The effects on academic and cognitive performance

THERE IS often much discussed about the emotional and psychological effects of childhood maltreatment and particularly sexual abuse on children. However, it is important for us to not neglect to think about and explore what consumes much of children’s lives – their academic and cognitive performance. Many studies have been done that highlight a relationship between cognitive impairment and childhood abuse or maltreatment. Studies have indicated that chronic abuse during a person’s childhood can and does have a devastating effect on how the brain matures, and also on the organisation processes that take place. In fact, functional and structural changes have been noted to take place in the brain as the abused child matures through adolescence and into adulthood. More specifically, there has been evidence to show that children who are sexually abused show deficits in tasks that require short-term verbal memory, visual memory and other executive, higher-order brain functions such as emotional and self-control, planning and organisation skills, time-management skills, as well as the abilities to inhibit and shift attention as needed.

LIKELY TO END UP IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

Child maltreatment may also be associated with global cognitive deficits, including impaired intelligence, poor academic performance, and memory and learning disabilities. As a result, these children are more likely to end up in special education, compared to children who have no history of maltreatment.

According to researchers, children who are abused may end up with a number of emotional and behavioural problems, which result in them becoming very hypersensitive to threats and even perceived threats from adults. In turn, these children often ‘act up’ and become very hostile, and due to their disruptive behaviours, they are at high risk for being suspended and even expelled due to repeated offences. And so, one effect leads to another. Therefore, even for those children who are not having specific academic or learning problems, their achievement weakens simply due to lack of instruction arising from school absences. Hence, the emotional difficulties that these children face may impact their ability to concentrate and focus, as well as result in poor motivation.

It is important for us to understand the impact of sexual abuse on children as it presents in their academic performance. Many children go through various forms of maltreatment, in addition to sexual abuse, that may result in symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorders, leaving these children so weak mentally and emotionally that they are not able to perform to their full potential and flunk school. It is also a discussion of what came first, the chicken or the egg, with some of these situations.

Many children who have biological and

hereditary cognitive deficits, such as intellectual disabilities, are often the targets of perpetrators who take advantage of them and in turn abuse these children. As a result, many of these children who already had cognitive deficits may experience worsened situations as the emotional and psychological stress impairs any potential improvement they may be able to make.

Children who are abused may end up with a number of emotional and behavioural problems, which result in them becoming very hypersensitive to threats and even perceived threats from adults. In turn, these children often ‘act up’ and become very hostile, and due to their disruptive behaviours, they are at high risk for being suspended and even expelled due to repeated offences.