. Social anxiety disorder in childhood and adolescence: Current status and future directions. Clinical child and family psychology review, 4, pp.37-61.
  • Knappe S., Sasagawa S., Creswell C. (2015) Social Anxiety and Phobia in Adolescents. Springer; Cham, Switzerland: Developmental Epidemiology of Social Anxiety and Social Phobia in Adolescents; pp. 39–70.
  • Leigh E, Clark DM. Cognitive Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder in Adolescents: A Development Case Series. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy. 2016;44(1):1-17. doi:10.1017/S1352465815000715 (Accessed 29/02/24)
  • Leigh, E., Percy, R., Clark, D.M., Creswell, C. and Waite, P., 2023. Cognitive and behavioural processes in adolescents with social anxiety disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 170, p.104416.
  • Mohammadi, M.R., Salehi, M., Khaleghi, A., Hooshyari, Z., Mostafavi, S.A., Ahmadi, N., Hojjat, S.K., Safavi, P. and Amanat, M., 2020. Social anxiety disorder among children and adolescents: A nationwide survey of prevalence, socio-demographic characteristics, risk factors and co-morbidities. Journal of affective disorders, 263, pp.450-457.