Exploring the Impact of Child Abuse on Primary Student Academic Performance

Abstract

How does child abuse impact the academic performance of primary students? [Name] [University] LIBR 300: Library Research for the Social Sciences Amy LeFager 2/25/2024 Research Question: How does child abuse impact the academic performance of primary students? Introduction Child abuse and negligence is a social concern that stirs hot debates across the globe. When a child experiences some form of abuse or negligence while growing up, they tend to react towards such experiences defining negative outcomes on their overall well-being. The current study aims at examining the extent of damage that child abuse may have on the child’s academic performance during the primary education life. This literature review will investigate how child abuse impact the academic performance of primary students and offer substantial recommendations on how to curb such experiences from affecting these young minds. The three main concepts of consideration within this study will be: the relationship between child abuse and neglect and poor academic performance amongst primary students, the negative experiences of child abuse on different children from different regions and lastly the possible recommendations or remedy to this problem. The first concept is the relationship between child abuse and neglect and poor academic performance amongst primary students. When a child experiences some form of abuse or negligence while growing up, they tend to react towards such experiences defining negative outcomes on their overall well-being with academic performance being among the most adversely affected. Chitiyo and Pietrantoni (2019) argues that children who experience physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological abuse are more likely to experience negative effects on their academic achievement. Abused children typically perform poorly academically, triggered by their inability to concentrate, or focus on their academics. It is unfortunate that when guardians or parents bring up kids in undeserving environments, they do not seem to understand the extent of damage such an upbringing may have on the child. Since children tend to embrace what is offered to them, they take the abuses and react to them with divide concentrations as their mental and psychological well-being proves disrupted. While adding on the adverse effects of child abuse on primary students’ academic performance, Dlamini and Makondo (2017) conducted their research to understand the extent of damage that child abuse has on mental health and confirmed that it is really a threat to the general mental well-being. As much as child abuses vary, so does the responses from different children. However, either forms of child abuse or neglect leads to poor judgments on the child affecting their concentration and focus thus adversely affecting their academic performances. Unfortunately, poor academic grades worsen their mental state demanding prompt intervention to limit chances of further damages. As Dlamini and Makondo (2017) collected data from 15 abused learners and their class teachers in four schools from Manzini primary schools in the region of Swaziland, they noted that most of the abused learners underperformed as a result of the abuses experienced. Based on the responses of these abused participants, it was open that the abuses made these children become suspicious of every person around them triggering a negative bearing to their academic performance as their mental well-being remained compromised. On further note, these authors also noted that such kids became antisocial as the abuses made them adopt a misdirected rancorous attitude towards everyone around them adversely affecting their focus in life. The second concept identified in these articles is the negative experiences of child abuse on different children. Herrenkohl et al. (2021) conducted research to understand the extent of effects child abuse has on pupil’s academic performance. In their analysis, these authors noted that different children react differently to child abuse during their living. Raped children tend to fear anything to do with opposite sex in their life while the physically abused with beatings, lack of basic needs among others tend to generate a negative attitude towards life and those around them (Herrenkohl, Hashmi and Lowenthal (2021). Nevertheless, any form of child abuse whether physical, psychological, or emotional tends to have adverse effect on the child’s well-being with their mental state being seriously compromised (Azi and Saluhu, 2016). Unfortunately, the result tends to have adverse effect on the child’s concentrating potentials leading to poor academic performance in the long run because the fear instilled in them make them lose focus in life with education being one of the major parts of these children’s life. In their analysis, Azi and Saluhu (2016) not only found that child abuse has adverse effects on the primary children academic performance but also not the effects that such abuses have on a nation’s economy. These authors confirmed that different children experience different forms of abuses ranging from physical, sexual, and emotional also known as psychological abuses which adversely affect their well-being. Academic being among the main basics of life that such children must...