Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate

(CSEC)

English Language School Based Assessment

Candidate Name: SAMPLE

Candidate number: SAMPLE
Center number:
School:
Submission:
Teacher:
Territory: Jamaica

1
 Acknowledgement

I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone who helped me to complete my School

Based Assessment (SBA). Firstly, I would like to thank my teacher, Ms. Black, who ensured that

all necessary preparations were done in order to complete my School Based Assessment.

Secondly, I would like to thank my family and friends who assisted me in areas which I did not

understand. Last but not least, I would like to say utmost thanks to God who gave me the

strength, courage, knowledge, guidance, wisdom and understanding so that I could complete my

assessment in a timely yet efficient and effective manner.

2
 Introduction

Child abuse is defined as by the Office of the Children Registry as any act, or failure to act, on

the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm,

sexual abuse, or exploitation of a child.

However, this research will focus on the most common and overlooked type of abuse, namely

verbal abuse. This SBA includes individual as well as group elements, reflections on the process

and the outline of the Oral Presentation.

3
 Table of Contents

Plan of Investigation…………………………………………………….4

Participation Measure……………………………………………………5

Group Activity……………………………………………………..……6

Written report……………………………………………………………7

Reflections #1……………………………………………………………8

#2……………………………………………………………9

#3………………………………………………….….……10

Oral presentation………………………………………………….……11

References ……………………………………………………….…….14

Appendix …………………………………………………………………

Artefacts #1……………………………………………………….. …...15

#2……………………………………………….…………..16

#3…………………………………………………………..20

4
 Plan of Investigation

Theme: Child Abuse

Topic: Verbal Abuse

My group theme is Child Abuse. I will investigate the topic Verbal Abuse, because it is a serious

and unrecognized problem in Jamaica. The topic is linked to my intended career in Guidance

and counseling and it also connects with my hobbies because I enjoy talking with my peers about

their problems. I expect to benefit as an English student by honing my research skills, such as

MLA citation, as well as my public speaking and analytical skills. Relevant information will be

collected from written, auditory and visual sources such as newspaper articles, oral interviews

and pictures depicting my topic.

5
 Written Report
This SBA process began in the previous academic year. The teacher outlined the various

elements of the English Language SBA; allowed us to form groups; and we decided on our

theme for research. All three artefacts selected for this written report were obtained through

valid sources and directly related to our group’s theme of Child Abuse. The first source is an

interview with an officer of the Child Protection and Family Service Agency, conducted on the

28th of November 2019. Our second source is an online newspaper article by Newton Douglas,

published on the Jamaica-Gleaner.com site, and entitled Deaf to the Cries of Boys-Jamaicans

More Likely to Report the Abuse of Girls. The third artefact is also a newspaper article, by

Michael Abrahams, published online at Jamaican-Gleaner.com entitled A Case Study of Child

Sexual Abuse. The process of selection involved examining all three artefacts researched by each

group member. The final three sources found to be most appropriate were selected for the report

analysis.

Source one highlights the effects of verbal abuse on children. Source two focuses on the gender

that is most deeply affected by abuse but which is typically the least likely to be reported. The

final source established the negative impact of abuse on a child. Each of the chosen sources

related directly to the group’s theme of Child Abuse. Group member one, listed the specific tasks

that each group member was to carry out and also did the final editing of the report. Group

members two and three summarized and analyzed the three artefacts. Group member four

identified evaluated and outlined the veracity of all three sources; and Group member five

created the reference page and did the typing.

6
 Reflection 1

The first artefact is a newspaper article by Nadine Wilson in the Sunday Gleaner, May 4, 2014,

entitled When Words Hurts. It was very informative and highlighted that verbally abused

children learn what they live.

Artefact two is an oral interview I conducted with an officer of the Child Protection and Family

Service Agency (C.P.F.S.A) which had a profound effect on my thinking. This interview made

me realize that verbally abused children usually suffer from low self-esteem and often need

counselling.

The final artefact is an image from the internet site caglecartoons.com, which was published by

Robert M. Post. The image is very affecting. It depicts the pain caused by verbal abuse. These

three artefacts profoundly affected my thinking. I began this research knowing that verbal abuse

was common in Jamaica, but I had totally under-estimated the scope of the problem. The

information broke my heart.

7
 Reflection 2

Reflection two examines the language strategies in each artefact. The Sunday Gleaner

expository article by Nadine Wilson deals with “Children Facing Almost Daily Assault in Some

[Jamaican] Communities”. Wilson uses the formal register throughout as well as language

strategies such as: cause and effect; graphics; statistics and bold lettering. The writer’s intention

is to increase awareness of the negative effects of verbal abuse on children.

