Influence of domestic violence on learners' academic performance: a case of Magumoni Division, Tharaka Nithi county, Kenya.

Abstract

Domestic violence is worryingly one of the major menaces to the children in the contemporary world, especially in their growth and development patterns. Violent cases are on the rise while increasing its effects in several parts of Kenya. The study was intended to examine the effects of domestic violence on student performance. The main objectives in this study included; to establish the ordinary types of domestic violence in Magumoni division, to find out the effects of domestic violence on pupils' class Performance in education. To determine the consequences of the domestic violence on the academic performance of the students and to find out the support systems that are. used to assist the affected children in Magumoni Division. This study was guided by Erik Erikson's theory that demonstrates the essence of psychosocial development. The study utilized descriptive survey form of research design. The target population was the 94 7 pupils and 68 teachers. A sample of 6 schools was randomly selected, forming 17.6 % of the targeted schools. A sample size of 100 participants was tested for the study, which comprised 88 pupils and 12 teachers. The sampling was random for students and purposive for the teachers. Data were collected using questionnaires for the students and interview schedule for the teachers. Piloting was done in two schools that were not included in the study using 20 pupils two teachers and sampled by the same criteria described in the section of the sampling procedure. Before the actual data collection, the researchers tested the reliability of the instmment using the split-half technique by application of Spearman-Brown prophecy formula. A correlation coefficient of 0.82 was obtained, and the instruments were deemed reliable. Before data collection, the researcher got an introduction letter from Kenya Methodist University and a research permit from the National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovations. The quantitative data collected was analyzed by the use of SPSS (version 21) programme. The collected data are presented using pie charts, frequency distribution tables, and bar graphs. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically with themes by the research questions. The study established that; Most (58.8%) of the children in Magumoni experienced some form of domestic violence, which was associated with the aspects of drug abuse including excessive alcohol consumption, sexual assault, psychological torture, parent-parent violence, and other physical assaults. Further, the study concludes that internal aggression negatively affected the student's attention in schools and Performance in class owing to, for instance, the stress and depression that associates the acts of violence. It had a harmful result on academic performance in that the majority (55.0%) of the pupils who acknowledged the aspects of abuse, performed poorly in their exams. The study recommends that; 'the national and county government should work with associated social services offices and set up a free hotline number for the children to report on any event abuse at home. The• school administration should also set up accommodating relation-mechanisms whereby children can confidently say abuse-related cases. This will help in promptly highlighting the foundation of domestic violence in regards to causes and also, areas of prominence. The school administration should as well sensitize parents through intervention. schemes such as seminars and general meetings concerning the adverse effects of the domestic violence and the dangers it presents to the pupils in regards to their Performance in school. The parents should be aligned with the results of in conflict arguments and quarrels in the presence of their children, and the negatives it presents.