Analyzing the Impact of Child Abuse on Education and Development

This report investigates the significant impact of child abuse and domestic violence on children's educational attainment and overall development. The study, based on a qualitative research approach and secondary data analysis, explores how various forms of abuse, including physical, emotion...Read More

Can child abuse have an
effect on educational
attainment

ABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to raise the concern over impact of child abuse. This is the
common practice experienced by children at homes which impact education attainment level of
the child. The study is based on qualitative type of research. It explored the use of positivism
philosophy and inductive approach which helped in proper execution of research. In this research
secondary data collection methods are used and for analysing the data systematic review is
implied. It has been analysed from the study that child abuse and violence must be treated so that
it does not affect the child development and education. The physical and behavioural changes
due to abuse reduces the learning and educational attainment capabilities of the child.
It has been also observed from the study that child abuse can be eliminated by combined
efforts of responsible authorities and education providers. The use of secondary data collection
methods may not provide the high precision findings instead more generalised conclusions are
made. Also, the lack of study towards specific age group does not provide detailed insight of the
behavioural changes in child due to abusive.
From the study it is recommended that child behaviour must be noticed and observed so
that if they are suffering from abuse it can be analysed. The educators and other caregivers must
assure that they develop trustworthy bond with the child and are able to give child required
emotional and psychological support. Thus, the study will provide a strong base for evaluating
the condition of child abuse victim and how their condition can be improved.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................................2
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1
1.1 Study background ............................................................................................................1
1.2 Aim: .................................................................................................................................1
1.3 Objective ..........................................................................................................................1
1.4 Research questions ..........................................................................................................1
1.5 Rationale for the study .....................................................................................................2
1.6 Significance and contribution of the study ......................................................................2
1.7 Structure of dissertation ...................................................................................................3
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................4
Domestic violence and child abuse .......................................................................................4
Causes and types of abuses against children .........................................................................5
Impact of child abuse on physical and mental health status of child ....................................6
Effect of child abuse on education attainment ......................................................................8
Role of domestic violence from home in influencing the educational environment and
education of other children's ................................................................................................10
Strategies to mitigate the incidences and impact of child abuse .........................................11
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ..........................................................................13
3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................13
3.2 Research type .................................................................................................................13
3.3 Research philosophy ......................................................................................................13
3.4 Research approach .........................................................................................................14
3.5 Data collection ...............................................................................................................14
3.6 Data analysis ..................................................................................................................15
3.7 Ethical considerations ....................................................................................................15
3.8 Limitations .....................................................................................................................15
CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION .............................................................16
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................20
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................23

ILLUSTRATION INDEX
Illustration 1: Child abuse statistics in UK .....................................................................................4
Illustration 2: Types of child abuse ...............................................................................................16
Illustration 3: Effect of child abuse on health of child ..................................................................17
Illustration 4: Strategies to deal with child abuse..........................................................................19

