Child emotional abuse in pre-primary schools: a case of Ekerenyo zone, Nyamira county, Kenya

Abstract

Child emotional abuse has become a global problem that needs to be tackled if we are to ensure optimal development of the child. Many parents and guardians may not imagine that the menace of child emotional abuse; a type of child abuse is a persistent reality and has long found its way into the school setting in Kenya. Emotional abuse is a threat to a healthy society and holistic development of the child. Of concern is that acts that comprise child emotional abuse are not elaborate to many individuals. When it occurs, emotional abuse is not easily recognized or known by some school authorities and sometimes perpetrators themselves. Unlike physical and sexual abuseof children, emotional abuse has received little attention. Hence, the purpose of this study will be to establish the prevalence of child emotional abuse in pre-primary schools to provide insights into the situation of this vice. This study will be guided by Abramson's theory of hopelessness which purports that people who experience negative situations persistently learn to see themselves as "I am not good". Descriptive research design will be employed in the study. The target population will be all pre-primary school teachers in Ekerenyo zone. The study will involve all pre-unit teachers of the sampled schools. The location of the study will be purposively selected. Stratified random sampling will be used to select schools and teachers. A sample of thirty percent will be taken from both public and private schools. Data on emotionally abusive behaviors will be collected using a checklist. Information on the teachers' demographics and teacher factors influencing child emotional abuse will be collected using a questionnaire. Data will be analyzed quantitatively using descriptive statistics: frequencies, percentages, mode and means. The results will be presented using frequency distribution tables, percentages and pie-charts.