Impact of Domestic Violence on the Psychological Wellbeing, Academic Performance and Quality of Life of School Children in Calabar Metropolis

Background Domestic violence is on the rise in our society today, but little attention is given to the effect it has on children who are exposed to it. The effect of domestic violence on their psychological wellbeing, academic work and quality of life is often neglected. Aim To determine the impact of domestic violence on the psychological wellbeing, academic performance and quality of life of children in Calabar metropolis. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was carried out among secondary school students in Calabar municipality. A stratified random sampling technique was used to recruit respondents. The following instruments were administered to 400 respondents: Socio-demographic questionnaire, Children’s Exposure to Domestic Violence Scale (CEDV), General Health questionnaire-12(GHQ-12), Academic Performance Rating Scale (APRS) and World Health Organisation Quality of life -Brief version (WHOQOL-BREF). Data was analysed using the SPSS version 25 and p-value set at < 0.05. Results The study recruited 400 participants .The mean age of the participants was 14.8 ± 2.0 .The proportion of male respondents was 45.3% while that of the females was 54.7%.The prevalence rate of children’s exposure to domestic violence was 27.3% .There was a statistically significant relationship between children’s exposure to domestic violence with psychological distress(p = 0.00), academic performance(p = 0.00) and quality of life(p = 0.00).The study showed that the predictors of exposure to domestic violence in children include age 15years and above, polygamous family setting, married/divorced parents, previous witness of domestic violence, psychological distress, poor academic performance and poor social relations . Conclusion The result of the study shows that exposure to domestic violence in children has a far-reaching implication on both their physical and psychological wellbeing. Efforts should be made to reduce children’s exposure to domestic violence and give them a healthy environment to grow.