Secondly, the (prose) transcript of an interview done with a (C.P.F.S.A) officer, in Kingston

Jamaica, focused on the causes and effects of verbal abuse on children. For clarity, the

researcher’s transcription used text and abbreviations, while bold lettering highlighted the

different speakers. The purpose of the interview was to gather information on the scope of the

problem, and the formal register was used throughout.

The final artefact is a picture published on caglecartoons.com. The use of graphics was much

more powerful than words, reflecting how easily words can damage a child. The writer uses

graphics to grab the attention of persons who prefer looking at images instead of reading.

8
 Reflection 3

The process of completing this school based assessment, has significantly contributed to my

personal growth and development. This process has helped me to recognize that knowledge is

power and research must be done in order to alleviate ignorance. In addition, the collaborative

element was surprising challenging for me because my grade depended on my ability to persuade

others to do their part and Miss insisted that we all respect each other’s in-put. In the end group-

work proved very helpful, because my team members assisted with my punctuation, which

continues to be my weak area. I am now a humbler but wiser student. My problem-solving skills

have developed tremendously, since solving the issues that arose in the group was a task that we

had to carry out as a team.

9
 Plan - Oral Presentation

Good morning examiners. My name is SAMPLE. I am a CSEC candidate of English Language.

Today I will be presenting a prose piece on the theme, Child Abuse, which was selected for my
School Based Assessment. My presentation will take the form of a persuasive speech. I choose
the prose genre because I think it is the best way to bring across the messages in my selected
artefacts. The speech includes persuasive techniques such as repetition, statistics, direct personal
appeal and rhetorical questions; together with figurative devices such as biblical allusions. I will
use mostly Standard English with just a few creole sentences. The artefacts which were
researched helped to add content to this prose piece by providing me with a better understanding
of how this scourge of child abuse mars the lives of our nation’s children.

My persuasive speech is entitled, The Pain of Childhood Abuse.

Why you do dat?

Why your tender care cease towards the child you bear?

Child abuse is when a parent or caregiver takes harmful, serious acts against a child that can
damage them. Child abuse can appear in several forms. A child can be abused verbally;
physically; sexually; or they can even be neglected, left on their own without the help and care of
parents. However, the most common form of child abuse in Jamaica is verbal abuse. This is
when an adult uses degrading words or terms to describe or address a child. Often times,
parents/adults use harsh/cruel words, accompanied by a mean tone and violent facial expressions
when speaking to Jamaican children.

Why you do dat?

Why your tender care cease towards the child you bear?

Why does a parent refuse to play their proper role in their children’s lives? There are 48 child
care facilities in Jamaica, 8 of these facilities are governed by the Child Protection and Family
Agency while the remaining 40 are private facilities. In 2019, a count of 4,651 children were in
these facilities. Unfortunately, over 500 of these were reported as verbally abused children and

10
all were under the age of 12 years. These children had all been removed from their homes
because of severe forms of abuse, which in almost every case involved verbal abuse.

Why you do dat?

Why your tender care cease towards the child you bear?

When a child is abused, it affects every aspect of their life. A child who is abused verbally on a
regular basis often becomes verbally abusive themselves, by verbally bullying others. Consistent
verbal abuse breaks a child self-esteem and may damage a child so profoundly that they may be
driven to run away or make suicidal attempts. Children need love, care, respect and empathy.
Parents remember! Remember, you are supposed to be role models for your children. Whatever
behaviour you display towards them, that is what children will learn. Parental behavior helps to
perpetuate the terrible cycle of verbal abuse in Jamaica. When the wounds of a physically
abused child can heal over time, emotional scars can remain forever. Jamaican parents
everywhere, stop child abuse now! I call upon you to be the influence, be the motivator and be
the parent your child needs.

Yes, do dat!

Never let your tender care cease toward the child you bear!

Thank you.

11
 References

Source 1
Ferron, Kaylia. Oral interview [Wortley Home for Girls] 193 Constant Spring Road Kingston 8
Nov.28, 2019

Source 2
Douglas, Newton. Deaf to the Cries of Boys- Jamaicans More Likely to Report the Abuse of
Girls. Retrieved from: www.jamaican-gleaner.com

Source 3
Abrahams. Michael. A Case Study of Child Sexual Abuse. Retrieved from: www.jamaica-
gleaner.com

Source 4
Samuels-Thomas, Leisa. English SBA A Student’s Guide. Amazon.com (2019)

12
 APPENDIX

Artefact #1

When Words Hurt - Children Facing Almost Daily Verbal Assault

in Some Communities
Published: Sunday | May 4, 2014 | 12:00 Am

It is almost common place for children in inner-city communities to be verbally abused by

adults and there is no regard for when and where that abuse takes place. A recent United

Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) study has found that shouting without the use of expletives is

the most common form of verbal abuse reported. However, the study, dubbed 'Baseline Survey:

Knowledge, Attitude & Practices Regarding Child Maltreatment in Jamaica', found that 27 per

13
cent of the children reported experiences with shouting with the use of expletives. In addition, 40

per cent of children reported being called derogatory names by parents and caregivers.

