British Journal of Education Vol.3, No.3, pp.34-42, March 2015 Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org) 34 ISSN 2054-6351 (print), ISSN 2054-636X (online) CHILD ABUSE AND STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN BOKI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF CROSS RIVER STATE Ada, Peter Adigeb 1 , Anake, P. Mbua 2 Department of Educational Foundations, Guidance and Counselling University of Calabar ABSTRACT: Child abuse is an act of inflicting serious, physical injury and emotional torture on a child or person, which is intentional or unintentional and could endanger the physical, health, emotional, social, moral and educational wellness of the child. The contributing factor of child abuse can be identified as poverty and ignorance on the part of the parents or guardians and others. Observing the alarming endless cry of students and those hurt in the process and maltreatment, the researcher was therefore interested in investigating child abuse as it affect the academic performance of students in Boki LGA of Cross River State. To achieve this purpose two (2) null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. A sample of 200 respondents were randomly selected for the study. The selection was done through simple random sampling technique. The questionnaire was the main instrument used for data collection. Test re-test reliability of the instrument was established, while Pearson product moment correlation analysis was the statistical technique considered appropriate. The critical level of .05 was used to test each hypothesis. The result of the analysis revealed that child physical abuse and sexual abuse were statistically related to students’ academic performance. Based on the findings recommendations were made on the need to affectionate and intensified campaigns for awareness creation on the menace of child abuse – physical and sexual abuse as they deaden the future of the child, family and society. KEYWORDS: Child, abuse, students, academic, performance INTRODUCTION Child abuse has become an apparent endless and vicious cycle that hurts the image of the country and the dignity of those involved. Child abuse can occur in a child’s home or in the originations, schools or communities the child interacts with. There are four major categories of child abuse: regret, physical abuse psychological or emotional abuse and sexual abuse, child maltreatment as any act as series of acts of commission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential of harm, or threat of harm to a child (Leeb, Paulozzi, Melanson, Simon & Anas, 2008). According to the journal of child abuse and neglect, child abuse is “any recent act or caretaker which result in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm”. Therefore child abuse is caused by poverty and lack or parental care, other factors include unemployment, marital conflicts and polygamous homes. Accordingly Denga(2002) also observed that child abuse is exposing children to painful and unwarranted suffering knowingly or unknowingly. She continues that both male and female children are abused in some cases by their parents, guardians, teachers, peers and the society in various forms.