ABSTRACT
This work is an investigation into
the Effect of Child Abuse on Academic Performance and Social Development of
Adolescents in Lagos Metropolis. The study used ten secondary schools in
Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State. The sample of the study comprised
Two Hundred (200) students, twenty (20) students were selected from each
school. Questionnaire was the main instrument used for collecting data.
Four null hypotheses were formulated
to find out the relationship between Adolescents’ Academic Performance and
Social Development parents/guardian attitude, the difference between a child
abuse trained by his/her parents and the child trained by a guardian and
fourthly, Government attitude and child abuse.
Percentage statistics was used to
test the hypotheses and analyse the data collected. The following findings were
made after the study:
a. There
is a positive relationship between child abuse and adolescents academic
performance and social development.
b. There
is a positive relationship between child abuse and parents/guardian attitude.
c. There
is a difference between a child trained by his/her parents and a child trained
by a guardian.
d. There
is a positive relationship between child abuse and government attitude.
Finally, the results were discussed
based on the review of the related literature, conclusions were drawn and
recommendations made based on the findings of the study.
Suggestions were also made for
further research.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of
the Study
1.2 Statement of
the Problem
1.3 Purpose of the
Study
1.4 Significance of
the Study
1.5 Research
Question
1.6 Research
Hypothesis
1.7 Scope of the
Study
1.8 Limitation of
the Study
1.9 Definition of
Terms
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction
2.1 Who is a Child
2.2 Forms of Child
Abuse
2.3 Types of Child
Abuse
2.4 Causes of Child
Abuse
2.5 Effect of Child
Abuse on the Victim
2.6 Effect of Child
Abuse on the Nation/Society
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Area of Study
3.3 Population
3.4 Sample and
Sampling
3.5 Instrument
3.6 Validation
3.7 Method of Data
Collection
3.8 Method of Data
Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.0 Introduction
4.1 Hypothesis One
4.2 Hypothesis Two
4.3 Hypothesis
Three
4.4 Hypothesis Four
4.5 Findings
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.0 Introduction
5.1 Discussion
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendation
5.4 Suggestion for
further Research Studies
Bibliography
Appendix
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Child abuse is said to be
intentional acts that results in physical or emotional harm to children. The
term child abuse covers a wide range of behaviour, from actual physical assault
key parents or other adult caretakers to neglect of a child's basic needs Child
abuse is also sometimes called child maltreatment (Gelles 1993).
Although the extent of child abuse
is difficult to measure, it if recognized as a major social problem, especially
in industrialized nations. It occurs in all income, racial, religious and
ethnic groups arid in Urban arid Rural communities It is, however, more common
in some groups especially those below the poverty line
Cultures around the world have
different standards in deciding what constitutes child abuse. In Sweden, for
example, the law prohibits any physical punishment of children, including
spanking By contrast, in some countries of Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean,
parents are expected to punish their children by hitting then
There are several different types of
child abuse and some children experience more than one form physical abuse for
instance includes deliberate acts of violence that injure or even kill a child
unexplained bruises, broken bones, or burn marks on a child may be signs of
physical abase. Sexual abuse occurs when adults use children for sexual
gratification or expose them to sexual activities. Sexual abuse may begin with
kissing or fondling and progress to more intrusive sexual acts, such as oral
sex and vaginal or anal penetration. Emotional abuse destroys a child's self
esteem. Such abuse commonly includes repeated verbal, abuse of a child in the
form of shouting, threats and degrading or humiliating criticism. Other types
of emotional abuse are confinement such as shutting a child in a dark closet
and social isolation, such as denying a child friends.
The most common form of child abuse
is neglect. Physical neglect involves a parent's failure to provide adequate
food, clothing, shelter pr medical care to a child. It may also include
inadequate supervision and a consistent failure to protect a child from hazards
or danger. Emotional neglect occurs when a parent car caretaker fails to meet a
child's basic needs for affection and comfort. Examples of emotional neglect
include behaving in a cold, distant, and unaffectionate way towards a child,
allowing a child to witness chronic or serve spousal abuse, allowing a child to
use alcohol or drugs and encouraging a child to engage in delinquent behaviour.
Another form of neglect involves failing to meet a child's basic education
needs, either by failing to enroll a child in school frequently.
According to the National center on
child Abuse and Neglect, in 1977 about 3 million children in the United States
were reported as abused or neglected to government agencies that investigate
child abuse. Many researchers though, believe that statistics based on official
reports do not accurately reflect the prevalence of child abuse. This may be
due to the fact that definitions of maltreatment vary from state to state and
among agencies, making such statistics unreliable; professionals who interact
with children, such as: teachers, day-care workers, pediatricians and police
officers may fail to recognize car report abuse; also acts of abuse usually
occur in the privacy of a family's home and often go unreported.
