BULLYING AS CORRELATES OF STUDENT'S ACADEMICS PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. Background of the study

The idea of bullying has become commonplace, despite the fact that very little is known about it. According to Ainley (2018), it often goes unreported since instructors and parents are unable to recognize the signs of it or know what to do in response to it. The development of information and communication technology (ICT) has resulted in the phenomena taking on new dimensions, which has led to the identification of two distinct types of bullying: traditional face-to-face harassment or bullying and online harassment, sometimes known as cyberbullying. In a survey that was released in 2018 by Save the Children, it was said that 52% of Spanish children and adolescents had been the victims of some kind of physical abuse and/or humiliation, whereas only 7% had been the victims of cyberbullying. These numbers provide an indication of how widespread the issue is in Spain. All students are affected by the effect of this kind of violence, but the victims are the ones who suffer the most. The victims experience physical, mental, and relational trauma, which may have long-term repercussions. The decline in academic performance is one of the outcomes that is noted the most, although receiving little attention from researchers. It is necessary to nurture academic excellence in order to ensure that any person may realize their potential inside the school system and, as a result, access possibilities within the labor market. Therefore, it is of the utmost significance to do research on its connection to bullying. Amnesty International issued a warning in 2019 that thousands of instances of bullying continued to go unreported and that the system was "turning a blind eye" to the issue (Olweus, 2019). It was of the opinion that it was important to not only develop a reporting system that was meaningful, but also to provide assistance to children and adolescents in the prevention of this pervasive phenomena. However, in order to accomplish this goal, the issue must first be appropriately diagnosed, and then kids, teachers, and parents must be made more aware of how critical it is to both avoid and report incidents of this kind. The influence that this phenomena has on the social dimension may be shown in a number of different ways, one of which is by demonstrating the impact that bullying can have on a person's academic and professional potential. Our primary objective is to carry out a case study of the Communities in Rivers State. This study will involve an in-depth analysis and diagnosis of the prevalence of the phenomenon in this territory, and it will be used to determine whether or not the phenomenon has any effects on academic performance. Considering that this phenomenon has been studied very little in the Nigerian environment, this will be our primary objective. Amnesty International issued a warning in 2019 that thousands of instances of bullying continued to go unreported and that the system was "turning a blind eye" to the issue. It was of the opinion that it was important to not only put in place a reporting system that was helpful, but also to provide assistance to children and adolescents in the prevention of this pervasive problem (Juvonen, 2021). However, in order to accomplish this goal, the issue must first be appropriately diagnosed, and then kids, teachers, and parents must be made more aware of how critical it is to both avoid and report incidents of this kind. The influence that this phenomena has on the social dimension may be shown in a number of different ways, one of which is by demonstrating the impact that bullying can have on a person's academic and professional potential. Given that very little research has been done on this topic in the context of the Nigerian setting, our main objective is to examine bullying as correlates of students academics performance in secondary schools.

1. 1. Statement of the problem

Bullying has repercussions not just for the victim but also for the bully, and these repercussions may be both immediate and long-term (Aleem, 2016). Peer victimization and bullying always have some kind of impact, either directly or indirectly, on the people who are victimized, and it may lead to poor academic achievement (Holt, Finkelhor, & Kantor, 2017). According to Nishina, Juvonen, and Witkow (2021), bullying, peer victimization, and school harassment have all led to a drop in classroom activities and school involvement, all of which tend to have a detrimental influence on academic performance and attainment. Students devote the majority of their waking hours at school on advancing their personal growth and professional potential (Darling-Hammond, Flook, Cook-Harvey, Barron, & Osher, 2019). Students who feel supported by their instructors have a greater feeling of belonging in the classroom, are more involved in their studies, have less behavioral issues, and overall do better academically. On the other hand, a student's academic performance might be negatively impacted by unhealthier conditions in the school environment. The level of academic accomplishment achieved all over the globe is an important indicator of the quality of a student's education, and several research are now being conducted on the potential physiological aspects that contribute to this indicator. Hence, this study will examine bullying as a correlates of students academics performance in secondary schools.

1. 1. Objective of the study

The primary objective of the study is to examine bullying as correlates of students academics performance in secondary schools. The, specific objectives is as follows:

1. To find out the causes of bullying among secondary school students.

2. To investigate the forms of bullying which significantly affects secondary school students.

3. To examine the implications of bullying on the academic performance of secondary school students.

1. 1. Research Questions

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

1. What are the causes of bullying among secondary school students?

2. What are the forms of bullying which significantly affects secondary school students?

3. What are the implications of bullying on the academic performance of secondary school students?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

Ho: There is no significant correlation between bullying and the academic performance of secondary school students.

Ha: There is a significant correlation between bullying and the academic performance of secondary school students.

1.6 Significance of the study

The study will be significant to both parents and the school management as they will be expose to the harm bullying can cause to a student and how it can ruin the school experience of a student. The study will be significant to the academic community as it will contribute to the existing literature.

1.7 Scope of the study

The scope of this study borders on bullying as correlates of students academics performance in secondary schools. Empirically, the study will explore the causes of bullying among secondary school students, the forms of bullying which significantly affects secondary school students, and the implications of bullying on the academic performance of secondary school students.

1.8 Limitation of the study