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South African Journal of Education; 2013; 33(3) 1
Art. #671, 15 pages, http://www.sajournalofeducation.co.za
The nature, causes and effects of school violence in South African
high schools
Vusumzi Nelson Ncontsa
School of Post Graduate Studies, University of Fort Hare, South Africa
Almon Shumba
School of Teacher Education, Central University of Technology
ashumba@cut.ac.za
We sought to investigate the nature, causes and effects of school violence in four South African
high schools. A purposive sample of five principals, 80 learners and 20 educators was selected
from the four schools used in the study. A sequential mixed method approach was used in this
study; both questionnaires and interviews were used. The design is divided into two phases,
beginning with the collection and analysis of quantitative data, followed by the collection and
analysis of qualitative data. The overall purpose of this design is that the qualitative data help
explain or build upon initial quantitative results from the first phase of the study. The advantage
of the design is that its two-phased nature makes it uncomplicated to implement and to report
on. A combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods provides a better understanding
of the research problem than either approach alone. A pilot study of the questionnaire was
conducted in a school outside the province in which the study was done. Cronbach’s alpha
coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.72. This was a high positive coefficient and implied that
the questionnaire used was reliable. The study found that bullying, vandalism, gangsterism,
indiscipline, intolerance, and corporal punishment were prevalent in schools. Furthermore, the
study found that school violence had the following effects on learners: loss of concentration;
poor academic performance; bunking of classes; and depression. The implications of these
findings are discussed in detail.
Keywords: causes, effects, nature, school violence, South Africa
Introduction
Research shows that school violence is escalating despite the measures put in place to
address the problem by the Department of Education (DoE) and schools themselves
(Fishbaugh, Berkeley & Schroth, 2003; Human Rights Commission, 2006). In their
study, Fishbaugh et al. (2003:19) point out that, “Both teachers and students appear
justified in fearing for their own safety with the consequence that the learning process
is stymied by the need to deal with unruly behaviours and to prevent serious episodes
of aggression and violence”. Similarly, the Human Rights Commission (2006:1)
found: “The environment and climate necessary for effective teaching and learning is
increasingly undermined by a culture of school-based violence and this is becoming
a matter of national concern”. This implies that educators spend most of their time
focusing on solving problems associated with school violence instead of focusing on
effective teaching and learning. Other studies (Harber & Muthukrishna, 2000; Prins-
South African Journal of Education; 2013; 33(3)
2
loo, 2008; Prinsloo & Neser, 2007) also show that the magnitude and effects of vio-
lence on teaching and learning is a national concern; this is even more worrying
because school violence is escalating despite the measures that have been put in place
by the DoE. Harber and Muthukrishna (2000:424) identified violence as a major
problem, and said, “A particular problem in many South African schools is that of
violence. South Africa is a violent society…”. The problems associated with school
violence paint a bleak picture of violence in South African schools (Prinsloo, 2008).
According to Harber and Muthukrishna (2000:424),
“schools in urban areas, particularly townships are regularly prey to gangsterism.
Poverty, unemployment, rural-urban drift, the availability of guns and general
legacy of violence has created a context where gangsters rob schools and kill and
rape teachers and students in the process”.
The above studies confirm that school violence is prevalent in schools.
According to Prinsloo & Neser (2007:47), “school violence is regarded as any
intentional physical or non-physical (verbal) condition or act resulting in physical or
non-physical pain being inflicted on the recipient of that act while the recipient is
under the school’s supervision”. These physical and non-physical acts of school
violence affect teaching and learning negatively because they result in fights and
attacks on the victims. Similarly, Crawage (2005:12) describes school violence as “the
exercise of power over others in school related settings by some individual, agency,
or social process”. The government views violence as a serious threat to effective
teaching and learning. The above studies showed that school violence negatively
affects teaching and learning in schools.
