THE IMPACT OF CHILD ABUSE ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

THE IMPACT OF CHILD ABUSE ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

CHAPITER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND

The joy of having children and raising them so they can realize their full potential in life is shared by all parents. However, when parents or other caregivers do not provide adequate care for their kids, the kids are frequently exposed to a range of behaviors that interfere with their aspirations for the future. Many of the children experience maltreatment or abuse on a regular basis from their parents, caregivers, and other community members Shonk & Cicchetti (2001). Thus, the practice of maltreating, assaulting, or depriving young children of necessities in the home, on the street, in places of worship, or at school is child abuse. Child abuse can result in a child’s death as well as severe physical, emotional, and sexual trauma. It is caused by poverty, a lack of parental involvement, a lack of work, marital conflict, and polygamous households. Male and female child abuse victims experience distress. Children’s teachers, parents, classmates, guardians, siblings, so-called mentors, and society at large can all engage in harmful behaviors that can lead to child abuse in a variety of ways (Chalk, Gibbons, & Scarupa 2002). As a result, in Nigeria, child abuse is a widespread occurrence. Since it is so common, there is no longer a location where kids can be secure.

According to Chalk, Gibbons, and Scarupa (2002), child abuse has a negative impact on a child’s physical, psychological, and behavioral development. However, it is impossible to discuss them individually in a real-world setting. Psychological symptoms, such as a delay in cognitive development, may be brought on by physical challenges (such as the loss of a developing brain in a child). The majority of psychological effects appear as high-risk behaviors that could harm the abused child’s academic achievement and, ultimately, the economy. Furthermore, Shonk & Cicchetti (2001) reinforced this idea in their research by demonstrating that maltreated children often have poor grades and do not succeed in society, which slows down the economy. Using a sample of 200 teachers in Nigeria, Alokan & Olatunji (2014) found a positive association between child abuse and students’ attention in class and academic achievement. This causes abused children to lose focus in class, which has a negative impact on the Nigerian economy. Furthermore, according to Umobong (2010), child abuse is now prevalent in schools and has a negative impact on both children’s academic development and the economy, particularly in areas with a high unemployment rate. Furthermore, according to Gaudin (1999), children who had been neglected or abused had low IQs. As a result, the economy suffers because neglected children are unable to significantly boost it.

SITUATION OF THE PROBLEM

It is alarming and calls for appropriate action because an increasing number of students and learners, as well as those who are not in school, are peddling and selling goods on the country’s streets and school grounds (Alokan & Olatunji 2014). The majority of children seem malnourished and ill, and some of them are in pain from being beaten and mistreated by criminals. Many of these children drop out of school as early as primary school to engage in prostitution or street begging, while others are employed as househelps or in other menial jobs to support the family (Edo, 2016). The majority of parents or caregivers send these children out into the world; most parents are interested in what the child can bring to the family through sells (hawking goods) or giving oneself for money. As a result, the child’s academic performance declines and their moral and social development is not encouraged by their education. This sparked the researcher’s interest in exploring how child abuse affects academic achievement in Nigeria, particularly in the Kwara state.

1.3 STUDY’S OBJECTIVES

Examining the effects of child abuse on students’ academic achievement is the main goal of this study. Other goals of this study include, but are not limited to:

i. To determine how often child abuse is in Nigeria.

ii. To ascertain whether child abuse affects students’ academic performance.

iii. To investigate how child abuse affects students’ academic performance.

iv. To investigate potential solutions for Nigeria’s child abuse epidemic.

1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH

In this investigation, the following queries will be addressed:

i. Is child abuse widespread in Nigeria?

ii. Does a student’s academic performance suffer as a result of child abuse?

What effects does child maltreatment have on students’ academic performance?

What measures may be taken to lessen the epidemic of child abuse in Nigeria?

1.5 RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER STUDIES

The necessity to stop child abuse and abuse has continued to be emphasized by numerous organizations, although it appears to be nearly impossible.

The results of this study will support broader initiatives that are most successfully focused on work that harms children’s intellectual or educational development. It demonstrates how severely child abuse impacts the kids’ attendance at school and academic success.

Finally, this study will contribute to the growing body of knowledge available to academics about how social media affects students’ academic achievement.

1.6 THE STUDY’S SCOPE

The primary goal of this study is to determine how child abuse affects kids’ academic performance. It will specifically examine the prevalence of child abuse in Nigeria, whether child abuse affects students’ academic performance, how child abuse affects students’ academic performance, and potential solutions to the problem of child abuse in Nigeria.

Participants in the survey for this study will be teachers and students at particular secondary schools in Damaturu, Yobe State.

Limitations of the study: 1.7

This study will only look at how child abuse affects kids’ academic performance. It will be restricted to looking at the prevalence of child abuse in Nigeria, figuring out whether child abuse affects students’ academic performance, looking at the effects of child abuse on students’ academic performance, and looking at ways to lessen the scourge of child abuse in Nigeria.

Participants in this study will be teachers and students at specific secondary schools in Damaturu, Yobe State. As a result of the small sample size and the fact that only a small number of respondents agreed to complete the survey, the findings cannot be applied to secondary schools in other states.

1.8 TERM DEFINITIONS

Impact: A noticeable outcome or effect

A kid is abused when they are subjected to physical, sexual, or emotional harm or neglect, especially by adults who are in charge of looking out for them.

Academic performance or “academic achievement” is the degree to which a student, teacher, or institution has reached their short- or long-term educational goals, according to “Wikipedia”. Academic achievement is the completion of educational milestones such secondary school diplomas and bachelor’s degrees. The information and abilities that students have mastered in a subject or course are sometimes referred to as academic performance. It simply serves as a gauge of how well pupils did on the numerous assessment tasks assigned to them based on particular educational standards established by qualified educators.