Relationship among Child Abuse, Depression, and Academic Achievement among Secondary School Students in Kaduna State, Nigeria: Implications for Guidance

Usman; Mathew Barau

doi:10.56201/ijssmr.vol.11no8.2025.pg144.151

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Relationship among Child Abuse, Depression, and Academic Achievement among Secondary School Students in Kaduna State, Nigeria: Implications for Guidance

Usman, Mathew Barau

Abstract

Child abuse remains a pervasive issue with far-reaching consequences on the psychological and educational outcomes of adolescents. This study examined the relationship among child abuse, depression, and academic achievement among secondary school students in Kaduna State, Nigeria. A correlational research design was employed, with a sample of 600 students drawn through stratified random sampling from public secondary schools across the five states in the region. Instruments used included the Child Abuse Screening Tool (CAST), the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and students’ cumulative grade point averages as a measure of academic achievement. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation and multiple regression. Findings revealed a significant positive correlation between child abuse and depression, and a significant negative correlation between both child abuse and academic achievement, and depression and academic achievement. The results underscore the urgent need for targeted psychosocial interventions within schools to address the dual impact of abuse and depression on students’ learning outcomes. Implications for counselling and educational policy are discussed.

Keywords

Child abuseDepressionAcademic achievementSecondary school students

References

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Relationship among Child Abuse, Depression, and Academic Achievement among Secondary School Students in Kaduna State, Nigeria: Implications for Guidance

Abstract

Keywords

References

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