Statement of the research problem
The escalation of violence in South African schools has led researchers to conclude
that schools are rapidly and increasingly becoming arenas for violence, not only be-
tween pupils but also between teachers and pupils, interschool rivalries, and gang
conflict (Prinsloo, 2008; Van Jaarsveld, 2008). Prinsloo (2008:27) stated, “Apart from
the serious incidents of school violence that have received wide media coverage, there
is general concern regarding the increase in incidents of school violence in South
Africa”. Due to the high incidence of school violence, schools are no longer viewed
as safe and secure environments where children can learn, enjoy themselves, and feel
protected (Van Jaarsveld, 2008). Zulu, Urbani, Van der Merwe and Van der Walt
(2004:173) conclude that, “Schools have become highly volatile and unpredictable
places. Violence has become a part of everyday life in some schools”. Reports on
television and in the print media highlight the escalation of school violence, such as
learners assaulting and stabbing other learners and educators.
In his study of school violence in South African schools, Burton (2008) found that
about 1.8 million of all pupils between Grade 3 and Grade 12 (15.3%) had experienced
violence in one form or another. Burton (2008) found that 12.8% of the learners had
South African Journal of Education; 2013; 33(3) 3
been threatened with violence; 5.8% had been assaulted; 4.6% had been robbed; and
2.3% had experienced some form of sexual violence at school. The above findings
clearly show that learners are victims of school violence because it takes place in the
classroom or on the school grounds. It is against this background that this study sought
to investigate the following: (a) What forms of violence are prevalent in schools?; (b)
What are the causes of violence in schools?; and (c) What are the effects of violence
on learners and educators?
Method
Research design
A sequential mixed method approach was used in this study. The design is divided into
two phases. This design begins with the collection and analysis of quantitative data
followed by the collection and analysis of qualitative data (Creswell & Plano Clark,
2007). The overall purpose of this design is that the qualitative data help explain or
build upon initial quantitative results from the first phase of the study (Creswell &
Plano Clark, 2007). The advantage of this design is that its two-phased nature makes
it uncomplicated to implement and to report on. A combination of both quantitative
and qualitative methods provides a better understanding of the research problem than
either approach alone (De Vos, Strydom, Fouché & Delport, 2011).
Sample
A purposive sample of five principals, 20 educators and 80 learners was used in this
study. The sample was purposively selected from four schools in the Buffalo City
district in the Eastern Cape province.
Instruments
Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data on educators’ and learners’
experience of school violence. The questionnaires comprised both close-ended and
open-ended questions.
Data collection
The purpose of the study was explained to the participants before they completed the
questionnaire. The main researcher administered the questionnaire to 20 learners per
school with the assistance of educators. All 80 learners returned the completed
questionnaires. Interviews were conducted with five educators and four learners who
served in the Representative Council of Learners (RCL) because they were familiar
with the problems faced by their schools in the resolution of school violence. Data
from interviews were captured using a tape recorder.
Data analysis
Quantitative data were analysed using percentages and tables. Qualitative data were
coded to develop units, themes, sub-themes, and categories. The analysed data were
South African Journal of Education; 2013; 33(3)
4
taken back to the participants during the study to check if their responses were correct.
All the participants interviewed confirmed as correct their responses used in the study.
Trustworthiness
All participants were assured that all data collected during interviews was confidential
and would only be used for purposes of the study. In order to ensure validity of the
interviews used, data and tentative interpretations of this study were taken back to the
participants during the study to check with them if their responses were correctly
captured. All the participants interviewed confirmed as correct their responses used in
the study. On the basis of checking with participants if their responses were captured
correctly, researchers were confident that the study had high internal validity. The
questionnaire was pilot studied to an equivalent sample of 20 learners. Cronbach’s
alpha coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.72, implying that the questionnaire used
was reliable. In order to ensure that the language used was clear to the participants, the
questionnaire was edited by two language specialists. Only minor modifications were
suggested and these were implemented in the modified questionnaire.
Ethical considerations
Permission to conduct this study was authorised by the University Ethics Committee
where the study was carried out. Permission to administer the questionnaire and to
interview both learners and educators was sought from the DoE and the district office,
and later from the principals of the schools involved in the study, and was granted.
Participants were guaranteed anonymity and that the information gathered from them
would be kept confidential and only be used for purposes of this study. Since the
learners were minors, informed consent was sought from their parents or guardians
before involving them in the study. The learners also signed consent forms after
written consent was granted by their parents or guardians.
Results
The results of this study are presented using themes and frequency tables.
