Effects of Child Abuse on the Academic Achievement of Students Studying History in Secondary School in Mbaitolu LGA in Imo State
Chapter One
Objective of Study
The objectives of the study are;
- To examine the causes of child abuse in Mbaitolu LGA in Imo state
- To determine the effect of child abuse on performance of history student in secondary school
- To examine the consequences of child abuse on performance of history student.
- To determine possible solutions to child abuse among secondary school students.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
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 refer 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.
Family child abuse and its effects on cognition in learning
Violence and child abuse is most common in families with marital problems leading to quarrels, physical fights and battering of women and children. An atmosphere of violence and abuse distorts the relationships of all that are involved either in deeds or spectators. A brutal father or husband has suffered beating in his childhood, a cruel mother has suffered, neglect in her childhood (Jaffe et al, 1990). Family and home are the smallest units of any administration. The office bearers are the parents which qualifies them (parents) to be the pioneer abusers of children. As pointed out by Bakan (1975) child abuse is an exploitation of power where the weaker individual is defeated by the stronger one. A young one who is a witness to an adult’s violence lacks power to initiate things though violent because he/she fears repercussions of revenge by the victims. Johnstone (2002) states that the early perpetrators are the persons who are charged with the responsibility of taking care of young ones. Calam and Franchi (1979) in their literature review on abusing parents concluded that the abusing parent has a history of a deprived childhood and/or of abuse, brings to her/his role mistaken notion of child rearing, has a general deficit in character structure allowing aggressive impulses to be expressed so freely, social economic factors may place additional stresses on the parent but these stresses are not in themselves sufficient to cause abuse. A report by African Network for the Prevention and Protection against Child abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN, 2001) on Kenya gives a list of child abusers as biological parents, foster parents, relatives/guardians, house helps, family friends, religious leaders, teachers, siblings, influential persons and strangers. It is hard to talk about family and the parents without touching on school and the teachers. Family is the basic unit of any hierarchy of social administration and during the growth and development, a child transits from home to school and from parent to teacher. In this case teachers will be handled as having almost equal right over the child as the parent. A survey carried out by Johnstone (2002) in Nairobi Primary School revealed that 80 percent of the respondents had been or were being verbally abused at school. Such instances included acts like being yelled at, threatened or ashamed, intimidated, and being belittled. 60 per cent had been physically abused even after corporal punishment had been banned in Kenyan school. This indicates that corporal punishment is the most common form of physical punishment in Kenya alongside slapping and beating. Cognitive implications of child abuse include difficulties in learning and academic performance. Many studies have constantly stressed that abused, maltreated or neglected children on average, score lower on cognitive measures and demonstrate lower academic achievement when compared with their nonabused peers on a similar social economic environment (Vondra, Barnett and Cicchetti, 1990; Barnett, 1997). Recent theories on child caregivers’ attachment have suggested that negative interaction between parents or caregivers and children may account for some poor academic achievement, Vondra (1990) and Shonk (1996). These theories imply that for the child to perform well in class, she/he requires a stable mind, motivation and love from parents and significant others.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to effects of child abuse on the academic achievement of students studying history in secondary school in Mbaitolu LGA in Imo state.
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information the effects of child abuse on the academic achievement of students studying history in secondary school in Mbaitolu LGA in Imo state. 200 staffs of selected secondary schools in Mbaitolu LGA in Imo state was selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain effects of child abuse on the academic achievement of students studying history in secondary school in Mbaitolu LGA in Imo state. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of child abuse on the academic achievement of students studying history in secondary school
Summary
This study was on effects of child abuse on the academic achievement of students studying history in secondary school in Mbaitolu LGA in Imo state. Four objectives were raised which included: To examine the causes of child abuse in Mbaitolu LGA in Imo state, to determine the effect of child abuse on performance of history student in secondary school, to examine the consequences of child abuse on performance of history student and to determine possible solutions to child abuse among secondary school students. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 staffs of selected secondary school in Mbaitolu LGA in Imo state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made principals, vice principals adm, teachers and junior staffs were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
The poor performance was attributed to the inability of the hawkers to concentrate on their school work as opposed to the non-hawkers. The street hawkers combine hawking with schoolwork and often than not, hawked before going to school in the morning and immediately after school dismissed. They have little or no time to do their class assignments
Recommendation
It was time that the Federal, State, Local Government, Non-governmental organizations such as the National Council for women societies (NCWS), African Network for the prevention and protection Against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN), Planned parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN), World Organization for Early childhood Education (WOECE), Rotary/Inner wheel clubs, Lion/Lioness clubs, should also be concerned over the plight of the children hawkers. They should use their good offices to organize seminars, conferences, workshops to educate parent/guardians on the need to have a sizable family, the need for family planning, the ills of Children Street hawking particularly on the health and academic performance of the children involved in it.
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