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Study background
Child abuse is maltreatment of children which can be sexual, psychological or physical
especially by parents and care taker. There has been rapid increase in the incidents of child
abuse and domestic violence (Child abuse statistics UK- From NSPCC. 2019). The children
studying in primary schools are not aware of abusive behaviour and therefore the individual is
unable to determine wrong a right of the situation (Jung and et.al., 2018). The negative practice
of domestic violence is major cause which is hampering education attainment level among
children.
There are several forms of domestic violence such as physical, sexual, emotional and
psychological (Savage, Ferguson and Flores, 2017). The abuse affects the emotional and mental
perspective of child which leads to life threatening risk like depression, hopelessness and
vulnerability. The emotional imbalance among children is the major cause of restricted growth.
The child experiencing abuses undergo pain, emotional trauma, fear, insecurity and anxiety.
1.2 Aim:
To analyse the impact of domestic violence on educational growth and development of
children.
1.3 Objective
 To review the effects of domestic violence on growth and development of child.
 To analyse impact of domestic violence at home on education attainment level of child.
 To identify ways to manage effect of domestic violence on growth of children.
1.4 Research questions
 What is the meaning of “Domestic Violence” and its effect on growth and development
of child?
 How domestic violence can affect the physical and mental state of child?
 What is the impact of child abuse on academics?
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1.5 Rationale for the study
Experiencing abusive treatment in the minor age that is when the children are in growth
stage can have long lasting effect on the memory of child (Itzin, 2018). This 6 to 12 is the age
group which is considered as the growing phase of the children where abusive incidents can
influence mental growth. The major cause of learning disability among children is abusive
experiences which influence educational attainment of the children. Thus, it is very essential to
study impact of child abuse in order to develop appropriate framework for eliminating abusive
practices. The quality of life is widely dependent upon the knowledge and education of the
individual in growth stage (Walsh and et.al., 2015). Abusive behaviour with child in learning
phase affects their learning capabilities.
The motive of this study is to outline factors which encourages abusive practices and how
it impacts educational abilities of children. It will also draw the attention of authorities which can
assist in making significant changes in educational development process of child (Witt and et.al.,
2016). The study is for the purpose of determining impact of child abuse on behaviour of
individuals. For example, children experiencing physical abuse are vulnerable to surroundings
which is generally reflected in form of anger or aggressive behaviour. Domestic violence leads to
adverse impacts which influences education attainment level of child (Domestic Violence &
Children: The Effect on the Learning Environment, 2018). The children who are part of domestic
violence have aggressive attitude towards people and social inclusion. The study will help in
outlining the facts which can be managed in order to improve cognitive behaviour of children
undergoing abuse.
1.6 Significance and contribution of the study
The study is significant because of the sensitivity of topic which comes from Domestic
violence that is child abuse. There are numerous extreme and severe cases of domestic violence
such forcing child to be a part of unethical situations. Further, threatening child reflects
emotional harm which impact individual ability to react and act upon certain situations. The
study will help in deriving ways to provide safe, secure and quality education environment for
children. The study will also help concerned authorities to take necessary steps against abusive
behaviour towards children. The study is significant as it helps in outlining further research
areas which focuses on preventing child abuses and promoting education. Thus, the study holds
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the significant place for gaining the attention of education providers, social reformers and
authorities framing policies for national and child welfare (Aratani and Cooper, 2015).
1.7 Structure of dissertation
For accomplishing the research systematically, a well-defined structure is followed so
that every research aspect can be analysed properly. The structure for this study is as follows:
Chapter 1 Introduction: In introduction chapter, a brief overview of the study background is
provided. It will discuss the significance of child abuse and its effect on educational attainment.
Chapter 2 Literature review: Second chapter is literature review which will provide to highlight
views of different authors and scholars over research topic in order to develop critical
understanding over research aim, objectives and question.
Chapter 3 Research methodology: This chapter will include the description of the various
research methodologies which are used for conducting systematic research like philosophy, data
collection and analysis tools, research approach, etc.
Chapter 4 Data Analysis: The fourth chapter analyses and interprets the data obtained from the
research methods so that results can be concluded. Thus, it provides the discussion of the
research findings.
Chapter 5 Conclusion: In this chapter all the discussion and ideas of research are summarized so
that research outcomes and effectiveness can be evaluated.
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
Domestic violence and child abuse
According to Itzin, (2018), child abuse and violence can be defined as the assault or
abusive act which can result in severe physical damage and emotional harm to the victim child.
The abuse can be in the form of physical torture, emotional pain and sexual assault. Apart from
suffering with these violent incidences’ children can also witness such domestic violence at
home, school or any other place which can create adverse impact on the physical and mental
health of child (Walsh and et.al., 2015). As per the world health organisation and UK
government, domestic violence is becoming one of the most alarming condition because number
of such child abuses is increasing rapidly. These incidences are not only destroying the
childhood of victims but can also influence their future. This type of abusive behaviour at home
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can be conducted by parents, care takers, guardians, family members as well as unknown people.
The family members can show physical and emotional abuse to child. As per the study
conducted by Radford and et.al., (2011), in UK one in every five children have faced extreme
maltreatment or abuse. The study also described that such children does not describe or report
the abuse incident to others due to fear. Similarly, as per the reports of by Child abuse statistics
UK- From NSPCC, (2019) in UK around 50000 children are at higher risk of abuse and in every
10 days at least 2 children are died due to abuse at homes.
(Source: Child abuse statistics UK- From NSPCC, 2019)
In the same aspect Straus, Gelles and Steinmetz, (2017) believes that it is very important
that such children's must be identified and necessary support and care must be provided in order
to protect them from the harmful impact of violence. The children suffering form the domestic
abuse must be given proper psychological counselling so that they can share their pain and
concerns. The schools must also have care units which can assist the children with physical
injuries. The exposure to such incidents at home not only affect the health-related well-being of
the child but also influences the development process of the child. Since abusive behaviour with
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Illustration 1: Child abuse statistics in UK