Learner participants’ understanding of school violence
The learners gave various accounts of school violence and what they understood as
school violence. Learners gave convincing accounts of their conceptualisation of
school violence. For example, a learner from School A described school violence as
follows: “I think that school violence refers to things that happen at school, like stu-
dents assaulting each other, stabbing and shooting each other and also educators being
assaulted by learners”. Similarly, an educator from school D described school violence
as, “…lawlessness, disorder and any unethical behaviour that induces fear, uneasiness
and intimidation on both learners and educators – the element of fear is so disruptive
that it negatively impacts on learning and teaching”. Both of these definitions of school
violence reveal the seriousness of the problem in South African schools and how it
South African Journal of Education; 2013; 33(3) 5
impacts on teaching and learning.
A learner from School B said, “School violence it’s whereby learners are bullying,
and teachers are doing corporal punishment to the learners…”. An educator from
school A described school violence as a “Physical attack or harm on people at school,
that is, learners, educators and non-teaching staff”. It appears from the accounts of the
respondents that their views are more or less the same with regard to the forms of
school violence in schools.
The nature of violence experienced or witnessed by learners and educators in schools
All the learners in School A identified bullying as a major problem in their school. For
example, the four schools – with 20 learners in School A, 15 learners in School B, 16
learners in School C, and 16 learners in School D – identified bullying as the most
common form of violence. This translates to over 67 (83.8%) of the participants
reporting that bullying is prevalent in their schools (see Table 1). An educator from
School C confirmed this by saying: “Bullying is most common in our school. The
bullies take money from other kids, eat their lunch and when the learners don’t have
money or lunch they are beaten and harassed”. Based on the findings in Table 1, most
learners perceive bullying, corporal punishment, vandalism, gangsterism and sexual
harassment, respectively, as the most prevalent forms of school violence in their high
schools.
Table 1 Forms of school violence and percentage, as perceived by the learners (N = 80)
Forms of school violence School A School B School C School D Total %
Bullying
Corporal punishment
Sexual harassment
Gangsterism
Vandalism
Discrimination
Drug dealing and smoking
Gossiping
Swearing or vulgar
language
20
15
8
13
4
1
2
0
0
15
13
1
3
7
0
0
1
0
16
10
2
7
16
0
0
0
1
16
10
6
7
15
0
1
0
0
67
48
17
30
42
1
3
1
1
83.8
60.0
21.3
37.5
52.5
1.25
3.75
1.25
1.25
Table 1 shows that corporal punishment was reported as the second most prevalent
form of violence in the four schools. The study found that 48 (60%) of the participants
reported that it was practised in their schools. An educator from School B alluded to
it as follows: “According to the Constitution corporal punishment by educators is not
allowed. As professionals educators are supposed to know the rules and regulations
because they are enshrined in the Constitution of the country”. An educator from
South African Journal of Education; 2013; 33(3)
6
School A acknowledged that “corporal punishment is used by educators in exceptional
cases, but I have done my best to stop it because it is unlawful”. Despite being banned,
the data above show that educators remain the perpetrators of corporal punishment in
schools (Maphosa & Shumba, 2010).
The majority of the learners who participated in this study indicated that vanda-
lism is also a major problem in the schools. The same trend was found to prevail in all
four of the schools sampled in the Buffalo City district, with participants reporting that
they constantly lose their textbooks and calculators due to theft by their peers. An edu-
cator from School D said, “Vandalism is very rife in our school. In the past, two
six-year olds entered our school, painted everything black and green”. In School C, 16
(80%) of the learners reported that vandalism is a major problem in their school. One
learner said, “Our calculators and textbooks get stolen and sometimes our books are
torn up. Learners break doors and steal door locks”. The above findings show that
some classes had broken windows and most doors could not be locked as the locks
were vandalised. The same observation was true for School D where 15 (75%) of the
learners reported that vandalism was common in their school (see Table 1). Table 1
shows that three (3.7%) of the participants reported that drug abuse was prevalent in
the schools. The study also found that gangsterism was prevalent and 30 (37.5%) of
the participants confirmed that gangs still operated in their schools. The learners
reported that gangsterism was a serious problem as their schools were not fenced.
