Does Child Abuse Affect Education in the UK - Research Paper Example

Child Abuse and Education in UK xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Does child abuse affect education? xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Name xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Institution xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Date Research question Children have become very vulnerable today especially with the increase in the number of crimes targeting children owing to their inability to defend themselves, a factor that their performance in school. Child abuse ranges from maltreatment of children at home through beating and denying basic needs to rape which is one of the most traumatizing criminal experiences. Children who experience child abuse have been found to have a very low self esteem which affects their productivity in school and at home. The question is therefore “will the children be able to develop their full potential if this goes on or does anyone care?” There are indications that in most cases, a child is not in a position to defend him/herself when faced with a terrifying situation. This research investigates the risk factors that make children vulnerable to abuse, the symptoms of child abuse and the relationship between child abuse and education. It also investigates the different forms of child abuse and their effect on a child’s education focusing on UK. Assumption The study assumes that the respondents were faithful in giving true information in each question asked and that personal attitudes were not reflected in the data. It also assumes that the data collected was representative to allow space for generalization to a wider population. Accuracy and precision in data during collection and recording of the data is a very important factor of consideration. This research assumes that the researchers who collected and recorded the data were precise and accurate. It also assumes that there was uniformity in data recording which makes the data scientific. Objectives To identify the relationship between school performance and child abuse. To identify the different forms of child abuse. To determine the signs of child abuse To determine the relationship between past experience of child abuse, fear and school performance. Significance of the study Increased incidence rate of child abuse has been identified as one of the main problems that delay the development of any place. It initiates fear in children and lowers their self esteem limiting their performance. In the worst case scenario, the child may drop out of school. This research was important as it identifies the gaps that exist between the already carried researches hence giving researchers ideas on what to engage in. It will also be useful to the government bodies in identifying the changing trends in crime and the factors that contribute to child abuse. The research will include the reports from schools and information collected from individuals through interview and group discussion. The research will offer different suggestions on solutions to cub child abuse and improve their performance in school to assist them unlock their full potential. Literature review Just like the Americans, majority of parents in the United Kingdom wish they had a system that taught them on how to take good care of their newborns. A research carried out by the National committee to prevent child abuse shows that parents exercise child maltreatment due to increased rate of alcohol and drug use, lack of the proper parenting skills and experience, the fact that the parents were abused during their childhood, if the child is a non –family member, children have become uncontrollable and lack of proper spiritual guidance in parents lives. 67% of the parents believe that the issue of child neglect and abuse originates from lack of skills and experience on the proper parenting strategies (The Stella Project 2004, p.32). It was observed that those parents who receive voluntary visits at home by public and private agency bring up their newborns with ease and free of child abuse. United Kingdom incurs large indirect costs which usually occur as a result of the irresponsible behavior developed by maltreated children. Maltreated children are at a high risk of dropping out of school and engaging in illegal and irresponsible behavior in search for identity. This increases the rate of alcohol and drug misuse, juvenile delinquency which may lead to imprisonment, homelessness and mental health problems (Mayall 1999, p.56). Maltreated children who engage in such behavior are likely to end up poor, a factor that may frustrate any efforts to rehabilitate them and make them responsible members of the community. In 2004 the cost incurred by England and Wales in controlling drug use was estimated to be £15.4 billion. The cost incurred in controlling alcohol related problems is estimated to be £29 billion per year. The cost incurred by the economic loss in productivity due to absenteeism and illnesses is estimated to be £6.4 billion per year (Pinheiro 2006, p.26). Such cost would have avoided if children were well trained, completed their education and are utilizing their potential in a positive was. However, for a child to achieve the best in school, an environment that is conducive and free from child abuse if very important. It has also been noted that public service consumes almost ten times more in controlling individuals between the age of 10 and 28 from who suffer from conduct disorders (Pinheiro 2006, p.43). Mental health problems are estimated to cost