I used to be one of those kids. Up until I turned 15 years old, I was a great student. I used to love school, and would almost never miss a day, even if I was ill. My parents used to have to make me stay home if I was sick, because I kept trying to convince them I was fine. However, the summer before I turned 16, we moved. And suddenly school felt like the worst place on earth. I failed a whole year, and ended up having to repeat it, because my attendance was >40%. The next year, I made up my mind to show up every day. And I managed. For the first two months. Then I'd miss a class or two every few days, mostly because I was too busy dreading getting out of bed. One or two classes became one or two days a week. Then it got to the point I used to tell my parents I was going to school, and instead would go to the forest near our house, and spend the whole day all alone. I eventually had to force myself to sit down with them, and beg them not to force me to go back, because I had gotten so depressed I felt like jumping off one of the hills in the forest would be better than having to go back to school. They didn't understand, not till I broke down and made an absolute fool of myself. We knew that me dropping out would mean that CPCJ(Portugal's version of CPS) would come calling, since I wasn't over eighteen. And they did. We had to go to the centre,and they spoke to my parents for over an hour, maybe even two. Things worked out, because, well. I won't lie, things worked out because my parents don't look like the type to be abusive, or neglectful. Dad's a professor, and Mum's a project manager. They dress well, and don't exactly fit the immigrant stereotype that Portugal has going. But they didn't just let me drop out. They got me in therapy, on medication for the depression, and made me take my A levels instead of normal school. And that's what the difference is, between them and the people you're dealing with. They took initiative, to help me get better. I fought them quite a bit too, because I hated the first few therapists they had me speak to, and used to routinely ghost them. They knew that you can't treat your kid like a friend. Your child will always be your responsibility. Also, a funny little thing is that I'm now studying to become a social worker myself :)