1.1 BACKGROUND OF
THE STUDY
The risk of child abuse within a
family is raised by stress brought on by a variety of social conditions. -These
conditions, a larger-than-average family size, the presence of a new baby or a
disabled person in the home, and the death of a family member. A large majority
of reported cases of child abuse comes from families living in poverty. Child
abuse also occurs in middle class and wealthy families, but it is better
reported among the poor for several reasons.
Adolescent period is a period of
physiological, biological, and intellectual transition: A period between the
end of Childhood and the beginning of adulthood, it occurs between the ages of
11 and 18 years. The World Health Organization (WHO) has however defined
adolescence as the period from 10-19 years of age. By the end of adolescence,
the child becomes physically, socially, emotionally and intellectually mature.
Adolescents everywhere experience a complex psychosexual development involving
the formulation of a sexual identity, management of emerging sexual feelings
and accommodation to cultural expectations.
As a child develops, at every stage,
certain things are required of him for personality arid societal adjustment.
Each stage car phase of human development has a number of tasks that must he
learned or accomplishes for the individual to attain the level of maturity
expected of him by his cultural group. The skill habits, behaviour arid
attitudes that must be learned for these purposes are known as development task
R J Havinghurst developed a widely accepted list
of developmental tasks for the different age levels. However, some Adolescent
developmental tasks are independence from the family; adjustment to sexual
maturation and development of good self-image, establishment of Healthy
Rolation!5hip, deciding and preparing for meaningful vocation
1.2 STATEMENT OF
THE PROBLLM
A 1994 retrospective review of 1,526
studies on primary prevention of Child Abuse found that only 30 studies were
okay. 11 of which dealt with Physical Abuse; and neglect. This means Primary
prevention of child abuse such as depriving the child of the basic children's
rights such as right to life right to be protected from indecent and inhuman
treatment through sexual exploitation, drug abuse, child labour among others
affect the child's social development
Child Abuse is observed to be more
pronounced in children between the age bracket of 10 - 19 years which are of
course referred to as Adolescents. By the end of Adolescence, the child is
expected to have been physically, socially, emotionally and intellectually
matured but when denied the necessary factors which contribute to this expected
maturity, his/her social development will be definitely
affected.
This study is therefore designed to
investigate the overall effect of child Abuse on the academic and social
development of Adolescents in some selected Secondary Schools in Kosofe Local
Government Educational District.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE
STUDY
The purpose of this study is to
examine the various effects which child abuse has on Adolescents It is also on
how Adolescents develop socially in spite of the alarming rate of child abuse
from both patents and caretakers Adolescents from some selected secondary
schools in Kosofe Local Government Education Districts were also interviewed.
The aim is also to enlighten
Adolescents on how best they can cope with this "delicate" stage of
development called Adolescent and also probably empower them as far as their
social development is concerned.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF
THE STUDY
The work will in no doubt be of use
to the Adolescent in the following ways:
1. They will be able to
encourage themselves in their peer groups to demand for adequate health care,
good education and so on from parents, care-takers / guardians, government.
2. They will be able to understand that all children
are members of the same human family and that any form of discrimination is
against their dignity and integrity.
3. They will be able to
promote attitude of equality among peers irrespective of origin both sex social
political/religious beliefs, status or disability.
As a way of protecting themselves
against exploitation and inhuman treatment, children should be able to report
excessive child labour to appropriate authorities, agencies and individuals,
resist torture, should not get lured into sexual exploitation including child
marriage, that should be able to avoid drug abuse, they should be able to try
as much as possible to join campaign enough to seek assistance from established
agencies, individuals and religious agencies when in difficult.
It will also help in situations
whereby some children are under especially difficult circumstances like
separation from parents and so on to reduce the trauma of their situation and
even adjust to normal and decent life. It will also be significant to parents
and teachers for it will give an insight into some of the evils of child abuse
1.5 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
In relation to the problem
identified, answers were provided to the following questions:
1 Is there any
influence of parents/guardians on the social development of adolescents
2. Is there any effect of
complex combination of personal, social and cultural factors on the social
development of Adolescent.
3 Is there any
significant difference between a child trained by his/her parents and the same
child trained by a guardian.
4. Is there any
significant relationship between caring for - a child and his/her
mental/psychological development.