Learners from School A reported that sexual harassment takes place in their
school. “There is a lot of sexual harassment taking place at our school. It is the old
boys and boys coming from the bush (new initiates) who demand sexual relations with
girls. Girls in Grade 9 are normally targeted”. The study found that 16 (21%) of the
participants had experienced or witnessed sexual harassment at their schools. Table 1
shows that eight (40%) of the participants in School A, and six (30%) in School D
reported that sexual harassment is rife in their school. These findings are consistent
with literature that the girl child is a victim of sexual harassment (Matsoga, 2003).
Other forms of violence reported by the learners from School D included discri-
mination, drug dealing, smoking, gossiping, and swearing or use of vulgar language.
Some learners reported that these forms of violence lead to physical fights among
learners in schools. Serious problems such as stabbings and shootings are referred to
the police. For example, an educator from School B reported that: “A learner from my
school once stabbed an educator and this was reported to the police and SGB [School
Governing Body]. The learner was arrested and eventually dismissed”.
Effects of school violence as reported by learners and educators
Both learners and educators reported the following as effects of school violence on
learners (see Table 2):
Table 2 shows that the majority of the learner respondents believe that school
violence causes chaos and leads to loss of learning and tuition time because the dis-
ruptions demand that the problems should be attended to. In this study, 64 (79.7%) of
South African Journal of Education; 2013; 33(3) 7
Table 2 Effects of school violence on learners (N = 79)
Effect of violence School A School B School C School D Total %
Loss of concentration
Poor academic performance
Bunked classes
Chaos and lost time
Depression
12
12
4
18
15
11
5
2
16
14
10
5
2
11
13
17
14
7
18
15
50
36
15
63
57
63.3
45.6
19
79.7
72.2
respondents reported that when there is a fight in one class, almost all the learners go
to witness what is going on. In most cases, the intention by the onlookers would be to
cheer those learners involved in the fight. The situation at the school becomes chaotic
and educators have to stop the fighting, leading to unnecessary loss of learning and
tuition time.
Learners who experience or witness incidents of violence may become depressed
and this may affect their ability to learn in a negative manner. The study found that 58
(72.2%) learners reported that they lost concentration because they were afraid of what
the perpetrators would do to them during break time or after school. One learner said,
“I get worried all the time and I cannot concentrate to my studies. This affects my per-
formance in class and sometimes I feel like not coming to school. I am scared of the
bullies”.
A substantial number of the learner respondents, 50 (63.3%), reported that they
were not able to concentrate on their studies because of school violence (see Table 2).
Learners felt threatened by their peers, and sometimes they did things they never in-
tended to do. For example, one of the participants in this study reported that he was
once forced to steal by a gang of fellow learners. Fifteen (19%) of the participants
ended up bunking classes, and in some cases, learners even dropped out of school be-
cause of peer victimisation. For example, 36 (45.6%) of the learner respondents re-
ported that their grades have fallen because of school violence.
High crime rate and violence in communities
It can be seen from Table 2 that violence in communities is widespread. Over 72
(91%) of the respondents reported that violence in their communities contributed to
school violence. For example, a learner from School B reported that: “Violence is very
common in our communities and surroundings. This leads to a lot of damage to our
schools in that learners come to school carrying weapons and they also indulge in drug
abuse”. A respondent from School A said that, “Using drugs at school lead to violence.
And when other learners talk about you (gossip), it leads to violence”. This implied
that learners who use drugs at school become violent and violate other learners’ rights.
This also implies that fights between learners, especially girls, are caused by gossip.
South African Journal of Education; 2013; 33(3)
8
Indiscipline and intolerance
The learners reported that indiscipline is one of the major problems that affect schools
negatively. As shown in Table 2, 72 (90%) of the respondents reported that school
violence is caused by indiscipline because learners become uncontrollable and do as
they wish. Indiscipline affects the school environment, and as a result fighting and
ill-behaviour becomes the order of the day. One of the learners from School D said
violence is caused by learners, stating that, “When a teacher shouts at him, maybe one
of the learners talks back and says you talk rubbish, it is the violence”. This type of
language is unacceptable on school premises. According to one of the educators, ill-
discipline is caused by “disrupted homes and lack of recreational facilities at our
schools. As a result of this learners are not engaged all the time. In some instances
there is shortage of educators where educators who are on leave are not substituted”.