child can hurt them emotionally it is possible that this adverse impact can develop a life ling fear
in the mind of child and their perspective toward family and social values may change
negatively. Thus, if proper attention is not paid towards the issue by parents and care takers then
there is high probability that future of the child will also be in darkness along with pain and fear.
Causes and types of abuses against children
In a study based upon child behaviour and domestic violence, Van der Kolk, (2017)
stated that there are significant differences among children who are exposed to abuse and those
who are grown in non-violent environment at homes. The children who suffers from abuse are
always fearful and prefer to leave along while the children who does not experience such
behaviour have positive attitude towards life. Such child enjoy being participate in new learnings
and activities. These differences are observed in the academic functioning, physical health,
behaviour. Abuse victim children are more prone to anxiety and issues with self-esteem.
Widom nd Wilson, (2015), stated that child neglect is also frequently observed type of
abuse. The families and guardians do not provide attention and care towards child. It creates a
feeling of loneliness and also deprive children from the basic care needs which they deserve. For
instance, when parents do not give appropriate time to their child then several needs of child
such as emotional warmth, daily care are often neglected. It can give rise to psychological
disorder and development of child is affected negatively by lowering their communication and
social abilities. When families and parents does not pay attention to the problems and needs of
child then child may feel that he or she is undesirable. It leads to depression and several other
health concerns. For instance improper care and attention to child can lead to irregular eating
habits and child may not consumer nutrition rich food which is very essential for the healthy
living of child.
As per the view of Best, (2017), the key reason for the child abuse is that children are
powerless and thus they can be easily targeted. They acquire lower position in social hierarchy
and thus it is easy for people to show their frustration, anger and ill psychology on children.
Since the children are responsibility of the parents, it depends upon parents and family members
that how they are treated. The complete authority of the child lies in hands of family. Due to this
reason when child is abused by family, children believe that they are follower of their parents
and does not have any right to oppose their abusive behaviour. Though this is the most
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dominating cause for child abuse but it is also observed that factors such as addiction of drug and
alcohol also encourages individuals to follow such practices. Some people find it hard to cope up
with their economic challenges thus they express their frustration in the form of violence. When
parents are frustrated due to work stress then they try to show their anger in terms of abuse to
their child.
In addition to the above perspective Cornell, (2017) explained that people can also
perform such violence’s in response of the misbehaviour of child or due to less understanding
level of child. For instance, when children do not obey the instruction of parents then to create a
fear among them parents and other individuals use the approach of abuse and violence.
The domestic violence among children can be in terms of aggression, rough treatment,
violation of human rights, emotional violence in terms of shouting, criticism, threatening and
frequent blaming. As discussed in Widom and Wilson, (2015) physical violence and sexual
violence makes child extremely threatened and helpless which leads to withdrawal of individual
from education, social inclusions, etc. It is also quite common in families to abuse child
economically. For instance, children are often refused to provide food or any other financial
assistance. They are also forcefully engaged in household or risky working conditions against
their will. Thus, domestic violence can be in any of the discussed form in which children's needs
appropriate support.
Impact of child abuse on physical and mental health status of child
As per the view of Jürges and et.al., (2017) due to the fear and lack of confidence child
begins to think that he or she is inefficient in comparison to the other children. The children
suffering from the abuse are less confident and fearful as compare to the other children. When
they observe that other classmates are actively involved in school activities and they are not
having any physical injuries or emotional trauma then they become more nervous. In such
situations children assume that only they are incapable and lacks talent and skill. It also makes
child believe that only they are facing problem in learning new things while other children are
superior in learning. In extreme cases the children also isolate themselves from the traditional
model of education so that they do not have to face the lot of people. Like instead of attending
schools such children prefer to spend time alone, away from their home as well as school. In
such situation there are high possibilities that children may engage with other school dropouts
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who are involved in unsocial activities. This isolation not only creates educational barriers but
also give rise to more psychological disorders. For instance, the regular isolation from friends,
communities and lack of emotional support can give rise to aggression and negative feelings.
Savage, Ferguson and Flores, (2017) claimed that aggression after being sufferer of abuse
is one of the key reasons which is encouraging the increase in number of teenage criminals. At
home it is not possible for most of the child to raise their voice against abuse. However when
their frustration increases with time they began to show that aggression on other children's. Such
victim children may also gang up with the other unsocial groups who assumed to be more
powerful and are involved in criminal activities. Most of these criminals are school drop outs or
emotionally hurt individuals who have lower education. Savage, Ferguson and Flores, (2017)
argue that the children who are exposed to abuses and violence do not get equal opportunity to
lead a healthy and good quality life. In their later stages of life, they have higher vulnerabilities
and faces hardships in life such as unemployment, inefficient health and participation in the
criminal activities. These outcomes are result of poor education attainment of child.
The feeling of fear and anxiety can make it difficult for the child to interact with others or
to share experiences or knowledge with community. It leads to the development of inferior
nature in the child. Thus, even if such child moves to get higher education programs, they always
have low confidence. They consider it hard to open up in front of others and to ask questions
regarding educational improvement. Berns, (2017) stated that the psychological impact on the
development of children when they experience violence at home can also be understood and
verified by several theories. Some of the key theories supporting this argument are as follows:
Behaviourism theory:
According to Mohammad and et.al., (2015), environmental conditions play great role in
changing the behaviour of an individual. These changes are very crucial and significant among
children. For instance, when child is abused at home then gradually, they tend to learn the same
thing. It varies from child to child that some children become more aggressive and tend to
execute the same violent actions with others as experienced by them. On the other hand, some
children learned that they always have to remain fearful otherwise they will have to face violence
again. Thus, every behavioural aspect and thinking ability of the child is regulated by the
environment they receive at their home and in surroundings.
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Social learning theory:
As per discussion by Crain, (2015) individuals learns from each other via imitation,
modelling and observation. The child has wider dependency on their parents and family. Thus, a
major portion of child learning depends upon the behaviour of their family members. When
children experience abusive behaviour and actions then they tend to believe that such behaviour
is acceptable and only powerful individuals can do so. As a result, in future when they acquire
maturity level and authority in their relations and life then they follow the same behavioural
practices. These kinds of behaviours and learning reflects effectiveness of social learning theory
according to which it can be said that child abuse is concerned with domestic violence.
In the same context Aratani and Cooper, (2015), expressed his concern that the exposure
to domestic violence affects the physical health of children. The abuse can result in insomnia,
bed-wetting, appetite changes and sleep related issues. The children living at home suffers from
these issues quite commonly when they are threatened or abused. The traumatic impact caused
by these abnormalities in childhood can influence the emotional balance of child. It has long
lasting impact on the individual. For instance, it is possible that child may fear to build relations
with other or may execute the same abusive and violent behaviour with their partners or others.
According to Best, (2017) the children who are sensitive start believing that they have
some fault which is making them to face violence at their own house. The abuse suffered by the
child make them strongly believe that they have committed some mistake and only due to this
reason their own family members are showing such rude behaviour to them. Thus, for the life
time they are in constant fear and guilt. It affects their professional excellence as well as social
belongings. As a child they have limited power and ability to help themselves so that they can
come out from abusive situation and can fight against their own parents or family members.
Fry and et.al., (2018) stated that abuse also makes children feel guilty that they are not
efficient enough to overcome and deal with such wrong behaviour. Hence, domestic violence
also leads to sudden changes in the behaviour of child. For instance, they may begin to skip their
schools, using drugs or other addictive practices which can help them to forget the painful
memories of violence at their home. By taking the inspiration from the abuse they face at their
home child can isolate themselves from other peers. In long term they become victim of the
abuse or can themselves follow the actions of abuser.
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As per Herman, (2015), the worst scenario and possibility in case of domestic violence is
that when child is extremely threatened, they can also make attempt to end their life or can cause
harm to themselves. Due to fear and shame of abuse many children try to commit suicide so that
that they can escape from these painful situation. Thus, in such situation counselling and care of
child is necessary for managing cognitive, emotional and behavioural development. The post
traumatic disorders are very common among people and they may affect the people for lifetime
if not treated properly. The flash backs of childhood memories, hypertension, anxiety and
physical injuries may accompany the individual regularly and thus making their life difficult and
painful.
Effect of child abuse on education attainment
According to Tanaka and et.al., (2015) domestic violence among children and low
education attainment in young age groups are quite overlapping and interrelated social issues.
The abusive behaviour with child prevent them to focus on academics and gaining education. In
the same context Jung and et.al., (2018) has different perspective which states that education and
domestic violence are completely dependent upon each other and can act as source of one other.
This is explained further as that when children suffer from violence or abuse it lowers their
educational attainment. From emotional perspective also children suffers emotional trauma and
loneliness. The lack of education also restricts the career growth opportunities of the child in
future and thus the quality of life is also influenced.
However, when child is grown then to overcome fear and to demonstrate their power they
begin to show abusive nature towards children or other family members. Thus, the low education
attainment is itself a source for following abusive behaviour. It is also observed that with regular
abuse children tend to become less confident and become prone to depression, loneliness as well
as aggressive in some cases. The accumulation of these factors makes it hard for the child to
