Teenage school fights can have a lasting negative impact on the mental IQ of the child. Recently experts have said that two teenage fights can decelerate IQ equivalent to losing one school year.
Getting a punch or two in adolescence not only lowers one’s self esteem but also the mental IQ as claimed by recent researches. IQ or intelligence quotient is derived from several standardization tests formulated to assess intelligence level of an individual. Joseph A. Schwartz, a doctoral student carried out the study with Professor Kevin Beaver in Florida State University’s College of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
The scientists said that a single fight among teen girls can retard their IQ equivalent to missing a year at school and in teen boys two fights can cause loss of IQ in a similar way. A decrease in IQ is related to low professional and academic performances and decreased life.
The researchers from Florida State University noted that the explanation was quite vicious as it compared retarded IQ with poor work performance, behavioral problems, mental disorders and longevity.
The researchers assessed the data obtained from 20,000 center and followed students into their adulthood. The boys had high ratio of fight-related injuries as compared to girls.
Every fight-associated injury caused to a damage of 1.62 IQ in boys and 3.02 IQ points in girls.
According to experts a decline of 2 to 4 IQ points resulted in damage equivalent to one school year.
Joseph Schwartz, the co-author and a doctoral tyro in a College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, said in a news release, "We tend to focus on factors that may result in increases in intelligence over time, but examining the factors that result in decreases may be just as important."
Joseph A. Schwartz stated, "It's no surprise that being severely physically injured results in negative repercussions, but the extent to which such injuries affect intelligence was quite surprising."
According to Professor Kevin Beaver, the communities and educational institutions should develop strategies and policies to minimize injuries and trauma sustained by teenagers during their crucial developing years through bullying or fighting.
It can be finally said that teenage injuries should be dealt with poignantly as the entire life of the child can be affected by it.
Source-Medindia