approximately £22.5 billion. The annual cost incurred by juveniles in the justice system for the youths is around £40000 which is exclusive of the damages caused by the crimes committed. This shows that the costs incurred by the government in solving the problems arising from maltreatment is far high above the cost that could be incurred in provision of advisory services to the parents and other stakeholders controlling in successful child growth. For a long period of time, majority of the disabled children have been neglected and abused due their state. The Children Act (1989) have provoked passing of laws protecting all the children despite their body condition. United kingdom is have ratified these laws and are applying them in charging those individuals who deny the children the right to be listened, the right to be protected from abuse, the right to care for the disabled, the right to express their views and the right to provision of basic needs with education inclusive. School plays a major role in informing children about their rights and freedoms so that they can report ant form of maltreatment. Hypothesis and propositions Past researches referred to have indicated that child abuse is one of the major causes of poor performance. This has resulted to the hypothesis that children who experience child abuse are at a high risk of poor performance in class. There is a clear indication from other propositions that the vulnerability of children to abuse is mainly from those people known to them. Methodology Research design Descriptive research design was applied in collecting the data for this study. This is owed to the fact that the sample population is quite large and the need to study the natural behavior of samples. The research is aimed at investigating the relationship that exists between different variables and descriptive research is very useful when investigating social factors. Both qualitative and quantitative data was collected to ensure comprehensiveness in the study. This is due to the high possibility of children giving subjective rather than objective information (Lewis 1992, p.43). Qualitative data collected was then coded so as to enhance production of scientific results after analysis. Validation Qualitative studies are often characterized by validation issues because of the nature of the design. Use of secondary sources to collect data in particular has reliability issues as it is usually difficult for the researcher to identify errors that might have occurred especially during collection of information and data (Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill 2007). To address this issue, the researcher intends to use multiple perspectives in validation. This will involve a comparison of findings by different researchers on the same subject. In this case, past researches on child abuse and its effect in education will be considered. This strategy has been recommended in qualitative studies where triangulation cannot be carried out so as to increase the validity and reliability of the findings (Tisdall et al 2009, p.134). Sampling The sample was determined through random sampling of schools and purposive sampling children of school age between 12 to 18 years, parents and teachers to such students. These were determined by first determining the schools in UK and randomly picking 50 school and 10 children from each school. Purposive sampling was applied as the research focused on children who had experienced child abuse at any point in their life. However, another sample for children who had never experienced child abuse was also involved as a control group. Information was also collected from governmental reports and published reports for purpose of validation. Children below 10 years were not interviewed as they were considered incapable of giving sound information. The study relied on both first hand and secondary data (Tisdall et al 2009, p.87). Description of the study population The study population will include children between 10 to 18 years, teachers in High school and lower levels of education and parents with children of 10 to 18 who are already in school in UK. The inclusion of individuals will not be based on race, nationality or social status. This means that the study population will include people from different races and nationalities as these may be a contributing factor to child abuse. Data collection Instruments Questionnaires and interview schedules will be applied to collect data. Questionnaires will be mailed to teachers and parents while interview schedules will be used during group discussions with the children. This is because children are more productive when in a group (The Stella Project 2004, p.90). Data Analysis After all necessary information is gathered, it was analysed through the application of SPSS. This enhanced accuracy in reporting (Bohrnstedt and David, 1982). Qualitative data was coded and then analyzed using this software. The hypothesis was then tested from the results obtained after analyzing selected data. The data was professionally analyzed to improve accuracy and precision (Bohrnstedt and David 1982). Findings Role of schools in child abuse Schools play an important role in protecting the children from any form of maltreatment either at home or in school. Teachers reported that they could easily detect an abused child due to lack of concentration, malnutrition, poor performance and detection of unusual child behavior. Therefore, all the education service providers are delegated with the duty of keeping their students safe from any form of child abuse. It was