The Impact of Child Abuse on Junior Secondary School Students’ Performance in Nigeria
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The study’s main goal is to look at the impact of child abuse on the academic performance of primary school students in the Orlu Local Government Area. The following are the specific aims that govern the research:
- To determine the impact of child abuse on the grades and academic performance of junior secondary school students.
- To determine the influence of child abuse on junior secondary school students’ academic performance and engagement in class.
- To look at the many sorts of child abuse that junior secondary school students are exposed to.
- To find out if the government has developed any policies or taken any actions to combat child abuse.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
Our focus in this chapter is to critically examine relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and furthermore recognize the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps.
Precisely, the chapter will be considered in three sub-headings:
- Conceptual Framework
- Theoretical Framework
- Empirical framework
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Concept of Education
According to National Policy on Education(1979) as cited in Owusu, & Agatha, (2015), Education is the process of acquiring knowledge. It is a tool for person’s development, the single most powerful weapon against poverty, and a fundamental human right to which we all are entitled. It gives people the opportunity to improve on their health, raise productivity and help foster participation in civil society. Education is a process of keeping the world and our society intact and in fostering the development and growth upon which human survival and progress depends. It the development of process of equipping individuals with knowledge and skills to enable them solve the complex problems of living usefully for themselves, their families and make worthwhile contribution to the overall progress and development of the overall progress and development of the society (Owusu, & Agatha, 2015). “Thus the educational process has been described as the intentional transmission of something worthwhile or desirable in a morally acceptable manner. It is the all-round development of a person physically, intellectually, morally, and spiritually. This implies that education encourages a wholesome development of the individual through participation in the activities of the social group, and that there must be a guide who can direct such education in a way that can result in all round development of a person. Education is a tool for national development, the single most powerful weapon against poverty, and a fundamental human right to which we all are entitled. It gives people the opportunity to improve health, raise productivity and help foster participation in civil society. Education is a process of keeping the world and our society intact and in fostering the development and growth upon which human survival and progress depends (Owusu, & Agatha, 2015).
Nguyen, Lap & Ikeda, Mitsuru (2015), further asserts that education is the process of providing information to an inexperienced person to help him/her develop physically, mentally, socially, emotionally, spiritually, politically and economically. That is why at graduation ceremonies one hears the Vice-Chancellors pronounce these words while awarding degrees to their institutions’ graduates, “you have been found worthy in character and learning…” In education parlance, it means that the individual has acquired adequate and appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes and values, known as cognitive, psychomotor and affective behaviours to be able to function optimally as a citizen. These behaviors are the focus of training individuals in institutions of learning (Nguyen, Lap & Ikeda, Mitsuru 2015).
The planned and systematic training given in an institution of learning is formal education. The programme or is organized, planned and systematically implemented. In an informal education, there is no plan and the training is haphazard and incidental. Education is the process through which individuals are made functional members of their society .
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
Research Design
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e. mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
Population of the Study
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals, as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried out to assess the impact of child abuse on junior secondary school students’ performance in Nigeria. Hence, the population of this study consist of students from Orlu Local Government, Imo State.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of two hundred and sixty seven (267) questionnaires were received from respondents of which 259 were validated.
DATA PRESENTATION
The table below shows the summary of the survey. A sample of 261 was calculated for this study. A total of 260 responses were received, and validated. For this study, a total of 260 were validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY
This chapter of the study is set aside to summarize the descriptive analysis done in the precious chapters. It also gives the conclusion and makes some recommendation.
In summary, the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of child abuse on junior secondary school students’ performance in Nigeria. Specifically the study focused on determining the impact of child abuse on the grades and academic performance of junior secondary school students, determining the influence of child abuse on junior secondary school students’ academic performance, looking at the many sorts of child abuse that junior secondary school students are exposed to and finding out if the government has developed any policies or taken any actions to combat child abuse.
In order to carry out this study research questions formulated to guard the investigation. A total of 260 students from Orlu Local Government, Imo State, were randomly selected as enrolled participants for the survey. The study was anchored on the attribution theory.
CONCLUSION
In the conclusion the study is beyond doubt and abundantly clear that child abuse has become a cancer in the society.
From results obtained and analyzed, the study reveals that:
The impact of child abuse on the grades and academic performance of junior secondary school students include:
- Lower ratings in scores
- General poor performance
- Poor participation in class activities
- Lack of concentration in schools
The influence of child abuse on junior secondary school students’ academic performance and engagement in class include:
- Withdrawal from classmates
- Aggressiveness
- Behavioural problem
- Short attention span
The many sorts of child abuse that junior secondary school students exposed to include:
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Spiritual abuse
How it can be known if the government has developed any policies or taken any actions to combat child abuse include:
- Implementation of the Childs’ Right Act
- Prosecution of offenders
- Establishment of child protection centres
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation on the basis of findings. The researcher made the following recommendation with the belief that when studied and applied, would help to reduce the incidence of child abuse. The researcher recommends that:
- Government should increase public awareness on child abuse, by sensitizing individuals on child rights and laws guiding these rights
- Social workers should ensure that children who are victims of child abuse are safe-guided and taken care of and the perpetrators are legally punished.
- The effects of child abuse on children‘s classroom behaviour and later academic performance should receive attention in education policy forums; and that parents should always relate to their children with love and affection and provide for their needs.
- As much as possible, teachers/caregivers should avoid the use of corporal punishment because it only teaches children that violence is the best way of maintaining control and it encourages them to hit other children.
- There should be provision of nurturing and supportive child friendly school, learning environment free from noise, distractions, discrimination and abuse of any kind.
- Intense awareness should be created among teachers and school managers using seminars, workshops and training programs about what constitutes child abuse.
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