For instance, a child who is afraid of dogs may become so anxious about possibly seeing a dog that he or she may refuse to go outside at all. Or a child who is scared of the dark may become too distraught to fall asleep at night. In such cases, the fear can be classified as a phobia. While mild fears are common in children of all ages, phobias are more unusual. About two or three out of every one hundred children will develop a phobia.
Phobias are generally irrational and excessive.
Sometimes children's fears are warranted. For instance, a child who has had a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting may become extremely afraid of bees. This fear is not irrational. It becomes a phobia when the child refuses to go outside at recess for fear a bee may be present or when even a picture of a bee causes anxiety and fear. In adults, the distinction between a reasonable fear and a phobia is easier to determine than it is with children.