Child abuse is the physical mistreatment or sexual molestation of a child. This vicious act is happening to thousands of children behind closed doors around the world. Abusers feel a sense of power when they participate in the abuse, but they show nothing but weakness by using their violence against a child's innocence. It is a violent, disturbing, and vicious criminal act that often leads to terrible results including academic, criminal, emotional, and physical problems. These problems can occur as long-term or short-term effects. Chikpe Winfred Okeke states: “Violent and neglectful families, due to poverty, tend to ignore the educational needs and requirements of their children.” When these needs and requirements are ignored, children are unable to reach their full potential in school, which may not only lead to performing poorly but hinder them from achieving academic success. While some abuse victims may be able to overcome this statistic and succeed in their education without the help of their abusers, some are not so lucky. Studies show that children from non-violent families have a better chance of academic success than victims of abuse. Okeke says: “The data analyzed revealed that non-abused and non-neglected children performed much better in all four academic subjects: English, mathematics, science and social studies.” Therefore, there is no doubt that abuse has an effect on the child's education. Not only is it cruel to abuse your child, but to deprive them of the education that shapes them into the human beings they are, is just plain selfish. Every individual should have the opportunity to learn, experience and thrive through the education provided to them. Although this effect is indeed, h... half of the paper... Abuse." Family Journal 7.2 (1999): 154-60. ProQuest. March 26, 2014 Fagan, Abigail A. "The Gender Cycle of Violence: Comparing the Effects of child abuse and neglect on criminal offenses for males and females. " Violence and Victims 16.4 (2001): 457-74. ProQuest Central. Web. March 26, 2014. Moylan, Carrie A., et al "The Effects of Child Abuse and Exposure to Domestic Violence on Internalizing Behavior Problems and adolescent externalizing." Journal of Family Violence 25.1 (2010): 53-63 Web April 6, 2014 of child abuse and neglect: Their relationship to academic achievement." Order no. 3317508 Texas Southern University, 2006. Ann Arbor: ProQuest. Web. April 6, 2014.VANDERKNYFF, RICK. “Stop-Gap Acts on the Long-Term Effects of Child Abuse.” Los Angeles Times (pre-1997 full text): 5. July 19, 1989. ProQuest. Web. 6 April. 2014 .