ABSTRACT
The
research work aim to look at the impact of child abuse on the academic
performance of junior student in some selected school in Oshodi –Isolo Local
Government Area of Lagos State. The research raised pertinent question on the
issue of child abuse and provide relevant answers based on data collected from
respondents.
A
structural questionnaire was used to obtained data from the respondents in the
selected schools. The research shows that there is a relationship between child
abuse and students academic performance, as well as rate of school dropout and
cases of children involving in juvenile delinquencies.
The
research concluded by opined that child abuse goes along way in affecting
children emotional state thereby recommending the need for parents and guardians
to pay close attention to their children in order to detect and understand
factors that could affect their academic progress.
TABLE OF CONTENT
PAGES
TITLE
PAGE I
CERTIFICATION II
DEDICATION III
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IV
ABSTRACT V
TABLE
OF CONTENTS VI
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 1
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 3
1.3
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 5
1.4
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 5
1.5
SCOPE OF THE STUDY 6
1.6
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY 6
1.7 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 6
1.8
RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS 7
1.9 DEFINATION OF TERMS 8
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE
REVIEW
2.1 INTRODUCTION 9
2.2 CONCEPTUAL
CLARIFICATION 10
2.3 PARENT
INCOME AND CHILD ABUSE 12
2.4 MEASURES
OF CHILD WELL-BEING 14
2.5 PHYSICAL
HEALTH 15
2.6 SCHOOL
CHILDREN COGNITIVE ABILITIES 17
2.7 SCHOOL
ACHIEVEMENT OUTCOMES 18
2.8 IMPACT
OF HOME ENVIRONMENT 20
2.9 PARENTAL
INTERACTION WITH CHILDREN 21
2.10 THEORITICAL
BACKGROUND 22
2.11 THORY
OF CHILD LABOUR AND SCHOOL ATTENDANCE 24
2.12 CHILD
LABOUR AND TIME IN SCHOOL 25
2.13 CHILD
LABOUR AND SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT 27
2.14 NEUROCOGNITIVE
IMPACTS OF CHILD ABUSE ON
CHILDREN 30
2.15 CHILDREN
SCHOOL ENROLLMENT AND ATTENDANCE 32
2.16 LENGTH
OF SCHOOL DAY AND TERM 33
2.17 GOVERNMENT
POLICY AND CHILD ABUSE 34
2.18 IMPACT
OF CULTURE ON CHILD ABUSE 35
1.19 CHILD
TRAFFICKERS AS CHIEF AGENT OF CHILD ABUSE
37
2.20 THE
RITUALIST AND HILD ABUSE 39
2.21 POLYGAMY
AND CHILD ABUSE 41
2.22 CHILD
ABUSE AND THE FUTURE 43
2.23 SUMMARY
45
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODS
3.0
INTRODUCTION 46
3.1 RESEARCH
DESIGN 46
3.2 POPULATION
OF THE STUDY 47
3.3 SAMPLE
AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUES 47
3.4
INSTRUMENTATION 47
3.5
VALIDITY AND RELIABILTY OF THE
INSTRUMENT 48
3.6 ABMINISTRATION
OF THE QUESTIONAIRE 49
3.7 PROCEDURES FOR DATA COLLECTION 49
3.8 PROCEDURE FOR DATA ANALYSIS 49
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 INTRODUCTION 50
4.2 ANALYSIS OF PERSONAL DATA 50
4.3 PART
II: IMPACT OF CHILD ABUSE ON ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE
ON JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
ANALYSIS
OF RESPONDENTS TO QUESTIONNAIRE 54
4.4 ANALYSIS
OF HYPOTHESES 67
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.0 DISCUSSION 73
5.1 CONCLUSION 74
5.2 RECOMMENDATION 75 REFRENCES 77
QUESTIONNAIRE 82
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
The
issue of child abuse is a global phenomena especially within the context of
developing countries of which Nigeria belong. In Nigeria cases of child abuse
is as common as the air we breathe in, this is in view of the fact that, there
can hardly be a day without news report about child abuse. Many of these cases
of child abuse went unreported. Thus one can say with conviction that an
average Nigerian child is a potential victim of child abuse. The question
arising from the foregoing is what is the impact of child abuse on children
development and growth in life especially with regards to academic performance
in schools?
Shonk and Cichetti (2001) postulated
that childhood maltreatment, and aversive parenting practices, in general have
the potential to delay the academic progress of student. The argument from the
view above is that, there is a correlation between parenting practices,
childhood maltreatment and academic progress. The argument that, child abuse is
a global phenomenon cannot be disputed beyond reasonable doubt.
Consider the following; in United
State, childhood maltreatment potentially has major economic implications for
United State schools and for their student (Flisher, 2007). Even conservative
estimates suggested that, at least 8% of United State children experience
sexual abuse before age 18, while 17% experience physical neglect (Kramer at
al., 2007).
Although, its potential impact is
large, evidence of causal effects of maltreatment on children longer term
outcome in school is generally lacking. the current state of evidence for a
linkage between childhood maltreatment physical and sexual abuse or neglect and
school performance is limited to negative associations between maltreatment and
school performance (Eric,2008).On average children who are maltreated receive
lower ratings of performance from their teachers, score lower on cognitive
assessments and standardized tests of academic achievement, obtain lower grade
and get suspended from school and remain in grade more frequently (Erickson et al., 2008).
