Experiences of Violence and Deficits in Academic Achievement Among Urban Primary School Children in Jamaica

• NCJ Number: 227390
• Journal: Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 33 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2009 Pages: 296-306
• Author(s): Helen Baker-Henningham; Julie Meeks-Gardner; Susan Chang; Susan Walker
• Date Published: May 2009
• Length: 11 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the association between children's experiences of three types of violence - exposure to and experience of aggression among peers at school, experiences of corporal punishment at school, and exposure to violence in the community - and academic achievement among primary-school children in Kingston, Jamaica.

Abstract

The study found that exposure to the three types of violence was independently linked to poor school achievement among children attending urban government schools in Jamaica. Fifty-eight percent of the children had experienced moderate or high levels of all three types of violence. Boys had poorer academic achievement and experienced higher levels of aggression among peers and physical punishment at school compared with girls. Children's experiences of the three types of violence were independently associated with all three indexes of academic achievement (performance in reading, spelling, and math). There was a dose-response relationship between children's experiences of violence and academic achievement; children who experienced higher levels of violence had the poorest academic achievement, and children who experienced moderate levels had poorer achievement than those who experienced little or none of the three types of violence. The findings show the need for proven violence prevention programs to be introduced in Jamaican primary schools. These programs should train teachers in appropriate classroom management and discipline strategies, as well as how to promote children's social and emotional competence that avoids aggression. A cross-sectional study of 1,300 children in the fifth grade (mean age of 11) from 29 government primary schools in urban areas of Kingston and St. Andrew was conducted. Academic achievement was assessed with the Wide Range Achievement Test. Children's experiences of the three types of violence were determined from self-reports solicited with an interviewer-administered questionnaire. 4 tables, 1 figure, and 56 references