Child Abuse & Neglect: Impact on Academic Performance & Future - Research Paper

Introduction

Child neglect and abuse have always been a major problem across the world, and more specifically, to the United States. The adverse effects resulting from child abuse and neglect have called for the need to adopt effective strategies to help in their mitigation. More often than not, child abuse and neglect always affect their academic performance, and worse still their future career endeavors. Evidence has shown that exposing children to physical, mental, sexual abuse can negatively affect their academic performance (Young & Widom, 2014). Also, emotional abuse that encompasses neglect, parental substance abuse, and domestic violence can affect children's academic performance and, ultimately, their career. Promoting a conducive and positive environment always contribute to exemplary performance in school (Kim et al., 2017). However, child abuse and neglect often create a negative environment that leads to a change in their behavior, and hence poor academic performance. Moreover, child abuse and neglect often result in damaged relationships with their parents, which consequently limit engagement with teachers in school, hence poor academic performance and career exploitation. The paper will explore the adverse effects on academic performance and career caused by exposing a child to abuse and neglect.

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Child Abuse and Effects on Academic Performance

Undeniably, child abuse can have negative consequences on the life of a child, and more particularly, on their growth and development. More critically, child abuse often brings a negative impact on the child's performance in school because their experiences always destabilize the foundation that is critical in their progressive academic performance and career (Young & Widom, 2014). Equally importantly, neglected and abused children have always depicted reduced cognitive capacity and language development, which ultimately affects their academic achievement. Further, subjecting a child to abuse and neglect may enhance their chances of getting involved in destructive behaviors such as early sexual activities and substance abuse that may affect their performance in school. Research has revealed that exposing children to adverse childhood experiences often impacts negatively on them emotionally, psychologically, and physically (National Research Council, 2014). Additionally, child abuse always impedes their chances of acquiring necessary social norms and skills that improve their participation in academic activities in school. Notably, most parents always force their children to perform difficult tasks that outweighs their age, and that often disrupt their academic performance in school.

More fundamentally, when parents and guardians impose abusive names such as "blockhead" to a child may result in psychological distress in them, and this can potentially affect their academic performance (Kim et al., 2017). Undoubtedly, children who have been exposed to child abuse always become less attentive in school, which results in their poor academic performance. Reflecting on their adverse experiences at home often makes the children feel hopeless and helpless. Furthermore, most child abusers always have less concern about the victims' education, and they always create a harsh environment that impedes their academic performance. From a psychological standpoint, children who have been exposed to child abuse and neglect often develop emotional instability that affects their normal brain functioning. More imperatively, physical abuse may result in permanent body impairment that can inevitably result in emotional distress, and hence poor performance in school. Studies have revealed that effective learning always encompasses better interactions with other learners (National Research Council, 2014). However, child abuse always creates an atmosphere of alienation that prevents the abused children from interacting with their peers and teachers, hence poor academic performance.

Impact of Child Abuse and Neglect on Career

Most parents in the United States often subject their children to maltreatment and neglect that consequently impacts their career development (Allwood & Widom, 2013). Understandably, children always envision a bright career future during their formative years. However, exposing them to child neglect often results in adverse emotional effects and behavioral disorders. It is worth mentioning that when the parents and guardians have neglected a child, they are most likely to immerse themselves in harmful activities that can impede their pursuance of better careers in the future. Also, becoming unconcerned about children by their parents may enhance their chances of becoming drug addicts that may affect them in their careers. More importantly, neglected children will have a negative attitude that may potentially lead to inadequate cooperation with other colleagues at work when they grow up (Kim et al., 2017). Moreover, adults who had been sexually abused when they were children may have a deep-rooted disdain towards the opposite sex, and this often leads to adverse effects on productivity. In the same vein, when parents remain carefree on their children's welfare, they are most likely to practice the same to other workers, especially when they are in management positions.

Undoubtedly, a child often requires to be provided with conditions that may enrich not only their physical development but also emotional development that are instrumental in fostering better performance in school and career (Young & Widom, 2014). It is worth noting that a career may result in an improvement in the wellbeing of an individual. In light of this, therefore, children who are always subjected to child abuse and neglect often exhibit behaviors that are detrimental to their wellbeing and career progression. Further, exposing a child to physical child neglect such as the failure by the parent and caregiver to offer necessities such as clothing, housing, healthcare, and more importantly, food may negatively impact their performance in school and career. Many children who hardly receive adequate healthcare and food often experience health-related issues that may consequently bring adverse effects on the career as much time will be wasted in hospitals as they seek medical attention (Allwood & Widom, 2013). Some parents and guardians often expose their children to emotional child neglect, where they seldom provide them with the much-needed nurturance, support, and encouragement that is integral in shaping their future career performance.

