1. The Effects of Childhood Maltreatment on Academic Performance
Breanna Steward
GRC MSW Program
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Abstract
Effects on Academic Performance
Policy Implications
Child maltreatment has been shown to have a negative effect on the overall academic performance of children and adolescents. Several links between childhood trauma and brain development that can affect areas of academic achievement have also been studied. Through a life course perspective, one can see how events that happen in childhood can have long-term effects into adolescence and adulthood. This thesis will explore the impact of child maltreatment on child and adolescent academic performance. Findings from existing literature on this topic indicate that children who have experienced maltreatment are less engaged in school, have lower grades and test scores, were more likely to repeat a grade, had more discipline referrals, were more likely to be receiving special education services, and had higher rates of absenteeism than their peers who have not experienced maltreatment.
Researchers found that children who had been maltreated were less engaged in school, had lower grades and test scores, were more likely to repeat a grade, had more discipline referrals and suspensions, were more likely to be receiving special education services, and had higher rates of absenteeism (Eckenrode, Laird, & Doris, 1993; Kendall-Tackett & Eckenrode, 1996; Slade & Wissow, 2007; Crozier & Barth, 2005; Shonk & Cicchetti, 2001).
Maltreated children scored significantly lower than non-maltreated children in grades 1-12 in final grades in math and reading (Eckenrode, Laird, & Doris, 1993).
In math and reading, maltreated children had a mean grade of 2.0 and non-maltreated children had a mean grade of 2.3 (Eckenrode, Laird, & Doris, 1993).
Maltreated children were 2.5 times more likely than non-maltreated children to repeat a grade (Eckenrode, Laird, & Doris, 1993).
34.3% of maltreated children had one or more discipline referrals while 24.1% of non-maltreated children had one or more discipline referrals (Eckenrode, Laird, & Doris, 1993).
Non-maltreated elementary school students had an average combination grade in math and English of 2.67, while children who were neglected averaged 2.32 and children who were abused and neglected averaged 2.26 (Kendall-Tackett & Eckenrode, 1996).
Combination of abuse and neglect as well as earlier age of maltreatment onset both enhance the negative impact on academic performance (Romano et. al., 2015).
Adolescents who were exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s) including child maltreatment reported less optimism about future academic achievement than children who experienced fewer ACE’s (Brumley, Jaffee, & Brumley, 2016).
Less optimistic about the likelihood they would attend college (Brumley, Jaffee, & Brumley, 2016).
Children who are maltreated tend to display excessive dependence, leading to externalized motivation (Shonk & Cicchetti, 2001).
Relying on rewards or discipline
Maltreated children were found to be more likely to repeat a grade, attend school less than 80 percent of the school year, be referred for special education services, and fail a core subject than non-maltreated children (Shonk & Cicchetti, 2001).
Shonk and Cicchetti (2001) found that academic engagement was the most significant predictor of academic success
Maltreated children were found to have lower scores of academic engagement than non-maltreated children (Shonk & Cicchetti, 2001).
(as cited in Romano et. al., 2015).
*References available on separate handout*
(Slade & Wissow, 2007)
Teachers and school personnel should be more aware of the impact of previous or current maltreatment on a child’s school performance in order to effectively intervene
Formalized assessment and intervention strategies for children who are exhibiting signs that they may have been or are currently being maltreated should be made
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) surveys
Trauma-Informed Care in schools
Trauma-Informed Care (TIC)
Child Maltreatment
Why it’s important:
Lincoln High School in Washington implemented a TIC approach in 2010
(before new approach):
- 600 written referrals
- 369 cumulative days of out of school suspension
- 48 incidents requiring police action :
- 95 written referrals
- 42 cumulative days of out of school suspension
- 0 incidents requiring police action
(Walla Walla Public Schools, 2015).
In 2015, Child Protective Services reported that nearly 700,000 children in the United States had experienced maltreatment (Holmes et al., 2018).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines child abuse as “words or overt actions that cause harm, potential harm, or threat of harm” (2016). Child neglect is defined as “failure to provide needs or to protect from harm or potential harm” (CDC, 2016). For the purposes of this thesis, child maltreatment is used as an umbrella term to encompass both child abuse and neglect.
The Effects of Poverty on Maltreatment
Drake and Jonson-Reid (2013) found that “children in poverty are 3x more likely to be maltreated compared to non-poor children” (as cited in Maguire-Jack & Font, 2017).
Poverty can lead to increased stress on parents, which can cause parental hostility and harsh parenting practices (Maguire-Jack & Font, 2017).
By two years old, children living in poverty begin to display cognitive impairments when compared to children not living in poverty (Hutchison, 2015) .
Importance to Social Work Practice
This topic is important to social work practice because it is a social worker’s ethical responsibility to advocate for the wellbeing of the most vulnerable members of society (National Association of Social Workers, 2018). It is largely anticipated that there are children who are missing important interventions that they need to be successful academically. Social workers must advocate for school-wide changes as well as changes to education policy in order to better serve children who have been maltreated.