CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

 Child abuse is a difficult subject to think about but it’s one day each and every one of us must and should learn how to address .This project topic will reveal to us the effect of child abuse on the academic performance of students in Government Bilingual High School (GBHS) Bamendankwe .We will get to know about the background of the study, statement of the problem, hypothesis, research question, literature review, research methodology, data analysis and conclusion.

Background Information of the Study

This research investigates the effects of child abuse on academic performance of students in G.B.H.S Bamendankwe. GBHS Bamendankwe is found in the North West region precisely in the Mezam Division. GBHS Bamendankwe identity number is (ID) number is PL070503017 and was created by ministerial order Number 76\156\MINEDUC\CAB of 17 April 1991. The school was opened in September 1991 as Government Secondary School (GBSS) Bamendankwe and was later changed to Government Bilingual High School (GBHS) Bamendankwe in September 1998.

Child abuse is Not A New Phenomenon In The History Of Man. It Has Been Going On Righ­t From Time Immemorial. In Africa/Cameroon Society What Constitute Abuse Today Has Never Been Regarded As Abuse. It Has been seen as a way of training the child to become a well behaved, disciplined and self-actualized person in society. It is a normal process that children from birth be exposed to a variety of experiences from parents, caregivers and other adults in the society. This is to enable the children acquire the necessary basic norms and skills for effective participation in the society where they belong and for their personal growth and development. The process of acquiring these skills are sometimes stressful for the children to bear. Some parents and care givers make the condition for acquiring these skills so difficult that the children may find it difficult to cope. The condition in which children are exposed as they try to acquire the skills to become disciplined and hardworking individuals is where the problems lie. When these conditions become over-stretched it becomes an abuse. For instance, some students in GBHS Bamendankwe complain of maltreatment from care givers most of them who are not their biological parents. When a child is taught the skills of becoming a farmer, he is taken to the farm, he practice these skills and he is kept in the farm doing that same work the whole day without any rest or having a good meal and this becomes an abuse. Also it may be normal if a child is asked to hawk from morning to evening or before going to school he sales and immediately after school he continues until night falls. This becomes an abuse. Orere-Clifferd (2011) states that children suffer from child abuse because their parents and guardian demand a great deal from them for more than the children would bear. Most students in GBHS Bamendankwe find themselves in such situation most often. Child abuse is found in all societies and social class. It is found in the rich or poor home as well as illiterate or literate homes. Acccording to background research some parent abuse their children by frequently using them in their farm work, trade and businesses. This is to help support the income of the home and sometimes to provide for children needs. Students also complain that caregivers called abusive names such as; good for nothing, block head and because of this, it makes not be attentive in class because of the work they do at home. The classroom is often the only place where they have a rest from such home activities so they may fall asleep in the class. They may therefore not partake in classroom activities and so may not acquire any learning. The children of the rich parents may not be allowed to take part in the general activities in the home. They may therefore not know how to cook, wash or care generally for the home. This constitutes an abuse because the child needs to be exposed to such activities because it is certain that the child may need such knowledge in future.

Statement of the Problem

At the heart of every educational system lays the desire for the students, teachers and the institutions to achieve their educational goals. However, the extent to which this desire is achieved in the study period of a student varies based on individual differences. Individual differences in academic performance have been linked to differences in intelligence and personality and the fact that most students perform poorly during exams due to emotional abuse, not having money to eat during break to the extent some have to beg money, beg food to eat provoked me to investigate the effect of child abuse on academic performance of students in G.B.H.S Bamendankwe.

Objectives of the Study

Main Objective

To examine the extent to which child abuse has affected the academic performance of students in GBHS Bamendankwe.

Specific Objectives

To examine to what extent to which hawking has affected the grades of students in GBHS Bamendankwe.

To evaluate the extent to which child starvation affects students in GBHS Bamendankwe.

To discuss the extent to which child labour affects the active participation of students in GBHS Bamendankwe.

Research Questions

In order to achieve the objectives the following questions are hereby posed.

What explains the effect of hawking on the academic performance of students

How child starvation affect students’ academic performance

How child labour affect the academic performance of students