Safety and protection of victims of violence on school premises
Easy access to schools also contributes to the escalation of school violence. Table 2
shows that 58 (72.5%) of the learner participants blamed easy access to schools as a
contributing factor in school violence. People from outside easily enter the school
premises to conduct business or to commit crime. A learner from School D reported
that, “People from outside give learners weapons and bring them to school to make
other children afraid”. Such situations can lead to fatal accidents. A learner from
School B claimed to have witnessed “other learners selling drugs in school. And
people from outside come and beat learners in schools”. These are incidents of school
violence that disturb learners during school hours and as a result some of the learners
find it difficult to concentrate on their schoolwork.
Perceived effects of school violence on learning and teaching
All the causes of violence identified by the learners range above 50%; this implies that
school violence is on the increase. This study (see Table 3) found that 46 (57.5%) of
the learner participants reported that poverty contributes to the escalation of violence
in schools. A learner from School A, who witnessed a fellow learner who took out a
knife and robbed another learner on the school premises, said, “I saw one of the lear-
ners taking out a knife and threatening him, demanding money”. This incident was
blamed on learners who come to school with dangerous weapons and who use drugs.
Poverty also contributes to school violence. Unemployment is linked to poverty and
55 (68.8%) of the learners who participated in this study asserted that unemployment
causes school violence. A learner from School A said, “I believe that students involve
themselves in violence because of poverty, stress and depression”. A learner from
School B said, “Poverty can cause violence because if a learner is hungry the learner
can steal other’s lunch; when you find out who took your lunch you will be beaten by
him/her and it could lead to violence”.
Some learners also ascribed violence in schools to overcrowded classes. For
example, 46 (57.5%) of the participants reported that overcrowded classes contributed
South African Journal of Education; 2013; 33(3) 9
to school violence. This was also confirmed by the educators. Educators from School
A said overcrowded classes are difficult to control and learners tend to misbehave
without being detected, and this affects teaching and learning. The lack of recreational
facilities was also identified as one of the major causes of school violence, with 65
(65%) of the learner participants confirming this assertion. If there were adequate
facilities, then learners who do not excel in class could be given the opportunity to
excel on the sports field and earn respect from their classmates.
Table 3 Perceived factors which lead to violence as reported by learners (N = 80)
Causes of school violence School A School B School C School D Total %
Poverty
Overcrowding
Lack of recreational facilities
Easy access to school
premises
Intolerance
Indiscipline
Unemployment
Violence/crime in the
community
15
13
15
15
18
19
16
17
14
15
10
13
16
18
15
18
13
11
13
14
17
18
9
20
12
7
14
16
16
17
15
18
54
46
52
58
67
72
55
73
67.5
57.5
65.0
72.5
83.8
90.0
68.8
91.3
Table 3 indicates the following as causes of school violence: violence/crime in the
community; indiscipline; intolerance; easy access to school premises; unemployment;
poverty; lack of recreational facilities; and overcrowding.
Effects of school violence as perceived by educators
Effects on learning
Educators perceived the following as the effects of school violence on learning: (a)
The environment becomes not conducive to learning; (b) There is a lack of effective
learning and teaching which leads to poor school attendance and eventually leads to
a high failure rate; (c) Learners become uncontrollable and difficult to manage; (d)
Time is wasted on conflict resolution meetings instead of learning and teaching; (e)
High absenteeism and dropout rate; (f) General lack of discipline at school; (g) Dis-
obedience which leads to non-submission of school tasks or not doing homework; (h)
School violence leads to academic performance which is not on par with the goals and
aspirations of the school; (i) Learners who are victims of bullying bunk classes and end
up dropping out of school; (j) Lack of concentration on the part of the learners because
they are scared of the perpetrators; and (k) Poor results and an unpleasant atmosphere
in the classroom. Most of the above effects of school violence are common in all of the
schools that were investigated in this study.