focus on furnishing their education requirements (Crain, 2015). A vast number of children tend
to drop out from their education program or are expelled from such programs due to ineffective
quality of performance. There is a significant influence of child abuse on classroom behaviour
and academic performance.
Fry and et.al., (2018) claims that education providers can play an important role in
reducing the number of drop out children's who fails to attain the desired level of education. The
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teachers can easily identify the students who are victim of such abusive practices. The timely
identification of such children and necessary care and medical facilities to care such children can
be helpful in enhancing the health well-being of the child. It will be also reflected in the
behavioural and learning abilities of child. Such professional experts must evaluate that if such
abusive behaviour is influencing the psychological stability of the child then they can provide
necessary assistance to child. According to Izaguirre and Calvete, (2015) school education is the
fundamental block which forms the basis for the professional success in life of an individual.
Thus, it is essentially required that a child must pay attention to the learnings at academics and
learnings at this age. However, the same does not imply on every child.
The domestic violence can also affect the memory and learning ability of the individual
(Reece, 2013). For instance, the pain and emotional trauma caused by the terrible environment at
home make it hard for the children to focus on studies or to attentively learn the education in
schools. The isolation of child from other peer children's also limits their source of learning and
education.
As per Cantón-Cortés, Cortés and Cantón, (2015) victim children are very fearful about
their performance. They believe that if they will not perform excellent then the same abuse will
be repeated at their home. Hence, they live in great pressure to excel in their academics. Contrary
to this Meinck and et.al., (2015) argued that the anxiety among children does not enable them to
concentrate or focus in school. Their attention level is extremely low as compare to other
students who have positive and happy environment at home. The domestic violence has adverse
impact on the education of child.
The psychological damage caused by the abuse makes it difficult for the child to learn or
to practice their education at home. Thus, they also get very limited resources and time for
improving their educational requirements. Instead of paying attention to academic improvement
victim children are more concerned about their sufferings and painful life. For instance, in the
study conducted by Englander, (2017) it is analysed that when children require additional
support in their education then they always fear to demand the same from their parents. In such
situations the child believes that if they will demand any resource then their parents will cause
harm to them. Hence it is clearly reflected in the performance of child at school.
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In many instances the children find it suitable to skip their education so that they can
overcome these issues. The victim child may fear that when their classmates or teachers will
come to know about their condition then they will also bully and abuse them. So instead of
discussing with others child prefer to skip the schools. The regular feeling of fear and pain also
encourages children to skip their classes or to arrive late in the schools. Thus, gradually child
begin to lose its interest in the education. The unsatisfactory performance in education level and
dropping out form school are the most common and critical outputs related to the education
attainment of the individual. These impacts worsen the condition when child is grown and does
not get good opportunities for the development of career. Howarth and et.al., (2015) stated that,
people who drop out from their education earlier have less probability of getting good jobs.
Thus, it is also possible that child may choose the unethical and illegal path for earning
money or for becoming powerful. When children skip their education then it also creates a
psychological concept in their mind that they are not capable enough to gain the education. As a
result, for life long they do not try to gain or learn any kind of new skill or knowledge. With
limited educational knowledge it is also possible that in order to express the distress individuals
may involve in criminal activity. They may find it suitable approach to resolve their problems.
This action of children is completely inspired by their family members (Nemeroff, 2016).
Role of domestic violence from home in influencing the educational environment and education
of other children's
Bartlett and et.al., (2016) stated that one of the most critical aspect of domestic violence
on child is that it does not affect only the victim child instead it can also influence the other
children in the education providing institutes. The aggressive or fearful behaviour of the child
also affects the entire school or the peers. From the above discussion it has been analysed that the
performance of the child degrades from the consequence of violence from home. Thus, the
irrational behaviour of the children can also gain attention of the other classmates. For instance,
physical injuries or the metal trauma is reflected by victim child in front of class members also
leads to isolation.
According to Mohammad and et.al., (2015) when continuous harassment is faced by the
child then at school, they find a relaxation which comforts them. For instance, instead of aiming
at learning child began to prefer alone time in school. However, when such permissions of
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spending time alone out of the class are not provided to the child then they may express their
anger by bullying other classmates or showing aggressive nature in front of teachers or other
students. Thus, other children may not consider it good enough. In such cases it becomes very
challenging for the education providers to ensure that instead of creating adverse impact on all
other children the victim child must be provided support and love so that their behavioural
disturbances do not affect the education attainment of victim and other people in people
surroundings.
In the same context Eisman and et.al., (2015) stated that when professionals provide
education to child experiencing domestic violence then they develop a soft corner for such
students. In such situations teachers try to comfort victim child by motivating and encouraging
them through proper love, care, attention and consultancy. The cognitive environment for
education provides comfortable and easy learning to victim so that child find it easy to share
their experiences with their mentors and other classmates. Such approaches used by the people
makes the education environment more effective because when children share their bad
experience teachers can help them to get rid of such situations.
Contrary to above discussion Plantz and Garbarino, (2017) argued that presence of victim
child in the classrooms requires more attention and care of the teacher. The excessive attention to
the victim child by teachers can make other students uncomfortable or undesirable. Observing
small children with such painful and traumatic experience can affect the efficiency of the
education providers. Thus, instead of focusing on knowledge delivery they may get worried
regarding the concern. Hence, their effectiveness is affected and they may not deliver the
knowledge with proper concentration and focus.
Strategies to mitigate the incidences and impact of child abuse
According to Lewis and et.al., (2016), the response of each child towards domestic
violence can vary depending upon the extent of abuse they had faced and duration of child abuse.
The resilience of individual child also regulate that how every child will react to abuse
incidences. The adults can help these children by treating them with care and love. They can also
discuss with children that how they can overcome situations when someone abuses them like
they can call helpline centres or can consult teachers. The educators, social care professionals
and guardians of the child must ensure that child must learn that they should not feel ashamed for
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expressing their concern over abuse. The children dealing with post traumatic disorder must be
handled with care and love so that they can easily open up regarding the factors causing distress
to them.
In the same context Espeleta, Palasciano-Barton and Messman-Moore, (2017), stated that
due to fear and shame some children may not discuss the issue with their peers or educators
because they are facing violence from their home. In such cases it can be helpful that educators
must take help from trained counsellors who can provide better support to the child. As per the
view of Cecil and et.al., (2017), when child is able to break silence over abuse then it is the first
step towards mitigating the issue.
Another significant step is that health professionals, educators, peers and social workers
must be attentive and whenever they witness abnormal behaviour in child or any symptoms of
abuse, they must immediately report the incidence to the responsible authority. In most of the
cases it is observed that when people observe any child with physical injuries they neglect them
considering it as personal matter of the family. It will help them to take action on time. The
educators are responsible authorities who seek help from the police or national agencies which
supports the child welfare and protection. Spano and et.al., (2017), suggested that the educational
institutes must conduct regular communication sessions with the child so that they can figure that
if any such incidences are not taking place with any of their students. It will also create a strong
emotional bond among educators and child so that victims will freely trust the educators and post
traumatic counsellors. After family members children are greatly dependent upon their education
providers. Thus, it can be easy for the children to trust them and to share their concerns with
them. The supportive, caring and understanding nature of the teachers can make child
comfortable to share their abuse experience so that they can be saved from such threatening
experiences.
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CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
Research methodologies are an integral part of the research as they specify the techniques
to analyse the relevant information into essential conclusions. It describes the research type and
philosophy used in the research so that scholar can critically evaluate and transform the collected
data into accurate research findings (Flick, 2015). The predefined methodologies of research also
help to build a better understanding of the scope, limitations and methods of conducting
researches. Various methodological tools for this research are discussed as below:
3.2 Research type
It describes the approach through which entire study can be organised and arranged
properly. It enables scholar to provide guidelines regarding structure of the study that if study
will use statistical background or theoretical frameworks will be used to develop relations.
Research can be of qualitative or quantitative type.
The qualitative research provides the detailed theoretical description of the subject. Thus,
with this approach data can be easily interpreted and critically analysed. It helps to develop pre-
assumptions of the issue by emphasizing on attitude and observations. Contrary to this in
quantitative approach statistical methods are used to related different variables (Downing, Tekian
and Yudkowsky, 2016). Thus, on the basis of numerical data conclusions can be interpreted and
to make major predictions.
In this study qualitative type is used with the help of which themes related to research
objectives will be framed. This approach helped to develop in-depth understanding over impact
of child abuse.
3.3 Research philosophy
The research philosophies describe the research scope and its nature that how information
is collected for analysis purpose. It is of three types such as interpretivism, positivism and
realism. The positivism approach helps to define the association between two variables so that
scope can be widened and further theories can be implemented in research.
The second philosophy interpretivism analyses the collected data and make
interpretations accordingly. Thus, its key emphasis is on perspective of people and gives specific
assumptions instead of generalised concepts (McCusker and Gunaydin, 2015). Contrary to the
14

other two philosophies in realism approach instead of scientific facts real theories are used to
underpin the conclusions (Niaz and Rivas, 2016).
In this research positivism philosophy is used in which both type of researches can be
employed. It will help to depict the relation between child abuse and education attainment.
3.4 Research approach
This methodology provides the systematic route to execute various research activities.
Most commonly used research approaches are inductive, deductive and abductive approach. In
inductive approach the key focus is on to determine the dependency between two factors. It
follows bottom down way to execute the research process.
On the other hand, the studies which are based upon quantitative data can use deductive
approach in which logics are used in top down direction to analyse the relevant facts. The focus
of study is completely upon hypotheses assumptions and behavioural testing. The third approach
is known as abductive method which provides predictive research outcomes and facts (Flick,
2015). Thus, with this only research questions are answered instead of achieving research
objectives.
In this research study inductive approach is used so that overall effect of child abuse can be
evaluated.
3.5 Data collection
The validity of the research outcomes depends upon the accuracy of data collection. Data
can be collected through primary or secondary methods. The primary data collection methods
include the different tools such surveys, questionnaire and other primary sources for obtaining
the data (Caillaud, Rose and Goepp, 2016). Despite this secondary data can be collected from
articles, journals and other relevant sources and is interpreted to use the data for the study.
For the purpose of this study secondary data sources are used so that the existing scope
and theories can be analysed. By using this secondary collection methods more generalised and
valid information can be obtained regarding different aspects of child abuse. In this study
following search terms and search engines are used:
Search term Search engines used
 Child abuse Google scholar
15

 Domestic violence Google scholar
 Impact of abuse on education attainment Emerald insight
 How child abuse affects the child development Emerald insight
 Domestic violence influencing child education Google
 Effect of abuse on academic performance of child Google scholar
 Child abuse statistics Google
3.6 Data analysis
For the generation of appropriate results and research outcomes the collected data must
be analysed accurately. In this study the systematic review is used to analyse the secondary data.
Through systematic review different journals and secondary sources related to child abuse and
domestic violence and its impact on education of child are studied. The analysis of these sources
helps scholars to analyse and interpret the related statistics and current scope of the search (Niaz
and Rivas, 2016). The detailed analysis of the variety of research papers will help to
systematically formulate and describe the themes included in the study.
3.7 Ethical considerations
The ethical considerations are vital for making the study reliable and valid. The data has
been collected from secondary sources thus it must be assured that protected and verified sources
are used for the research purpose. If statistical facts or any other factual information is used in
the same manner as in source then it must be referenced and credit must be given to the original
source (McCusker and Gunaydin, 2015). The use of secure and valid data sources in the research
study will help to avoid conflicts related to privacy and authenticity of the collected data.
3.8 Limitations
The selection and analysis of the most relevant and useful secondary sources can be a
challenging task for the study. It is also possible that the selection of few sources can limit the
scope and efficiency of the outcomes. Similarly, the research does not focus on children of
specific age group and the particular type of child abuse. It can also restrict the detailed insight of
impact of abuse on education environment and attainment ability of the child. The research
16

conclusion could have been made more specific and validate if study had focused on specific age
group children. Further, the efficiency of research largely depends upon the accuracy of the
chosen secondary sources.
17

CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
For analysing the collected data systematic review is used in the study. On the basis of
collected data following discussions are made:
Child abuse and its causes and types
Child abuse is defined as the inappropriate behaviour which can influence the physical as
well as psychological health of child adversely. Though home is considered as the safest place
for the child but it has been observed that several children are not safe at home. These children
witnessed different forms of child abuses such as verbal abuse, physical and sexual abuse. The
most common type of abuse is neglect. The lack of attention and care from the caregivers can
make child feel alone and depressed (Levey and et.al., 2017). For example when parents
humiliate or neglect child in front of guests then child may suffer from emotional breakdown. It
is also possible that due to neglect basic need of child are also ignored which can affect the
growth phase of the child. In such cases when child is sick they are not provided proper care or
attention which affects the health outcomes of child. Emotional and physical abuse are also
common types of abuses which are experienced by the children at their home.
(Source: Child Abuse: An Ugly Truth, 2018)
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Illustration 2: Types of child abuse

As per the statistics of Child abuse statistics UK- From NSPCC, (2019), every one child in 5 is
exposed to domestic abuse. It has been also analysed that the increasing incidences of physical
and sexual abuses are leading to increasing number of deaths of children. Thus, it becomes vital
to address the issue so that childhood and their lives can be protected (Rhind and Blair, 2018).
Influence of child abuse on overall health of child
The child abuse creates a strong impact on overall personality and growth of the child. In
the early years of development, the child has complete trust on caregivers or family members.
However, when such violence or abuse takes place with child at home then it leads to
psychological disturbance. Instead of interacting with family child began to distrust and afraid of
the other family members. It makes children very introvert and depressed. As per the discussion
in Itzin, (2018), it has been analysed that the accumulation of fear, pain, depression makes it hard
for the child to witness the normal growth process. The same is reflected in the learning process
of child. Due to fear the child may encounter health issues such as physical injuries,
sleeplessness and lack of concentrations.
According to Caslini and et.al., (2016), it is also possible that child may isolate from
others and can engage in dangerous and risk involving activities. It is very easy to manipulate the
children with mere few words of love and affection. However, when such love and care is not
provided within family then child may become violent or completely disturbed in terms of
emotions.
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(Source: Impact of Child Abuse and Neglect for Foster Youth, 2017)
The nightmares of abuse can make it hard for the child to accomplish its normal routine
activities. The fear can cause insomnia or other sleep related diseases in child. The lack of
sufficient sleep can influence the cognitive abilities of the child. Due to abuse child may not
concentrate properly on learnings and the isolation from peers and other groups can also change
psychological development of the children (Aratani and Cooper, 2015). The increased level of
stress and sever physical injuries can even lead to cardiovascular diseases, heart failure,
neurological diseases and in extreme cases death of child can also occur.
Impact of child abuse on educational attainment
The child abuse affects the cognitive and sociological development of the child. It is
directly reflected in the education attainment capability of the child. It is observed that when
children are abused then it is quite normal that due to anxiety and fear they may not come up
with the learning abilities of child who have non-violent environment at home (Merritt and
Klein, 2015). The psychological trauma also causes difficulty in communication. Thus, instead
of focusing on gaining education the overall concentration of the child is on the fact that why he
or she is suffering this kind of abuse and how situation will be improved.
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In the continuous fear it becomes impossible for the child to socialise with other
children's or educators. In the early years the interaction with other peers is equally important for
the learning of child. When child interact and communicate with other classmates they learn to
build social values and relations. However, the child may not show interest to gain education.
Their focus may also shift from schooling to other aggressive activities. Child may believe that
instead of gaining education if they become powerful by illegal means like by taking drugs then
they can easily escape from their troubles. However, this distraction from education lead to long
term effect which can impact future of the child (Mallett, 2017).
Mitigating child abuse
In order to prevent the child from destruction it is essential that child abuse incidences
must be identified and suitable actions must be taken against them. Stanley and et.al., (2015),
emphasised that it requires the joint support from communities, legal authorities and child
protection agencies to ensure that such abuses are highlighted at the earliest and necessary
support is provided to the children. There must be collaboration between caregivers, family
members and health disciplinary teams so that safe environment can be created at homes. The
parents must be given counselling so that they do not follow abusive practices.
In schools’ educators must be trained so that they can develop emotional and social skills
for analysing the children's facing abuses (Cornell, 2017). Schools must appoint the professional
counsellors who can guide child to take the desirable actions (World Health Organization, 2016).
The support from the teachers, counsellors and peer students will help child to deal bravely with
the situation.
21

(Source: Trauma in children. and what we can do to help, 2017)
The children cannot be protected from the abusive incidents without seeking support
from local communities. The legal authorities must formulate strict legal regulations so that such
children's can be provided justice and support. People must immediately report to the police or
other responsible authorities like help centres when they found any child in trouble (Gurwitch
and et.al., 2016). They must also try to gain the trust of the child so that the life of child can be
improved.
22
Illustration 4: Strategies to deal with child abuse

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Conclusion:
It can be concluded from the above data analysis that the quality of education is one of
the important parts in achieving professional goals. However, the educational attainment quality
largely depends upon the childhood experiences. It has been analysed that children are
vulnerable to various types of abuse and violence incidences at homes which can affect their
physical as well as psychological development (Fawcett and Watson, 2016). For example the
parents may cause harm to their children physically or emotionally by means of negligence. The
lack of emotional support and fear does not allow these little sufferers to raise their voice against
injustice they are facing. Ultimately it affects academic performance and distraction from the
education.
The domestic violence at home does not allow child to focus on other aspects of
education because they are always engaged in battling with their pain and psychological distress.
Like whenever child begin to study at home instead of learning they may spend their time in
remembering abuse faced by them. It has been also concluded that the first step to help the child
overcome abuse is that they must be ensured that they can share their experience with others
(Cornell, 2017). The trustworthy relation with teachers and other classmates can help child to
believe that they can overcome the painful and abusive situation. However, it is argued that this
cannot be achieved with one day interaction. After family most of the time spent by child is at
school (Jürges and et.al., 2017).
Thus, educators are required to regularly establish an emotional touch with their children
so that in abusive incidence child is not afraid to share personal experience with teachers or
peers. It has been also analysed that schools must create an open environment where discussion
on this topic is essential. There must be interactive counselling sessions in which teachers must
guide students about abusive practices and what necessary actions they can against domestic
abuse. It will guide children that whenever they experience or witness other child with abuse
what action they can take. It has been observed that in most of the cases children are scared
because they do not have knowledge that how they can seek help against abuse. The children
with considerable age who can take action themselves can greatly benefit from such counselling
sessions (Howarth and et.al., 2015).
23

On the other hand, the child who are too small to realise the meaning of abuse the
communities, care givers or health professionals need to be additional attentive. For instance,
whenever people observe any child in traumatic state then they must make attempts to support
the child. For this purpose, they can also seek help from health professionals, counsellors or the
regulating authorities (Brunzell, Stokes and Waters, 2016). It can also be concluded that
domestic violence cannot be considered as good for the development of child.
The critical extent of domestic violence can also lead to severe complications in the
cognitive development of the child. The excessive fear and emotional breakdown can also result
in the critical health outcomes. For instance, the heart diseases, nervous breakdown, physical
injuries and hallucinations due to fear are often common impact of the child abuse (Gurwitch and
et.al., 2016). The discussion also emphasised that the abuse in childhood can have long lasting
impact on the personality and behaviour of an individual. Like the people who have experienced
abuse in childhood may always fear of abuse or may face depression when witness similar
events. It may take an entire life for people to reverse the behavioural changes made by abuse.
The child who experienced more physical violence can become more aggressive and
violent. They may also engage in fights with other students or people they meet in their life
(Walsh and et.al., 2015). Gradually with time child may also feel that it is normal to abuse others
or to silently face the abuse incidences. The hesitation, depression and anxiety developed in
childhood may not overshadow with the growing age. Instead, it may occupy children
throughout their life can make their traumatic experience worst.
The accurate and effective support to the child in terms of counselling and health services
can be helpful for children so that they can recover from these traumatic experiences. It is also
observed that one of the factors which is responsible for such prolong abuse behaviour is that
children does not recognise that the behaviour they are facing is inappropriate (Aratani and
Cooper, 2015). Children are afraid that they cannot complain about the behaviour of their own
parents in front of any external person. The violence taking place at their home make them
believe that since it is accomplished by their parents it is normal and acceptable. Such
misconceptions can be corrected when child can develop trusting bonds with others.
The findings obtained in the research can be made more precise and descriptive by
analysing the impact of abuse on specific age group children (Merritt and Klein, 2015). For
24

example the understanding level of children below 10 years and above 10 years is different.
Thus, both age groups will provide different perspective and description of the experience. Since
the development process and cognitive efficiency of each age group is different the abuse can be
considered differently by different groups. Thus, there is need to analyse the more effective ways
to minimize the abusive behaviour against children.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that adults must pay proper attention towards the behaviour of child.
Whenever school teachers and relatives observe any injuries on child, they must interact with the
child and try to figure out the original cause of such behaviour. The physical abnormalities and
injuries can also result from the abuse. Thus, it is also recommended that schools and
communities must collaborate with the health service providers who can help in mitigating
outcomes of adverse health (Nemeroff, 2016). For instance when child have injuries on their
body then teachers can observe them and can inform school nurses so that they can treat it.
Children and educators must be provided with sufficient training to deal with the child abuses so
that they can take necessary steps to support the abuse victim. The teachers must be trained so
that they can provide the care to abused child as victim children are very sensitive and scared so
they need extra care and concern. It is recommended that for school children counselling
sessions must be mandatory so that they can discuss their concerns and issues freely (Carr, Duff
and Craddock, 2018). The counselling sessions will help children to discuss their abuse
experience with the trained psychological experts who can help children to manage their
emotional trauma and pain. The timely support can greatly contribute to the recovery of child
from traumatic experience of the abuse.
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