An Ecological Approach to Understanding Physical Child Abuse and the Impact on Academics: Differences between Behaviors in Physically Abused and Nonabused Children Regarding Parental Disciplinary Practices, Family Interaction and Family Events and Their E
Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: The impact of physical abuse on children has been heavily researched relative to their behavior and outcomes in life.Several studies have framed child abuse in terms of an ecological model and the issues surrounding the abuse (Belsky, 1980;Coohey & Braun, 1997, & Stockhammer et al., 2001).An Ecological Approach to Understanding Physical Child Abuse and the Impact on Academics: Differences between Behaviors in Physically Abused and Nonabused Children Regarding Parental Discipline Practices, Family Interaction, and Family Events and Their Effects on Social Interaction andSchool Success is a secondary analysis of data gathered by Salzinger, Feldman and Ng-Mak (1992-1996), of their study on Social Relationships of Physically Abused Schoolchildren.This study builds on previous physically abused children's research by framing the abuse in an ecological model and determining the role that various ecological factors that are associated with physical abuse play regarding their impact on children's reading percentiles, math percentiles, and days absent from school.This investigation examined three research questions regarding the relationship between physical abuse and children's reading percentiles, math percentiles, and absentee rates.The first hypothesis looked at the differences between physically abused children and nonabused children across the ecological model, and was mostly supported.The study found that on the average, physically abused children had more behavioral problems, differences in parental disciplinary practices, more conflict in family interactions, and more negative family events than their nonabused peers.Physically abused children were found to have iii lower reading percentiles, math percentiles, and higher absentee rates than nonabused children, although only days absent was found to be significantly different.There was not a significant difference found in various types of friendships; however, nonabused children were found to have more feelings of loneliness than physically abused children.The second hypothesis was not supported.There were factors found that were correlated to both physically abused and nonabused children's reading percentiles, math percentiles, and days absent; however, more factors were found to be correlated to nonabused children's reading percentiles, math percentiles, and absentee rates than those of physically abused children.The final hypotheses looked at both physically abused and nonabused children's reading percentiles, math percentiles, and days absent.The final hypothesis was only partially supported.The models that accounted for both physically abused and nonabused children were found to be most significant while controlling for variables across the ecological model related to children's reading percentile, math percentile and absentee rate.The findings from this study were used to discuss educational psychology, social work, and educational practices, as well as policy implications.The study also provides recommendations for future research and suggestions for intervention and prevention programs.
Author: William N. Sheppard
Institution: The Ohio State University
Language: English
Topic: Child Abuse and Trauma
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W99121295