South African Journal of Education; 2013; 33(3)
10
Effects on teaching
Educators perceived the following as effects of school violence on teaching: (a) No
effective teaching takes place when learners are uncontrollable, ill-disciplined, and
unmanageable; (b) The morale of the educators becomes very low and educators are
completely demotivated. Sometimes, when they go to class, they find the class empty
because learners leave school during tuition time; (c) The educators find it difficult to
complete the syllabus because of poor attendance by learners and the fact that time is
wasted on resolving problems emanating from school violence; (d) There are no text-
books because the rate of theft is very high and books and school property are deli-
berately damaged by unruly learners and this negatively affects teaching; (e) The effect
of school violence is reflected by the dilapidated buildings which have been vanda-
lised; the environment is not conducive to teaching; (f) Lack of respect of learners
towards each other results in infighting which affects teaching. Learners are always at
loggerheads and the atmosphere in the classroom is unbearable; (g) Poor classroom
attendance by educators who are not only demotivated but also scared of being at-
tacked by learners; (h) Educators go to class unprepared because they never know what
is going to happen the next day; (i) Educators cannot take any decisive action against
troublesome learners because they fear for their own safety; (j) School violence affects
teaching in a negative way; (k) Teaching is affected because educators feel helpless,
demoralised, and disillusioned; (l) School violence disturbs school programmes and
the goals and aspirations of the school end up not being achieved; and; (m) School
violence leads to a lack of respect for the elderly and education officials due to the
unruly behaviour of the learners. The above findings show that school violence has
various effects on learning and teaching in our schools.
Violence in some schools has dropped because of the involvement of a non-
governmental organisation (NGO). An educator from School B said, “Violence at our
school has dropped tremendously and this may be due to the fact that there is political
stability in the community in which our school operates”. The same school also
reported that the NGO, involved in a project known as Building Safer Schools, had
made an immense contribution to fighting school violence. The project involves mem-
bers of the police force and School Management Team (SMT) members, and as a
result, there is heightened police visibility in the area. The school reported that all
these efforts have made a major contribution to its academic performance because for
the first time in five years the pass rate in Grade 12 was above 60%.
Discussion
Most learners had a clear understanding of the forms of school violence prevalent in
their schools. Their description of school violence is consistent with the description of
school violence by Crawage (2005) that school violence can be physical and emotional
and involves the exercise of power over others by a single person or group of people.
Forms of school violence in schools
The study revealed that the most common form of violence is bullying; this was con-
South African Journal of Education; 2013; 33(3) 11
firmed by most learner respondents in their schools. The study revealed that older boys
were the perpetrators of this form of school violence. The above findings are consistent
with literature (Prinsloo, 2008; Smit, 2007).
Vandalism was found to be a major problem in all the schools investigated in this
study. This finding is consistent with the literature (Matsoga, 2003; Prinsloo & Neser,
2007). A study conducted by Matsoga (2003:116) found that,
“There was a definite lack of concern on the part of students over property van-
dalized by their peers. Some students suffered extreme emotional distress over the
loss of irreplaceable property such as lecture notes, student files, as well as per-
sonal belongings”.
The majority of the learners blamed older learners, especially boys, as the alleged
perpetrators of violence in schools. The study also revealed that new initiates
(amakrwala) are a problem in many schools because they force themselves on girls.
The initiates also bully young boys. The problem is so serious that the police have
been called to intervene. Some learners said they were scared of going out during
break time and after school because the perpetrators and their friends from the com-
munity would wait for them outside the school gate. For many learners going to school
was no longer enjoyable because they were exposed to many forms of school violence.
The study also found that educators were the major perpetrators of corporal punish-
ment in schools. This finding is consistent with the findings of a study conducted by
Human Rights Watch (2008).
In addition, the study found that young learners, especially those in Grades 8 and
9, were vulnerable to school violence. By virtue of their age, these young learners
cannot defend themselves against bullies. Girls are also targeted by the perpetrators
because they are more vulnerable due to being physically weaker. Harber (2001)
reported that many children in South Africa were born and bred in violent situations
and are used to violence. Chabedi (2003) also reported that violent behaviour has
become a norm for many South African young people because during the apartheid era
it was used to defy and destroy apartheid. The same scenario was reported by learners
and educators who participated in this study. For example, learners bring dangerous
weapons to school and attack each other and educators using these weapons. Literature
concurs with the above findings (Harber, 2001; Lockhat & Van Niekerk, 2000; Prins-
loo, 2008).
The safety of learners and educators can no longer be guaranteed in our schools
(Bucher & Manning, 2003). School violence presents educators with many challenges
and is now a threat to teaching as a profession. Smit (2007:53) noted, “Securing the
school premises and being strict about who is admitted to the school grounds is a
practical problem that demands practical solutions”. The researchers observed that the
schools visited had no security checks and that this puts valuable teaching aids, such
as computers, at risk.
