Effect of Child Abuse on Students Academic Performance in Secondary Schools
CHAPTER ONE
Objective of Study
This research project has its main objectives the problem of finding out the effect of child abuse on the academic performance of secondary school student in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State. Moreover, this research study sets:
- To examine the causes of child abuse in Esan West Local Government Area
- To determine the effect of child abuse on child’s educational performance in Esan West Local Government Area
- To examine the consequences of child abuse on child’s academic performance.
- To determine possible solutions to child abuse among secondary school students.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter focuses on the literary works of scholars that have been done in the area of child abuse and its effect on the educational performance of secondary school students. The chapter will be grouped and treated under the following sub headings:
- The Concept of Child Abuse
- The Causes of Child Abuse
- The Effect of Child Abuse on Students Academic.
- Factors Affecting the Consequences of Child abuse and Neglect
- Theoretical Orientations towards Child Abuse as it affect Academic Performance.
- Ways of Preventing Child Abuse.
The Concept of Child Abuse
The terminology child – abuse is a compound word formed from child and abuse. From English definition, child means an infant, one that is very young, a son or a daughter, offspring; and abuse simply means an improper treatment or employment of angry or violent attack in word melted on any one. Psychologically, the term child used to present that developmental state of man encompassing the early stages of development ranging from Neonate (few months after birth), early children (1-2 years), pre-school ages (first to five years and middle childhood (Pre-adolescence).
In chronological term, childhood can be broken as a teenager. As commonly used by parent, a father or mother would refers to his or her offspring as a child irrespective of the age. Child in the present context is any one between the age of one to twenty years who is still largely dependent on a caretaker for duly survival and maintenance. It is such dependency that makes the child susceptible to treatment that may be termed maltreatment from whoever the child is dependent on.
Causes of Child – Abuse and Human Issues
The causes are hard to determine, child abuser come from all income level, geographic area, family settings, religious background, ethnic groups and residential environment. Some of the causes are discussed below.
Adults that were abused as children
There is one factor that seems related to child abuse. Although, a cause effect sequence has not be demonstrated. According to Kline, (2007) has reported a clear relationship between child abuse and neglect. This researcher found that of children judges to be abuse or neglected, 27% of them where subsequently enrolled in special education classes. When the question was asked why do these parents do it? It was found out that child abuse is a psychological problem. The authors of one study claim that as infants and children all of the (abusing) parents were deprived both of basic mother care about from the beginning of their lives (Spinetta and Rigle, 2002).
This statement could be interpreted to mean that all abused children will grow to become abusing adults; and that any one who has not been abused as a child will not abused his/ her own children, because violence is very likely to reject the violence. A child learns violence as a solution and an outcome when there is family conflict the intense emotion that accompanies the witnessing of violence by a child enhance the learning process. The violent lessons of family conflicts are likely to be forgotten.
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter deals with strategies and procedures adopted for this study. They are: Research Design, Sample and Sampling Techniques, Population of Study, Method of Data Collection, Method of Data Analysis, Validity of the Instrument and Reliability of the Instrument.
Research Design
The descriptive survey will be adopted for this study. This is because information sought was used to categorize the responses of the respondent in carrying out the study.
Population of Study
For the purpose of study, the population shall comprise of 582 senior secondary school students in Esan West Local Government Area.
Sample and Sampling Techniques
The sample is the fraction of a population used in representing the entire population. For the purpose of this study, the researcher tends to use 100 as the sample population. Random sampling technique will be used for this study. The 100 respondents will be selected from three senior secondary classes (SSI, SSII and SSIII). The cluster sampling will first of all be used to delineate the population of the study into three (3), that is SSI, SSII and SSIII and consequently, the researches will select the final sample using random sampling to pick the respondents. The sample will be group as follows:
- Senior Secondary School I – 35
- Senior Secondary School II – 35
- Senior Secondary School III – 30
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION OF RESULT AND DISCUSSION
This chapter deals with data analysis and presentation of results and discussion of data collected for the study. The methods explained in chapter three (3) were used in the analysis. The questionnaires were administered across students of three senior class categories.
Analysis of Research Questions
Research Question 1:
What are the causes of child abuse in Esan west Local Government Area?
In answering the above research question, a questionnaire was designed and presented on a Yes and No scale, and respondents were asked to check and tick the degree to which they agree or disagree with the causes of child abuse. Their responses were analyzed and presented in the table below.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary of the Findings
This research study on effects of child abuse on students’ academic performance was carried out among secondary school students in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State. The study found that there are a lot of effects of this social phenomenon not only on the child but as well on the society in general.
The result of our findings showed that child abuse negatively affects child’s school performance; such abused children have less time to read or rather concentrate on their studies. Corroborating the researchers’ efforts in the area of child abuse and its effect on academic performance, Nomcebo (2008) found a significant relationship between child abuse and academic performance. His study mainly focused on sexual abuse especially as it affects the child educational upbringing. Children who have been at one time or the other harassed (sexually) by senior colleagues in school have a debilitating academic posture. The study also shows that such children are most likely to exempt from school activities especially when the incidence is grievous to the extent that it keeps them out of school for the time being. The implication of this according to researcher is that such children will perform below expectation even when they have once been tainted brilliant and above average.
It was also found that child abuse have negative consequences on the child’ development. Simelane (2007) found a significant relationship between abuse and academic outcome. The study also showed that students while trying to cope with the traumatic effects of the abuse unleashed on them will have less time to prepare for more challenging academic activities, which consequently lower their academic performance in schools. It is revealed that females who are subject of abuse tends to get pregnant early due to inexperience; they could easily develop causes permanent and life long trauma, and develop low cognition to school subjects.
Finally, the responses gotten from the study showed that religious bodies have a role to play in reducing child abuse in the society; respondent also showed high percentage response to the use of punishment in form of fine on erring parents/guidance especially those forcing their children to hawk. The same was observed for peer influence. Preventing children from associating with bad friends or peers will reduce their vulnerability to abuse.
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