Impact of Child Abuse and Neglect on Career: Behavioral Disorders, Criminal Activities, and Academic Dropout

More significantly, child abuse and neglect often result in a situation where a parent or a guardian fails to provide a child with educational opportunities that can help set them in the right path of career development (Widom et al., 2015). Also, child abuse will increase the chances of a child getting involved in criminal activities, hence abandoning the education that is needed for the best career opportunities. Equally important, subjecting a child to environmental child neglect may compromise their safety and the underlying environmental opportunities that are needed for better academic performance and career (Kim et al., 2017). Furthermore, child abuse and neglect may cause slow adoption of dynamic norms and knowledge in the contemporary world that will ultimately result in low productivity in their future careers. It should further be noted that child neglect may potentially result in ingrain destructive behaviors such as theft that may affect them in their future careers as they will try to continue with their negative childhood activities. Some families always adopt a carefree attitude towards their children that creates an environment where they cannot effectively learn socially acceptable behaviors, which are integral in determining an individual's moral and ethical standards (Mrazek & Kempe, 2014).

Adverse Effects of Child Abuse on Academic Environment: Emotional Instability, Alienation, and Limited Social Interactions

Also, the physical health of a child often has a bearing on their academic capabilities, and exposing them to adverse childhood experiences such as child abuse and neglect may inevitably affect their learning process. The modern world has been characterized by increased revolution, especially in the spectrum of technology (Taillieu et al., 2016). Child abuse and neglect may force them into accessing technological devices to seek solace. Undeniably, these devices such as smartphones may expose them to social ills such as pornography, and hence poor performance in school and career. Notably, child abuse often endangers the moral and educational welfare of children, and this may cause them to drop out of school hence making them unemployable people in the future. Exemplary career development is often hinged on better academic performance, and studies have indicated that effective learning only occurs when a child is provided with a positive environment (Mrazek & Kempe, 2014). It, therefore, follows that exposing children to abuse and neglect will curtail their cognitive development that is essential in improving their academic performance. Additionally, children always need love and care during their formative years, and exposing them to various forms of child neglect often makes them feel alone, thereby negatively affecting their performance in school.

Understandably, most parents and guardians often in their commission of child abuse and neglect always result in an unwanted situation where the children are exploited through their involvement in child labor (Mrazek & Kempe, 2014). More often than not, the exploited children are underpaid, and in other cases, they use such payments to buy drugs that ultimately result in poor academic performance. The interactive relationship between parents and their children always helps in reinforcing their brain development, and child abuse and neglect often frustrate this, hence leading to adverse academic performance and career (Young & Widom, 2014). Worse still, child abuse and neglect always instill in children, thus making them unable to seek academic support not only from their parents and guardians but also their teachers who they feel might portray the same abusive behaviors. Further, subjecting a child to child abuse and neglect may inadvertently affect their school attendance, which will inevitably cause them to perform poorly than their counterparts with better parental support. Moreover, emotionally and psychologically abused children may result in negative behaviors such as teen pregnancy and delinquency, which can affect their academic performance and future career (Taillieu et al., 2016). Also, abused children are most likely to experience difficulties in their future careers as they will have increased aggression, anger, and irritability.

Conclusion

It should be noted that child abuse and neglect may result in adverse effects on the child's academic performance and career. Parents and guardians, who often subject their children to different forms of child abuse, such as physical, psychological, and emotional abuse, often disrupt the effective cognitive development of their children. Undoubtedly, this always results in adverse effects on their academic performance. Notably, child abuse and neglect often cause children to immerse themselves in harmful behaviors such as substance abuse and teen pregnancy that cause them to stay away from school, thus resulting in poor academic performance. More significantly, children subjected to child neglect often fail to acquire the much-needed nurturance and encouragement that may allow them to pursue better careers. Further, the failure of parents and guardians to provide their children with necessities such as food, clothing, and healthcare may affect the physical health of their children, and ultimately on their academic perfor...