Abstract

Reports on increasing poor academic performance and subsequent school dropout rates despite increased enrolment may not be unconnected to the upsurge in cases of exposure to abusive experiences early in life and the resultant effect on mental well-being. Therefore, a descriptive survey research design was employed to determine the impact of childhood abusive experiences and mental well-being on academic performance of primary school pupils. A total of three hundred pupils (109 males and 191 females) were randomly selected from six primary schools drawn from three Local Government Areas in Ogun State. Childhood Maltreatment and Abuse scale (.79), Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (.72) and Achievement Test in English Language and Mathematics were used in collecting data. Two hypotheses and two research questions were raised. Data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and Multiple Regression Analysis. Results revealed that academic achievement had a significant negative relationship with childhood abusive experiences (r =.-486, p <.05), while it did not have a significant relationship with mental well-being (r =.492, p <.05). Furthermore, the two independent variables, when taken together, were found to be significant in the prediction of academic achievement (F (2, 297) =48.872, p<0.05). Also, an independent significant contribution to the prediction of academic achievement was revealed for childhood abusive experiences (β = -.499, t = -9.845, p <0.05) and mental well-being (β = -.108, t = -2.139, p <0.05), respectively. It is recommended that advocacy programmes on child abuse prevention should be intensified to improve the academic performance of children in society.