The main feature of Social Phobia is a marked and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur. When the avoidance, fear or anxious anticipation of the event significantly interferes with an individual’s functioning in life the diagnosis of social phobia is appropriate. While adults and adolescents recognize this fear as unreasonable and excessive, the event triggering it will usually be avoided. Generally, individuals with this disorder are fearful that they will be judged by observers to be “crazy, weak, nervous or stupid”. They may fear speaking in public because they worry that their voice will shake or their hands tremble and others will notice this. Individuals with social phobia almost always experience physical symptoms of anxiety such as heart palpitations, tremors, sweating, gastrointestinal discomfort or muscle tension in feared social situations.

Associated descriptive features
• hypersensitivity to criticism or rejection
• difficulty being assertive
• low self-esteem
• feelings of inferiority
• underachievement in school or at work

Social Anxiety in Children

The presentation of social anxiety disorder in children is different from adults and adolescents in that children rarely have the opportunity to avoid the feared event. Children with social anxiety will often be described as extremely shy and withdrawn from others. While adults with this disorder recognize that their fears are illogical, children do not. Children with social anxiety will display inhibited interactions with others, excessive clinging to familiar people, freezing, crying and tantrums in fearful situations. They will generally be unable to articulate their fear but will show it in behavior. In unfamiliar social settings children will shrink from others, refuse to participate in group play or social activities and attempt to remain close to familiar adults. Children generally will be unable to describe or identify the source of their fear and anxiety.

Warning signs of social anxiety
• very uncomfortable in the spotlight, overly passive and inhibited
• does not initiate contact with others, seek out friends, invite others over to play
• speaks in very low voice, no eye contact, mumbles and looks at the floor when encouraged to speak up
• isolated from others in the classroom or social setting
• terrified of making a mistake, being called on in classroom, reading aloud
• suffers from anxiety symptoms(sweating, racing heart, stomach ache, freezing, tantrums) when facing a feared situation list-from adaa.org social anxiety in children (adapted from Triumph Over Shyness by Murray B. Stein, M.D. and John R. Walker, Ph.D.)

Children who exhibit symptoms of social anxiety consistently over a period of time would benefit from and examination by a mental health specialist.

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Social Anxiety

:the fear of social situations and the interaction with other people that can automatically bring on feelings of self-consciousness, judgment, evaluation, and inferiority.