Evidence of abuse Strong support for the data came during a recent visit by a Sunday

Gleaner team to one of Jamaica's tough inner-city communities, where the verbal assault on the

children was on display. In one instance, the interaction between a mother and her 11-year-old

son captured the attention of our news team. "U likkle dutty (expletives deleted) yuh. Look from

how long mi send you out. But no, you an yuh (expletives deleted) fren dem deh a road. You

gwine go a prison like yuh (expletives deleted) daddy," the mother screamed. Her son and two of

his friends were playing in the driveway of a public facility during this tirade. The friends

stopped playing to look at the young boy as his mother cursed. He ignored the screaming woman

as he turned to his friends. "A so she love chat. Wait till mi fada come from prison. A gwine tell

him mek him box har inna har (expletive deleted) face. "The boy continued to play with the

small tennis ball he had while his mother hollered, "Weh de hair when mi sen yuh fah"?

With the boy ignoring the mother, who sported a bleached face with a half-done false hairstyle

and a wrinkled belly exposed by the skimpiness of her clothes, he walked away with a string of

expletives. In the UNICEF study, 35 percent of respondent regarded emotional abuse as the use

of language that will cause pain or hurt to a child's emotions or self-esteem, such as shouting and

name-calling, Thirty per cent 30 percent defined emotional abuse as actions that destroy a child's

self-esteem while 29 percent described it as negative interaction with a child, and 22 percent said

it is using degrading words/language to a child.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

14
 Artefact #2

Oral Interview
Date: - 28th of November 2019 at 7:10 pm
Interviewer: Candidate Researcher
Interviewee: Child Protection and Family Service Agency (C.P.F.S.A) Officer.
Duration: thirty-five minutes.

Researcher: Hello, good morning. My name is Kaylia Ferron and I am a grade 11 student at the

Oberlin High School. I am conducting this interview to gather data for my School Based

Assessment (S.B.A) in English Language at the CSEC level. The information that you provide

today will not be used for any other purpose than to fulfil the requirements of my SBA. Your

name and personal details will not be used and will be kept confidential. May I ask your position

in this organization and the department in which you serve?

Officer: I am a children’s officer and I work in the program department.

Researcher: Thank you. I am investigating the issue of Verbal Abuse. May I ask your

organization’s definition of verbal abuse?

Officer: Verbal abuse is where a person uses degrading term to describe/address another

person e.g. criticizing, insulting or denouncing another person.

Researcher: Thank you that aligns well with my working definition. How long have you been

working as a child protection and family service agency (C.P.F.S.A) officer?

Officer: I have been working for three (3) years now.

Researcher: In your experience, are there many cases of children who have been verbally

abused?

15
Officer: Yes but mainly minority.

Researcher: Within your tenure of working as a children’s officer what would you say is the

most common type of child abuse in this country?

Officer: Verbal abuse is most common in this country and is mostly reported.

Researcher: Have you found that verbal abuse can have serious negative effects on children?

Officer: Yes this form of abuse tends to affect children self-esteem. These children normally

do things to seek attention knowing they are not getting enough from their parent e.g. bulling

others, suicidal act, fight a lot and involving in gang activities.

Researcher: As a Jamaican did you or any family member personally been the victim of verbal

abuse as a child?

-If yes, how did you or your family member cope with this abusive situation?

Officer: No.

Researcher: As a C.P.F.S.A officer, is there one statement of advice that you can offer to

abusive parents that will assist them to stop abusing their children verbally.

Officer: My advice is for abusive parents is to follow the child month theme “be the influence

love your children, respect them and show them empathy.” When you show your child love

they will not stray to others for that love. When you show them empathy it will allow them to

develop an understanding of what others are feeling and how their actions can impact on

them. When you show them respect it will teach them not to call other people mean names. It

also teaches them to treat others with courtesy and care enough about others so they won’t

hurt them. Parents should remember that they are a role model to their child/ children and the

16
child will model whatever behaviour their parents show them. So if they abuse their children

verbally that child will bully others and be disrespectful to them the parents and it can affect

the child mentally. Parents should remember that verbal abuse is just as bad as the other

forms of abuse and they can be charged at a rate of one million dollars or twelve (12) months

imprisonment. When the wound of physical abuse can heal overtime emotional scar can

remain forever. So show love, respect and empathy to your child.

Researcher: Thank you so much. This information will be very helpful for my S.B.A.

17
 Artefact #3

By Robert M. Post
Date published: July 22, 2015
Published on; CagleCartoons.com

18