noted that creating a favorable learning environment for students by identifying those at risk of harm and taking the necessary actions against any offender of the children rights is paramount to ensuring that a child succeeds in attaining his/her goal in education (Home office 2003, p76). The school attended by the child plays an important role in prevention of child abuse. It is advisable for the parents to put certain measures into consideration to ensure that their children are free from child abuse. Some school staffs reported that it had taken them a long time to understand why some students were performing poorly in school since they were no in a position to easily detect a child who had be abused in one way or another. For this reason, they express the need for training and holding special programs that would help them in this. According to the research findings majority of the parents trust the teachers with their children and belief that this is a safe environment for them (Pinheiro 2006, p.25). They expect the management to show responsibility in protecting children left under their care from any form of maltreatment. 82% of the parents were very satisfied and knew that their children were safe in school, 12% indicated that they were satisfied while 6% were somehow satisfied. This kind of satisfaction calls for administrators in schools to ensure that by all means, the parent’s assumptions come to a reality. There were reports where children have been abused by their teachers or even workers in schools. This means that schools should have a certain procedure that thoroughly checks on the staff before they are granted the permission to work with children. It is also necessary to ensure that the school where a child is being recruited has a child protection policy that have gives the procedures to be followed in any staff member is found guilty of child abuse (Home office 2003, p67). Schools were also found to play a major role in helping children to protect themselves against any form of maltreatment. This has been made possible through incorporation of Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) as part of the compulsory lessons that have to be studied by every child (Mayall 1999, p.189). The lesson focus on teaching children on risky behavior, inappropriate and appropriate physical contacts and how to deal with peer pressure. It has been found that the greatest form of child abuse in schools is establishment of sexual relationships between the staff members and the students. Schools play an important role in preventing the children from inappropriate relationships. It is illegal for any adult to have a sexual relationship with a child who has not attained sixteen years. It is also illegal for an adult occupying a position of trust to have a sexual relationship with a child of less than 18 years. This is because such a child is regarded as being immature to make such decisions and may give in to avoid the repercussions of not collaborating with the adult (Davis 1998). Child abusers were found to include care givers entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of them. Of all interviewed children who reported to have been abused in the past, 60% were abused by care givers and teachers, 28% by close relatives, 8% by parents and only 4% by strangers. This is inconsistent with a past research done in England where majority of child abusers were care givers. England is approximated to have a total of 9.6 million children aged below 16 years. Of these children, 7% have been found to have experienced physical abuse while in the hands of their caretakers during childhood. 1% of these children have received sexual abuse from their parents and 3% have received sexual abuse from other relatives. These forms of maltreatment have adverse side effects on children performance due to stigma (Douglas 2006, p.32). Child abuse was found to be a major cause of poor performance among children. Among the interviewed children 80% of those who had experienced child abuse performed poorly 15% performed poorly immediately after the experience but later resumed their normal performance, 3% dropped out of school and only 2% had unnoticeable change in their class performance. This was associated to the quality of counseling a child received and whether the environment of the child had been changed to avoid a reoccurrence of the same. Out of the 80%, more were likely to drop out of school. Healthy families’ strategies Majority of the health facilities in the United Kingdom have introduced community health services to provide advisory services to the parents so that they can take care of their newborns effectively. The service providers such as nurses give voluntary visitations to homes giving advice to expectant mothers, new parents and those who have delivered (Pinheiro 2006, p. 145). They basically focus on creating a link between the families and the primary care givers, providing healthcare services and provision of social services such as giving tips on the way to take good care of newborns, support and counseling on how to positively respond to the child’s needs and stress management. Proper child development is essential since it determines the child’s growth and development rate as well as performance in school (Douglas 2006, p.43). Mothers who had benefited from this program were found to be keener on addressing the needs. Signs of child abuse It is easy to identify a child undergoing childhood stress by making keen observation on the various suspicious signs. Most of the child abusers threaten to ensure that they do not