The study found that learners bring dangerous weapons to school and use them
South African Journal of Education; 2013; 33(3)
12
to attack other learners. Learners are vulnerable to attacks from their fellow learners
who terrorise them on the school premises. The guidelines and rules on the safety of
learners and educators clearly stipulate that schools are gun-free zones and dangerous
weapons are not permissible on the premises. These guidelines and rules appear to be
disregarded because learners and educators continue to be attacked within the school
premises. Easy access to schools by outsiders makes learners and educators easy
victims of people who enter the premises unnoticed and leave after assaulting learners
or educators, or selling drugs. The above findings are consistent with literature (De
Wet, 2006; Van Jaarsveld, 2008).
Indiscipline results in school violence and makes the school environment non-
conducive to learning and teaching. Indiscipline can be linked to chaos and loss of
time, hence no effective teaching and learning can take place. For example, the
majority of the learner respondents in this study reported that a great amount of time
was lost whilst trying to resolve violence related problems. Garegae (2008) concurs
with these findings.
Most educators in South Africa have been exposed to the situations described
above. It is inconceivable that a learner could stab or shoot a classmate and come back
and sit in the same classroom with him or her. Educators who participated in this study
were not happy with the rules and regulations imposed by the DoE. Vally, Dolombisa
and Porteus (2002:85) found that, “The rampant violence against students and school
staff has been pervasive, disruptive and has severely impeded South Africa’s schools
in their efforts to improve education and address issues of equity in communities
where it is most needed”. This suggests that the effect of school violence on learning
and teaching is devastating and, as a result, the educational goals of schools cannot be
attained.
In addition, educators are forced to deal with large classes of more than 60 lear-
ners in one class. Both learners and educators reported that overcrowded classes are
a problem because misbehaviour goes unnoticed and the rate of theft is very high.
Furthermore, the educators reported that overcrowded classes are difficult to control
and this impacts negatively on the academic performance of learners. Literature avail-
able (De Wet, 2006; Matsoga, 2003) supports the above findings.
Causes of school violence
The study revealed the following as causes of school violence: violence/crime in the
community; indiscipline; intolerance; easy access to school premises; unemployment;
poverty; lack of recreational facilities; and overcrowding. Studies available on the
causes of school violence support the above findings (Harber & Muthukrishna, 2000;
Prinsloo, 2008; Prinsloo & Neser, 2007; Van Jaarsveld, 2008).
Effects of school violence on learning and teaching
The learners interviewed reported that bullying affects them negatively. The study also
found that school violence had the following effects on learners: poor academic per-
South African Journal of Education; 2013; 33(3) 13
formance; bunking of classes; chaos and lost time; and depression. These findings con-
cur with the literature (De Wet, 2006; Prinsloo, 2008; Smit, 2007).
Conclusion
This study investigated the nature, causes and effects of school violence on schools.
The study revealed that school violence is a global problem that requires an integrated
approach where educators, parents and learners work together.
The study found that bullying, vandalism, gangsterism, indiscipline, intolerance,
and corporal punishment were the most prevalent forms of school violence in schools.
It also found that school violence had the following effects on learners: loss of con-
centration; poor academic performance; bunking of classes; chaos and lost time; and
depression. All these causes of school violence have a negative impact on learning and
teaching.
Recommendations
Based on the findings, the following recommendations should be implemented in order
to reduce school violence:
• It is recommended that schools should educate learners, educators and parents
about these forms of violence prevalent in schools. Schools could conduct aware-
ness seminars and workshops on the above-mentioned forms of school violence.
Learners should be taught to tolerate others through teamwork during lessons.
• Since some boys have been found to be perpetrators of school violence, young
learners or victims should be encouraged to report their perpetrators to the school
authorities. Any learner found bullying other learners should be disciplined by the
school. The school should make the parents aware of their child’s bullying before
the child is suspended from classes.
• In order to protect schools against gangsterism and vandalism, more personnel
should be employed to monitor entrances to schools.
• Any teachers found using corporal punishment on learners should be charged in
a court of law since corporal punishment is banned in South African schools.
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