Child Abuse and Family Background as Predictors of Poor Academic Performance Among Adolescents in Special Schools of Ibadan-Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated child abuse and family background as predictors of poor academic performance among adolescents in special schools in Ibadan. The study adopted the descriptive survey design of correlational type. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select four secondary schools for this study. From each of these schools, twenty-five (25) respondents were selected among the special students. The total sample size for the study was one hundred (100) students selected randomly. Data was collected using reliable instrument (Family Background Scale α =0.79; Child Abuse Scale α = .89; Academic Performance Questionnaire α=.73). The three research questionnaires were raised and tested at 0.05 level of significance using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and Multiple Regression statistical tools. The study found that, academic performance of adolescents in Special Schools in Ibadan was significantly correlated with child abuse (r = .542; p<.05) and family background (r = .336; p<.05). The analysis of variance performed on multiple regressions yielded an F- ratio value of 2.732 with 22.4% of independent variables accounted for poor academic performance with the significant value of 0.05 level. Based on the finding of this study, it was recommended that counselling psychologists should create more awareness on the impact of the predictors to the poor academic performance of students.