share their experiences with their friends and other members of the society. There are both psychological and physical symptoms of maltreatment (Bronfenbrenner 1979, p.56). The National Collaborating Centre for Women’s and Children Health that is usually linked with the Royal College of Obstentricians and gynaecologists. There are several factors that should prompt an individual to consider child abuse by a teacher, parent or caregiver. If one observes any unusual or serious injury without a suitable explanation, cold injuries such as red feet or hands and swellings, hypothermia and oral injury without a reasonable explanation (Lewis 1992, p.163). There are other symptoms that can prompt one to suspect child maltreatment. Bruising which appears to have been caused by a human hand, teeth mark, a stick or a grip. Child abuse can be suspected by finding tiny purple or red spots that are not caused by any medical condition. This is can be ascertained if they are observed in a child who cannot move independently, if they occur in clusters or in multiples, if they are of similar size and shape, if they occur on the boneless parts of the face or the body such as buttocks, ears and eyes, if the neck shows signs of attempted strangulation and wrists and ankles having ligature marks (Mayall 1999). One can also suspect child abuse if the child has burn injuries on the soft body parts that cannot easily come into contact with fire or hot objects such as soles of the feet, back, buttocks and the back side of the hands (Bronfenbrenner 1979, p.34). It is also suspicious for a child to have a burn with an Implement shape like an iron rod or cigarette. A child who has been sexually abused usually show anal and genital injuries, foreign bodies, pregnancy, contraction of sexually transmitted diseases and vaginal discharge. A child suffering from neglect can be identified by animal bites, improper clothing, head lice, faltering growth, persistent infestations and lack of health reviews such as immunizations. Limitations of the study 1. The research is limited in that not all respondent were free to give adequate information especially where a child was abused by a close relative. 2. Mailing questionnaires to respondents limit one in determining some factors such as the attitude of the respondent (Cresswell 2003, p.45). 3. The research was limited to UK which only represents developed countries hence limiting generalization of the findings. The research was based on trust and since sensitive issues were being investigated, there is a possibility that inaccurate or inadequate information was given thereby increasing probability of errors. A high probability of error lowers accuracy and precision of the results. Hypothesis The hypothesis made before carrying out the research stated that children who experience child abuse are more likely to perform poorly in school. This hypothesis was accepted as true since most of the victims were found to perform poorly in school. Conclusion Child abuse basically ruins the life of a child by first ensuring that these children do not attain their full potential both in class and outside class work. The effects of child maltreatment such as emotional, interpersonal, social and behavioral functioning that are distinct from those exhibited by their age mates ensure that the child is stressed most of the time. They have excessive aggression when provoked, frequent change in behavioral and emotional states, dissociation, an abnormal feeding and eating behavior, are fearful, have low esteem and tend to do things in fear of the reaction of their caregivers. However, everyone should understand that it is not only the child that experiences loss but also the society as a whole. This calls for every individual to put in efforts to curb child abuse. Recommendations More research should be carried out on ways to avoid child abuse Teachers should receive training on signs of child abuse and how to help a child overcome. Bibliography Bohrnstedt, W, and David, K, 1982, Statistics for Social Data Analysis, Itasca, IL: F.E. Peacock Publishers, Inc. Bronfenbrenner, U, 1979, The ecology of human development, Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press Lewis, A, 1992, Group child interviews as a research tool, British Educational Research Journal, 18(4), pp.413-421. Cresswell, J, 2003, Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches, 2nd ed. London: Sage Publications. Davis, J, 1998, Understanding the meanings of children: a reflexive process, Children & Society, 12, pp325-335. Excellent article! Douglas, E, 2006, Familial violence socialization in childhood and later life approval of corporal punishment: A cross-cultural perspective, American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 76: 23– 30. Home office, 2003, Setting boundaries: reforming the law of sex offences, London: Home office. Mayall, B, 1999, ‘Children and childhood’, in: Hood, S, Mayall, B, and Oliver, S (eds.) Critical issues in social research: Power and prejudice, Buckingham: Open University Press, pp.10-24. Pinheiro P, S, 2006, World report on violence against children, New York: United Nations Secretary-General’s Study on Violence against Children. Saunders, M, Lewis, P, & Thornhill, A, 2007, Research Methods for Business Studies, 4th Ed, Pearson Education, Boston, MA. The Stella Project, 2004, Domestic violence, drugs and alcohol: Good Practice Guidelines London: The Stella Project. Tisdall, K, Davis, J, and Gallagher, M, 2009, Researching with children and young people: research design, methods and analysis, London: Sage. Read More