Childhood cancer survivors' experiences in school re-entry in South Korea: Focusing on academic problems and peer victimization Jaehee Yi a , Min Ah Kim b, ⁎, Jun Sung Hong c,d , Jesmin Akter a a University of Utah, College of Social Work, 395 South 1500 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA b Myongji University, Department of Social Welfare, 34 Geobukgol-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03674, Republic of Korea c Wayne State University, School of Social Work, 5447 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48202, USA d Sungkyunkwan University, Department of Social Welfare, 25-2 Sungkyunkwan-ro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea abstract article info Article history: Received 11 December 2015 Received in revised form 22 June 2016 Accepted 22 June 2016 Available online 23 June 2016 Childhood cancer survivors are confronted with numerous problems when they return to school after the com- pletion of treatment. This study investigates the school re-entry experiences of childhood cancer survivors in South Korea. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 31 childhood cancer survivors who were be- tween 15 and 39 years old and had completed all cancer treatments at the time of the study. Participants reported being excited about school re-entry, but also being fearful and concerned about their academic performance and peer relationships. The participants' school re-entry experiences were mostly impacted by their relationships with their peers and teachers. They expressed having had psychosocial problems related to school re-entry, such as feeling a sense of loss and a lack of social skills. Our study findings emphasize a critical need for supporting childhood cancer survivors, both academically and socially, in their transition to school. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Academic performance Cancer Health Peer victimization South Korea School re-entry 1. Introduction Schools are where children and adolescents develop social skills and prepare for their educational and career paths (Schultz et al., 2007). School re-entry after the completion of cancer treatment is an important milestone for school-age cancer survivors. It can be a serious challenge for these young people, (McLoone, Wakefield, Butow, Fleming, & Cohn, 2011; McLoone, Wakefield, & Cohn, 2013) especially after prolonged absences due to treatment (Anderson, Godber, Smibert, Weiskop, & Ekert, 2000; Gurney et al., 2007; Mabbott et al., 2005; Vance & Eiser, 2002). In a study by Sandeberg, Johansson, Björk, and Wettergren (2008), the longer the absence from school experienced by children diagnosed with cancer, the poorer their health-related quality of life. Pediatric cancer survivors often experience, upon school re-entry, hardships because of fatigue, anx- iety, and poor communications within the school community (McLoone et al., 2011). Despite the significance of school re-entry and the potential challenges facing the survivors returning to school, few services are avail- able to facilitate childhood cancer survivors' transition to the school life after treatment (Moore, Kaffenberger, Goldberg, Oh, & Hudspeth, 2009). 1.1. Academic problems of childhood cancer survivors Numerous studies have found that childhood cancer survivors showed diminished academic outcomes, compared to their healthy peers (Buizer, de Sonneville, & Veerman, 2009; French et al., 2012; Lähteenmäki, Huostila, Hinkka, & Salmia, 2002). Many studies have found that childhood cancer survivors are also more likely to repeat a grade (Barrera, Shaw, Speechley, Maunsell, & Pogany, 2005; Bonneau et al., 2011) and have lower educational attainment (Lancashire et al., 2010). Yilmaz et al. (2014) examined a range of academic outcomes from a sample of children and adolescents in Turkey. They found that can- cer survivors had lower grade averages in several subjects, were enrolled in classes late, repeated a grade, and had more frequent absences, com- pared to healthy peers. School difficulty was significantly higher among childhood cancer patients (51.8%) than their healthy peers (14.3%). Evidence also suggests that cancer survivors are similar in scholastic competence to their healthy peers (Gehardt et al., 2007). From a group of adult survivors of cancer who had been diagnosed in adolescence in Germany, Dieluweit et al. (2011) found that cancer survivors had even higher educational achievement and vocational skills than their peers; however, the late effects of their neuropsychological problems were also found to be associated with a reduced likelihood of graduating from universities and subsequently securing employment. Also, find- ings from Langeveld et al.'s (2003) study, using a sample of 500 Dutch young adult survivors of childhood cancer, suggests that, although Children and Youth Services Review 67 (2016) 263–269 ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: jaehee.yi@utah.edu (J. Yi), minahkim@mju.ac.kr (M.A. Kim), fl4684@wayne.edu, fl4684@skku.edu (J.S. Hong), jesminakter2007@gmail.com (J. Akter). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.06.022 0190-7409/© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Children and Youth Services Review journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth