The Influence of Child Abuse on Academic Performance From the Perspective of Teachers of a Private School From Piura, 2024

Cristian García; Jhan Ludeña; Jefferson Quinde; Antony Rosillo; Ulises Yahuana

doi:10.20944/preprints202407.1162.v1

Submitted:

14 July 2024

Posted:

16 July 2024

You are already at the latest version

Abstract

To determine the influence of child abuse on academic performance from the perspective of teachers of a private school from Piura, 2024. Method: The present study is an applied, non-experimental design with a continuous qualitative approach. The technique used was the survey and as an instrument the questionnaire on knowledge of child abuse with 12 questions, with a population of 20 teachers. Results: For the statistical analysis was used through Microsoft Excel 2023 and IBM SPSS software, in addition the Shapiro Wilks statistical test was used, the results show that 85% of respondents, from their perspective, neglect has a high level of influence on academic performance, 65% of respondents, from their perspective, state that psychological maltreatment has a high level of influence on academic performance and 50% of respondents, from their perspective, determine that physical maltreatment has a high level on academic performance. Conclusions: The value of p=0.553 > 0.05, therefore, it is concluded that according to the perspective of the teachers of a private school from Piura, there are no significant changes in the academic performance of students who suffer from child maltreatment.

Keywords:

child maltreatment

;

academic achievement

;

influence and perspective

Subject:

Social Sciences - Education

1. Introduction

Child abuse in the 21st century has taken on great relevance due to its excessive increase; many children currently suffer from violence in their homes, which affects their physical, mental and social well-being. This has a negative influence on their childhood and leaves serious consequences in their lives, causing them to become problematic citizens. Accordingly, the World Health Organization (WHO, 2022) [1] describes child maltreatment as a form of abuse or neglect affecting persons under 18 years of age, covering all types of physical abuse, neglect, psychological abuse, and healthdamaging behaviors. According to the research conducted by UNICEF (2021) [2] which covers a period between the years 2015-2021, where the percentage of violence suffered by children in Latin America and the Caribbean can be evidenced. This study was carried out in order to prevent this problem. What can be concluded from this report is that child abuse can occur in various contexts of their lives (school, home, with friends, etc.), also that abuse is not only physical, but psychological, emotional and sexual. In addition, the level of child maltreatment increased throughout Latin America and the Caribbean due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic, which raised the figures for child maltreatment throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It was identified that more than 74% of the child population was subjected to psychological and physical punishment from their first years of life by direct family members or people close to them. At the same time, it is important to analyze that during the pandemic period, intra-family conflicts increased exponentially and, consequently, the rate of violence rose. In addition, 15% of the residents reported suffering from depression and more than a quarter reported having anxiety (UNICEF, 2021) [2]. On the other hand, about 17,247 cases of child abuse were attended to in the Women's Emergency Centers in Peru. This put the Peruvian state on alert due to the alarming numbers of child abuse cases, which increased during the COVID-19 pandemic (Save the Children, 2022) [3]. 2 According to the newspaper La República (2022) [4], the DEMUNA of Piura suggests dialogue with children, treating them with respect, affection and patience to promote their full development and avoid violence against children and adolescents. Between January and March of this year, the Aurora Program of the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations has reported more than 400 cases of sexual violence against children under 17 years of age. On the other hand, the academic performance of children has been severely affected. According to the results of PISA (2018) [5], in most Latin American and Caribbean countries, more than 50% of students are below Level 2, which indicates critical areas for improvement that must be addressed. In addition, progress in students below Level 2 in reading literacy between 2009 and 2018 has again stagnated. Except for some countries such as Peru which has achieved a significant decrease in the percentage of students at Level 1 between this time period. The report on the sample evaluation made to students to know their academic performance provided by the Ministry of Education (2023) [6] shows that in the year 2022 there was a drop in students' academic performance greater than in 2019. With respect to the 6th grade classrooms, it is observed that 25.2% of the participants show improvement in communication skills, but only 15% in mathematics. In view of the aforementioned problem, the questions posed in this research are: Is there an influence of child abuse on academic performance from the perspective of teachers of a private school in Piura? Is there an influence of child abuse on students' aptitudes from the perspective of teachers of a private school in Piura? Is there an influence of child abuse on students' attitudes from the perspective of teachers of a private school in Piura? Is there an influence of child abuse on methodology from the perspective of teachers of a private school in Piura? This report will focus on research on the influence of child abuse on academic performance from the perspective of teachers, due to the increase in cases of low academic performance in children. In the aspect of social relevance, with the intention of helping minors to be able to optimally acquire the learning processes, to create 3 awareness in parents how the mistreatment of their children can have consequences in their learning processes and school performance. As students concerned to help solve the global problems of the ODS, in the practical aspect concerning child abuse we will be providing knowledge through educational talks so that the group of a private school from Piura is informed of this problem and can locate the children who suffer it in order to help them. Our general objective is to determine the influence of child abuse on academic performance from the perspective of teachers of a private school from Piura, 2024. Having as specific objectives, to identify the influence of child abuse on intellectual aptitudes from the perspective of teachers of a private school, to identify the influence of child abuse on attitudes from the perspective of teachers of a private school, to identify the influence of child abuse on methodology from the perspective of teachers of a private school. HYPOTHESIS: H1: The influence of child abuse on academic performance from the perspective of teachers of a private school in Piura, 2024, is not significantly high. H0: The influence of child abuse on academic performance from the perspective of teachers of a private school in Piura, 2024, is significantly high. H0: The influence of child abuse on the intellectual aptitudes of students from the perspective of teachers of a private school in Piura, 2024, is significantly high. H0: The influence of child abuse on students' attitudes from the perspective of teachers of a private school in Piura, 2024, is significantly high. H0: The influence of child abuse on methodology from the perspective of teachers of a private school in Piura, 2024, is significantly high.

2. Matherials and Methods

2.1. The Population

The population is a grouping of individuals with the same characteristics. Therefore, Ayala (2022) [7] tells us that as part of the research it is important to mention that the population is the totality of similar elements or individuals that is carried out in a research.

This report is constituted by 20 teachers as population counting on the following criteria:

Inclusion criteria:

● Qualified teachers.

● Classroom tutors.

● Both sexes.

● Teachers who have signed the informed consent form.

Exclusion criteria:

● Teachers who do not wish to participate in the survey.

● Teachers who have not attended the school day.

2.2. Sample

20 teachers of a private school from Piura are considered.

2.3. Technique

The technique used in this study is the survey. In this case, 20 teachers were surveyed in order to determine the level of knowledge about child abuse among teachers in a private school, Piura, 2024. On the other hand, the following is taken into account:

2.4. Questiaonnaire:

"Knowledge about child maltreatment". Each question in the questionnaire will have multiple response alternatives, ranging from response 1; "strongly disagree", 2; "disagree", 3; "Neither agree nor disagree", 4; "agree", 5; "strongly agree". This questionnaire was selected as part of our research in relation to our investigation.

2.5. Procedure

For the present research, a questionnaire was developed to know the perception of the teachers of the private school, while for the second variable, the questionnaire developed by Oña (2013) [8] was used. After this, permission was obtained from the principal of the institution and the informed consent of the teachers to take the sample of 20 teachers followed by a face-to-face survey. Then the data obtained were entered into an Excel database and statistical analyses were performed in the SPSS program in order to compare the hypotheses formulated in this research, and the results obtained from the tables were also interpreted.

2.6. Data Analysis Method

The present research used as methodology of data analysis based on qualitative descriptive statistics. With this, measurement instruments were used to evaluate the two study variables, child abuse and academic performance from the teachers' perspective. The data obtained from the sample were entered into the Excel program to create tables for subsequent analysis. Once the data had been collected, the information obtained was entered into the IBM SPSS software. To determine whether the sample studied belonged to the parametric or non-parametric statistics, the Shapiro Wilks statistical test was used, which is considered the best option for small populations. Pearson's correlation was also used to obtain the correlations between variables.

