Yes. Back-to-school anxiety is a common stress response to change and uncertainty. For children and teens, it might be a new teacher, unfamiliar classmates, academic pressure, shifting friendships, or simply re-adjusting to a structured routine. For parents, it's often less about the classroom and more about the unknowns: will their child adjust, make friends, keep up with schoolwork, or face the same struggles as last year.

Teachers aren't immune either. A new year brings new students, unfamiliar classroom dynamics, a heavier workload, challenging behaviors, administrative demands, and the emotional weight of supporting dozens of kids at once. For most people, the anxiety eases as the year finds its rhythm. When it doesn't, that's usually a sign something bigger is going on.

Sometimes back-to-school anxiety comes from the uncertainty of a new year. Other times, there may be a reason school feels unsafe. A child who is being bullied may become increasingly anxious as the school day approaches, worrying about who they will see, where an interaction might happen or whether anyone will notice if something goes wrong. Even seemingly ordinary parts of the day, like taking the bus, walking through a hallway, eating lunch or checking their phone, can begin to feel stressful.

When bullying is behind school anxiety, the goal isn't simply to make the anxiety go away. It's to understand what the anxiety may be communicating, help the child feel heard and supported, and address the situation that is making school feel unsafe.