Child abuse and academic performance of adolescents in Lesotho - a qualitative study

English: Child abuse refers to the intentional use of force aimed at injuring or damaging the child. Abused children are in most cases characterised by a low self concept misbehaviour such as delinquency and truancy, inadequate language development, depression, negativism and abused children appear to be anti-social. The statement of the problem for this study is whether a relationship exists between child abuse and academic performance. The study focuses on a group of adolescents at SOS school and Hleoheng primary school in Lesotho. The objectives of this investigation are to show how child abuse can affect the academic performance of a child and to identify subsequent behavioural changes of abused children. The family and the school as the child's educational environments, are further investigated and ways in which these institutions can be the major sources of child abuse are studied. The causes and types of child abuse are also investigated. In this study related local and international literature on child abuse and academic performance were reviewed. A group of abused adolescents from SOS school and Hleoheng primary in Lesotho were used as the target group for the purpose of this study. Structured interviews were used to collect data on the family background of abused children, the type of abuse they experienced, their emotions, how they relate with other people, their concentration potential, and specific characteristics that can be attributed to poor academic performance. The first part of the study defines the concept of child abuse. The general causes and types of child abuse are examined. Numerous factors influence parents or anybody in loco parentis to abuse children. In the same way, it has also been discovered that children can also be perpetrators of child abuse. Parents, however, abuse children differently, resulting in various forms of abuse namely physical, sexual, emotional and economic abuse as well as neglect. Ideally, it is expected that a child's home is the best place of the upbringing of a child. Therefore, it follows that the family of a child is charged with the responsibility of nurturing a developing child. The school on the other hand should supplement the child's family to help the child realise his or her abilities. The family and the school are regarded as the major educational environments of a child. The lack of responsible adult intervention and guidance based on the principles of love, warmth and security in the life of a child results in many families and schools being the institutions of abuse of children. Hence, the ideal functions of both the family and the school are changed. The children thus find themselves being abused in the privacy of their own homes and in the school environment. The abused children consequently fail to perform well academically due to these complications in their upbringing. At present, only SOS school in Lesotho reach out to these children in an endeavour to educate them despite their early life experiences. However, due to the rapid increase in the number of abused children in Lesotho, SOS school is not in a position to cater for all these children. This research confirms the relationship between child abuse and academic performance.