2.7. Ethical Aspects

In an article, written by Lisbeth Katerine Inguillay Gagñay, Silvia Lorena Tercero Chicaiza and José López Aguirre (2020) [9], explores the relevance of ethics in scientific research, highlighting the need to maintain ethical conduct in all research activities, such as essays and theses. Ethics defines human behavior, allowing to differentiate right from wrong and good from bad, and is essential to characterize the ethical principles of individuals. It is not only about fulfilling moral obligations to others, but also about demonstrating ethical conduct in all spheres of daily life, including workshops, conventions and research papers. Implementing ethics in these contexts ensures that work is free of plagiarism and that ideas are original and publishable. 13 It is essential that researchers understand the importance of ethics and the rules of citation and referencing to avoid the manipulation of plagiarism or misappropriation of ideas, "The level of knowledge about child abuse and its influence on academic performance that teachers of a private school from Piura school have, 2024", is based on respect for intellectual property of the cited authors, complying with the guidelines established by the APA standards seventh edition. For data collection, authorization was obtained from the principal of a private school, thus allowing the administration of the necessary instruments to the primary level students.

4. Results

4.1. Interpretation

4.1.1. Influence of child maltreatment on academic performance from the perspective of teachers.

The table 1 shows that the value of p=0.553 > 0.05, therefore, the alternative hypothesis is rejected and the null hypothesis is accepted, therefore, it is concluded that according to the perspective of the teachers of a private school from Piura there are no significant changes in the academic performance of the students who suffer from child abuse.

Table 1. Influence of child maltreatment on academic performance from the perspective of teachers.

Abuse	Pearson correlation	Abuse 1	Performance ,141
	Sig. (bilateral)		,553
	N	20	20
Academic achievement	Pearson correlation	,141	1
	Sig. (bilateral)	,553
	N	20	20

4.1.2. The Influence of Child Maltreatment on Intellectual Skills from a Teacher's Perspective.

Table 2 of correlations shows that the P value is 0.439, which is greater than 0.05 (0.439>0.05), therefore, the variable Child Abuse and the variable Intellectual Skills are related. Then, the alternative hypothesis is rejected and the null hypothesis is accepted.

Table 2. The influence of child maltreatment on intellectual skills from a teacher's perspective.

Abuse	Pearson correlation	Performance 1	Intellectual skills ,183
	Sig. (bilateral)		,439
	N	20	20
Intellectual Skills	Pearson correlation	,183	1
	Sig. (bilateral)	,439
	N	20	20

4.1.3. The Influence of Child Abuse on Attitudes from the Teachers' Perspective.

In Table 3 of correlations, it is observed that the P value is 0.983, which is greater than 0.05 (0.983>0.05), this means that there is a significant relationship between Child abuse and the Attitudes dimension. Then, the alternative hypothesis is rejected and the null hypothesis is accepted.

4.1.4. The Influence of Child Abuse on Methodology from the Teachers' Perspective.

In Table 4 of correlations, it can be observed that the P value is 0.540 which is greater than 0.05 (0.540>0.05), which means that there is a correlation between variable 1 Child maltreatment and the Methodology dimension. Then, the alternative hypothesis is rejected and the null hypothesis is accepted.

4. Discussion

The first specific objective was to identify the influence of child abuse on intellectual aptitudes from the perspective of the teachers of a private school, where we obtained as a result that the teachers surveyed affirm that 70% of those surveyed affirm that intellectual aptitudes have a medium level of usefulness in academic performance, Likewise, we can find that 20% of the respondents indicate that intellectual skills have a high consequence after child abuse, finally we have that 10% of the respondents determine that intellectual skills have a low level in action to academic performance. That is why according to Molina and Valle (2023) [10] mention that the human being can acquire learning through the set of internal skills such as: aptitudes that help to understand the subjects taught by teachers, as well as the attitudes that follow the satisfaction or interest of the student. That is why the teaching-learning process transmitted by the teacher is important to achieve a good academic performance. As a result, this research was born where the information obtained was analyzed, determining the existence of a significant relationship between child abuse and intellectual aptitudes in a private school, thus leading us to make decisions and set achievable goals to identify such influence. These results are reflected in Kohler's research (2013) [11], where it is shown that academic performance has a very significant and positive relationship in accordance with intellectual skills and the use of strategies to obtain good learning with students.