The association between maltreatment
and poor performance in school has been explained by some as a second order
effect stemming from the impact of maltreatment on children’s social cognitive
and emotional development. Kendall (2011) opined that, childhood abuse and
neglect is associated with a host of negative academic outcomes, including;
lower test score and GPA. One survey conducted by Nwachukwu (2010) in Anambra
state Nigeria also found that, child abuse victims have a higher chance of
psychiatric morbidity; more self injurious behaviors, poorer perceive parental
support and more likely to have problems with substance abuse and above all
poor academic performance. Despite these findings child abuse still remained a
hidden subject in Nigeria because most people who witness it simply ignore it.
It is against these backdrop of the facts
presented above that, this research work tend to look vividly into the real
impact of child abuse on the academic performance of junior school students in
some selected schools in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Although research work on child abuse
is accumulating in Nigeria, taking the research to the lowest background in secondary
is not common, as most of the researches adopt a holistic approach to the
study. The present study aimed to measure the impact of child abuse on the
academic performance of junior secondary school, identifying the significant
predictors of the abuse which could provide important information for planning
future preventive measures.
1.2 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
That a child needs academic knowledge to
succeed in life is a fact that is unquestionable. Knowledge, especially
academic knowledge liberate people from the shackles of illiteracy and make one
a better citizen in the society. As human we continue to acquire knowledge
right from childhood till we die. It is a fact that human give birth to baby
with empty brain i.e. no form of knowledge in the brain during child birth
which is what the psychologist called Tabla Rasa. So as we grow in life we
continue to acquire knowledge right from childhood, this happen to be a period
in life where the human brain is much active to receive knowledge.
From the psychological and sociological
points of view learning goes hand in hand with some social, economic as well as
en environmental factors. The argument is that, there are some factors that aid
learning and as well as others that distorts learning. For example Hoffman (2013)
found that bullied and abused children perform worst in school compared with
their non abused peers. The view point from the above is that, children that
are subject to abuse and bullied find it hard to perform better in school.
Child abuse affect children learning
capability and therefore has the potential to decline their interest in
education thus becoming a school dropout or truant. Therefore they may likely
become a nuisance in the society during their youthful life that they are
supposed to harness purposefully for the overall benefit of themselves and the
society at large.
1.3 PURPOSE
OF THE STUDY
The main purpose of this study is to
examine the impact of child abuse on the academic performance of junior
secondary school students.
Other specific objectives are;
1. To investigate whether child abuse can make
junior secondary schools to engage in juvenile delinquency.
2. To determine whether child abuse can
make student to loose interest in education.
1.4
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The
study will go along way in checking the factors responsible to why some
children perform woeful in school despite having the potential to excel. It
will also help to expose the effect of child abuse on children social, physical
and emotional development with a view to finding a lasting solution.
The study will also help parents and
guardians to know the effect of their action on their children.
The study will also attempt to proffer
solutions to child abuse in Nigeria. And above all, it will contribute to the
body of knowledge in the field of education.
1.5 SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
The study will try to cover the issue
of child abuse with respect to academic performance. The research work will
thereby limit its scope to the academic performance vis avis child abuse of
students in some selected schools in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area of
Lagos state.
1.6 LIMITATION
OF THE STUDY
Understanding that, a research work is
a project that requires commitment of time, money and energy both intellectual
and physical. Balancing research work with academic going to meet respondents
for questionnaires responses is a herculean task that takes time and
intellectual stamina. All this limit the extent to which the researcher can go
during the course of the research.
The level of accuracy of data in this
study is proportional to the availability of information that respondents are
willing to give. There is this uncertainty that this information given is
without bias. All the above stated point serves as the limitation to the study.
1.7 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
The questions arising in this research study
are;
1.
Can
child abuse have negative impact on the academic performance of students?
2.
Can
child abuse lead to students engaging in juvenile delinquency?
3.
Is
there a relationship between child abuse and student interest in education?
1.8 RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
During the course of the study the
hypotheses to be tested are;
Ho: Child
abuse does not have a negative impact on students’ academic performance.
H1: Child
abuse have negative impact on student’s academic performance.
Ho: Child
abuse does not have the potential to lead students into engaging in juvenile
delinquency.
H1: Child
abuses have the potential of leading students into engaging in juvenile
delinquency.
Ho: There
is no relationship between child abuse and students interest in education.
H1: There
is a relationship between child abuse and students interest in education.
1.9
DEFINATION OF TERMS
1.
Child
Abuse; The crime of harming a child physically, sexually or emotionally or
spiritually.
2.
Sexual
Abuse; The crime of having an unauthorized sex with someone especially
children.
3.
Tabla
Rasa; The period after child birth when a child brain is empty without any form
of knowledge present.
4.
Juvenile;
This refer to children that are not yet adult.
5.
Delinquency;
Bad crime committed by young children.
6.
Emotional
Abuse; This have to do with distorting the thinking faculty as well feeling of
someone in a bad way.
7.
Physical
Abuse; This is damaging the body of someone as a result of attack with strong
objects.
8.
Social
Abuse; This when someone ability to form good and lasting relationship with
people is being curtail.
9.
Economic
Abuse; This is when someone ability to care for his needs is being curtail.
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