Psychologie anormale et comportementale

Domestic Violence and the Impact upon Academic Achievement of Students

Abstract

Mohammed Rowdhan Al-sabawy* and Wissam Jabbar Qassim

Introduction: Domestic violence is a significant problem that demands research and intervention. In many Arab societies, domestic violence has expanded to be a common occurrence. The study aims to identify the most prevalent forms of domestic violence and their impact on middle school student's academic achievement.

Methods: A descriptive correlational study used a cross-sectional study design has been used through a questionnaire that was distributed among 597 middle school students from eighteen schools in Kirkuk, Iraq, conducted between November 2022 and March 2023. Excellent internal consistency reliability was shown by the instrument (Cronbach's alpha=0.91). To choose schools and subsequently classes, the researchers applied the stratified random sampling technique.

Results: Findings revealed that (43%) had ever been the victim of domestic violence, whereas (57%) had never experienced violence of those, 56.6% had experienced verbal violence, 25% had experienced psychological violence and 18.4% had experienced physical violence. The findings show that females (54.7%) are more likely than men (45.3%) to be subjected to violence. The amount of domestic violence used against students, particularly physical violence was significantly influenced by the family's monthly income at (P-value=0.003) and the parent's education levels at (P-value=0.001). 68% of battered students performed poorly academically. The study's findings show domestic violence impacts students' ability to pay attention and concentrate in class.

Conclusion: It is concluded that there is a moderate prevalence of domestic violence among middle school students. Experiencing any domestic violence, especially psychological violence, impacts class participation, school attendance and academic achievement.