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CHAPTERS
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SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 SUMMARY
5.1.1 Statement of the problem
This study investigated problems surrounding abused children as viewed from a
psychopedagogical perspective. In essence the study examines the following problems:
5.1.2
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the abused child is hampered in the unfolding of his potentials; and
the abused child is a child in educational distress with special
educational needs.
A psychopedagogical perspective
Although both the adult and the child are to be held responsible for the success of the
child's education, the adult is the one who should mainly be called to account for any
dysfunction in the dynamics of the upbringing. When the adult, who is the more
responsible person, does not take care that the conditions for adequate education are
met, the child is usually affectively, cognitively and norrnatively neglected. It is not
suggested that this neglect is always intentional. It may for instance happen that the
adult's appeal to the child is not sufficiently clear and unambiguous, and is
consequently misunderstood. This example does, however, imply that the pedagogic
relationship of understanding is not being adequately constituted. If any of the
pedagogic relationships of trust, understanding and authority are absent from the
pedagogic situation, it will result in a dysfunction in the dynamics of the education
situation. The abused child thus finds himself in this situation of dysfunctional
education. Without sufficient participationofan adult in the dynamics ofthe education
situation, the essential meaning of education is not fulfilled because the abused child