Regarding the general objective, to identify the influence of child abuse on academic performance from the perspective of the teachers of private school”, the results showed that according to the teachers surveyed, 65% affirmed that psychological abuse has a high level of influence on the academic performance of children, and 35% of those surveyed said that psychological abuse has a medium level of influence. That is why in the research of Arias (2018) [12], she quotes Enares (2016), who reveals that 75 out of every 100 girls and boys have been victims of physical or psychological violence, likewise she mentions that child abuse has very serious consequences in the lives of girls, boys and adolescents, which in school is reflected as low performance, grade repetition, as well as school delay. Next we can mention that child abuse in children causes different damages such as trauma, stress, low self-esteem and behavioral problems, which generate a negative impact on the development or academic performance, which is why it is very important to address this issue in order to generate a good educational development in children.

5. Conclusions

There are significant differences in child abuse and academic performance; according to Pearson's dispersion since the value of p=0.553 > 0.05, therefore, the alternate hypothesis is rejected and the null hypothesis is accepted; therefore it is confirmed with the value of p= 0.0000 found, which is less than 0.05 with a confidence interval of 95%.

Research in Latin America and the Caribbean highlights the alarming increase in child violence, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to UNICEF, more than 74% of children have suffered psychological and physical punishment, which affects their mental health and ability to learn.

In addition, reports such as those of PISA (2018) [5] and the Ministry of Education (2023) [6] show that academic performance in the region is worrying, with many students below the adequate level. Factors such as poor school environment and lack of parental support are determinants in this context.

The theoretical framework states that child abuse, whether physical, psychological or due to neglect, has a negative impact on internal and external learning abilities. Mistreated children often present socialization problems, emotional inhibition and difficulties in school performance.

In conclusion, it is crucial to address child maltreatment from a comprehensive perspective, involving both families and educational institutions. Awareness and training of parents and teachers are essential to mitigate the effects of maltreatment on academic performance and to promote a safe environment conducive to the development of children. Education and emotional support are key for affected children to overcome the aftermath of maltreatment and reach their academic potential.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, G.C., L. J., Q. J. and Y.U.; methodology, G.C., L. J., Q.J. and Y. U.; software, G.C..; validation, L.J., Q.J. and Y.U.; formal analysis, G.C., L.J. Q.J. and Y.U.; investigation, Q.J. and Y.U.; data curation, G.C., L.J., Q.J. and Y.U.; writing—original draft preparation, Q.J.; writing—review and editing, G.C., L.J., Q.J., and Y.U.; visualization, G.C. and Y.U.; supervision, G.C., L.J., Q.J., and Y.U. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research received no external funding

Institutional Review Board Statement

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Research Ethics Committee (CEI) of Cesar Vallejo University (CODE 2024-07, 09 july 2024).” for studies involving humans.

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

Data are contained within the article.

Acknowledgments

We thank the director of the private school for his cooperation with us.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

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Table 3. The influence of child abuse on attitudes from the teachers' perspective.

Abuse	Pearson correlation	Abuse 1	Attitudes -,005
	Sig. (bilateral)		,983
	N	20	20
Attitudes	Pearson correlation	-,005	1
	Sig. (bilateral)	,983
	N	20	20

Table 4. The influence of child abuse on methodology from the teachers' perspective.

Abuse	Pearson correlation	Abuse 1	Methodology ,146
	Sig. (bilateral)		,540
	N	20	20
Methodology	Pearson correlation	,146	1
	Sig. (bilateral)	,540
	N	20	20

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