1.6 RESEARCH
HYPOTHESES
Based on the questions asked above,
the following hypothesis were tested in the study.
1. There is no
significant relationship between child abuse neglect and adolescent academic
and social development
2. There is no
significant relationship between child abuse and parents/guardian, attitude.
3. There is no
significant difference between a child trained by his/her parents and the child
trained by a guardian.
4. There is no
significant relationship between child abuse and government attitude.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE
STUDY
The study examined the causes and
effects of child abuse among adolescent students in some selected Secondary
Schools in Kosofe Local Government Education District.
The study is also limited to ten
Secondary Schools due to finance, time factor and inadequate literature.
1.8 LIMITATION OF
THE STUDY
Due to time and financial
constraints, the research is restricted to two hundred randomly selected
students from ten selected Secondary Schools in the Urban and Rural Area of
Kosofe Local Education District of Lagos State.
The research work is also limited by
the problem of inadequate materials/literature.
1.9 DEFINITION OF
TERMS
Terms related to the study are
defined His follows:
CHILD: According
to Ajayi (19136) A child is any human being below the age of (18) eighteen
years.
RIGHT: According
to Longman dictionary a right is what is or should be allowed by law, it is
also what is fair and good. Olayinka (1991) also defined a right as a natural
due, a moral claim and a legal entitlement.
CHILDREN'S RIGHT: According
to Encyclopedia (2005) children rights are child's survival, Development and
participation.
ADOLESCENT: According
to Motolani (2001) An Adolescent is a child between the ages of 10-19 years
However the World Health Organization defines an Adolescent to be a child
between the age of 10-24 years.
CHILD ABUSE: Encarta
(2005) defines child abuse as an intentional act which harms the physical,
emotional, moral health and educational welfare of the child.
DEVELOPMENT: Chinwe
(2005) defines development as the progressive series of orderly, coherent
changes leading towards the goal of maturity, coherent changes leading towards
the goals of maturity. It is increase in ability to function. As a child grows,
he matures and develops at the same time.
GROWTH: According
to Chinwe (2005) is the physical aspect of development.
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: According
to Chinwe (2005). The manner in which the Child becomes grad rally adjusted in
his patterns of relationship with and reaction to fellow men in line with
social patterns led social development Every social group has its own pattern
behaviour to which everybody must conform.
PHYSICAL ABUSE: Physical
abuse is the deliberate acts of violence to injure or even kill a child (Gelles
1993).
SEXUAL ABUSE: According
to Chalk, Gibbons and Scarupa (2002). Sexual abuse can be said to be the
inappropriate sexual behaviour towards a child.
EMOTIONAL ABUSE: Are
the acts or the failure to act by parents or caretakers that have caused
serious behavioural, cognitive, emotional, or mental disorders (Thomlison,
1997).
PHYSCIAL NEGLECT: This
is a situation whereby parents / guardians / caretakers of a child do not
provide adequate, food or clothing, appropriate medical care, supervision or
proper weather protection (heat or coats) for the child It also includes
abandonment. (Chalk, Gibbons and Scarupa 2002).
PERSONALITY: Personality
means the whole individual, his physique, temperament, appearance, feeling,
achievement, intelligence, the way the person relates himself to others, what
he wants to be and so on. (Chinwe 2005).
DELINQUENT BEHAVIOURS: These
are all sorts of behaviours committed by children or youths under the age of 18
which if committed by adults would be considered crimes. Children within this
age bracket are believed not to have criminal intent to have committed these
offences. These behaviours by children are otherwise referred to as juvenile
crimes. Such behaviours may include truancy and parental disobedience (Lynn and
Victor 2005).
A Child of any age, sex, race,
religion acid socio economic background can fall victim to child abuse and
neglect (Thomlison 1997).
Literature will be reviewed under
the following sub-headings:
- Who
is a child
- Concept
of child abuse
- Causes
of child abuse
- Effects
of child abuse on the victim
- Effects
of child abuse cart the Nation/Society
- Strategies
to t=rain child abuse
1.10 WHO IS A CHILD
A child is any human being below the
aye of 18 years (Ajayi 1986) In order to actually study children of different
age group we have to look into what we consider Child Development. Development
as earlier stated is the progressive series of orderly coherent changes leading
towards the goal of maturity. It is increase in ability to function. As a child
grows, he matures and develops at the same time (Chinwe 2005).
TOPIC: EFFECT OF CHILD-ABUSE ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ADOLESCENTS
Format: MS Word
Chapters: 1 - 5
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