SOCIAL STUDIES

School Based Assessment

NAME: SAMANTHA WALTERS

SCHOOL: BELMONT ACADEMY
CANDIDATE #:
CENTRE #:
TERRITOTY: JAMAICA
TEACHER:
YEAR:
TOPIC: WHY CHILD ABUSE IS SO PREVALENT IN TODAYS SOCIETY AND WHAT
MEASURES CAN WE IMPLEMENT TO MINIMIZE THE PROBLEM?
 Table of content
Acknowledgement

Statement of the Problem

Reason for selecting the area of Research

Method of Investigation

Instrument Used to Collect Data

Procedures Used to Collect Data

Presentation of Data

Analysis and Interpretation of Data

Findings

Recommendations

Bibliography
 Acknowledgement
Thanks to the outstanding people who have made this project a big success.
Thanks to the researcher’s internet provider LIME (Landline, Internet, Mobile and
Entertainment) for getting the information she needed. She also wishes to thank her
Social Studies teacher Mr Black for helping her to prefect her SBA. Special thanks
to the researcher’s family especially her mother for always keeping her focused
and on her guard. Finally a big thanks to everybody for assisting me.
 Statement of problem
WHY CHILD ABUSE IS SO PREVALENT IN JAMAICA’S SOCIETY AND
WHAT MEASURES CAN WE IMPLEMENT TO MINIMIZE THE
PROBLEM?
 REASON FOR SELECTING THE
AREA OF RESEARCH
Too many children are being abused and neglected in Jamaica by family members,
parents and/or even their fellow colleagues. The Researcher was very captivated by
the growing victims of child abuse and thrives to make a difference in today’s
society. Because of this growing epidemic in the country children have integrated
themselves into violence, crime and drugs. Child abuse is lowering self-esteems
and breaking up homes. Destroying Jamaica’s developing youth of today and
tomorrow. In this regard Belmont Academy the first centre of excellence was the
main school targeted to carry out this research.
 Method of investigation
A questionnaire was carried out in the institution of Belmont Academy from the
various data collection given. The privacy of the individuals were confidential so
none of their private information was not used or needed in the collection of data.
The questionnaires were very easy to be answered and took a very short time to be
completed.
 Instrument used to collect Data
There are fifteen (15) questions in this questionnaire. Please answer all questions in
the most trustful manner with a tick in the appropriate brackets.
1. What gender are you?
Female ( ) Male ( )

2. How old are you?

12-13 ( ) 14-15 ( ) 16-17 ( )

3. Have you been neglected or abused?

Yes ( ) No ( )

4. What kind of abuse was used?

Verbal ( ) Sexual ( ) Neglect ( ) Physical ( )
Emotional ( )

5. Who was the abuser?

Parent ( ) Schoolmate ( ) Family Member ( )
Teacher ( ) Stranger ( )

6. What was the abuser’s gender?

Male ( ) Female ( )

7. Do you have scars?

Yes ( ) No ( )

8. When were you abused?

Since recently ( ) In the Past ( )

9. Did you tell anyone about it?

Yes ( ) No ( )

10. How frequently does this abuse happen?

Once ( ) Every Day ( ) Every Week ( )
I Don’t Remember ( )
11. Do you think the government is doing enough to stop Child abuse?
Yes ( ) No ( ) I Don’t Know ( )

12. How do you deal with it?

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
13. Was it resolved? How?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

14. Does it lower your self-esteem?

Yes ( ) No ( )

15. What would you do to not let this happen again?

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Procedure Used to Collect Data

The researcher issued thirty (30) questionnaires with fifteen (15) questions to
collect data. The questionnaires were given to persons in the 12-17 age group. The
researcher chose three (3) pupils from each form to participate in the survey. The
questionnaire were proven effective and easy. The researcher found that the
students of Belmont Academy respondents were truthful. Questionnaires were
completed within five to seven minutes and collected right after they were
completed.

Presentation of data
All graphs illustrate clearly, data collect with the use of the questionnaire above.
 Figure 1

43%
57% Females
Males

Figure 1 represents the different genders that answered the questionnaires

Figure 2

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

Yes
No

Figure 2 represents person who have been abused or neglected

 Figure 3
40%
37%
35%
33%
30%
27%
25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0% 0% 3%
Verbal Sexual Neglect Physical Emotional

Figure 3 represents the forms of abuse the students undergo

Figure 4

27%

20%
26%
27%

20%
6%

Parents Schoolmates Family Member Teacher Stranger

Figure 4 represents the types of abusers that abused the students

 FIGUR E 5

No

Yes

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Figure 5 represents the amount of student that told some one about their abuse
 Analysis and interpretation of
Data
From the survey done the respondents chosen by no particular order were students
between the ages 12-17 years old. The researcher found out that all 30 student have
experienced abuse first hand. The self-esteem of students are very low with a
seventy-six percent decrease (76%) between both genders. And the other twenty-
four percent (24%) didn’t experience any self-esteem effect what so ever.

The data shows that most of the students experienced infrequent happening of
abuse with sixty-seven percent (67%) whom experienced it once, ten percent
(10%) every day, every week eighteen percent (18%) and five percent (5%) not
remembering at all.
There was a steady trend in all the age groups, with thirty (33%) in each.
Question number 11 asked do you think the government is doing enough to stop
Child abuse. Fifty percent (57%) of the respondents thought the government was
doing a go job while forty percent (40%) did not think so and three percent (3%)
did not know.
 Findings
The researcher found out that;
 Physical Abuse is the main type of abuse used, next verbal abuse among the
respondents.
 It common amongst victims of abuse to not tell anyone about their
experience.
 The government is doing a good job in stopping child abuse.
 Both schoolmates and family members are equal in the main abusers of the
respondents.
 Recommendations
1. The schools locally can implement measures to help victims talk about their
abuse and talk to their parents about it.
2. There should be annual meeting for parents and family members to discuss
how to cope with their problems rather than to take it out on the children.
 Bibliography
Ramsawak, R., & Umraw, R. (2001). Modules in Social Studies: With SBA Guide & CXC Questions (3rd ed.).
Jamaica: Carribbean Educational Publishers. Retrieved August 12, 2014

Waterman, I., & Fisher, J. (2007). CSEC Social Studies (2nd ed.). Oxford: Macmillian Publishers Limited.
Retrieved August 13, 2014