School violence: a multidimensional educational nemesis

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Date
2012-01
Authors
Jacobs, Lynette
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Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa affirms the right to freedom and security for the people of South Africa, as well as the right to education. However, these rights are violated in schools by occurrences of violence. The media regularly report incidences of school violence that take place in some schools across the country. Even in schools that never attract the attention of the media, school violence is ever‐present. In many schools school violence is normalised and stakeholders feel powerless to deal with the problem. However, because school violence has a detrimental effect on teaching and learning at schools and violates the learners’ right to education in a safe environment, role‐players have to face school violence and take steps to deal with it. This can only be done if school violence is fully understood. The aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon of school violence in South Africa. I worked from the assumption that school‐violence role‐players are not passive conduits, but that they have certain inner capabilities, which give them individual judgement and decisionmaking autonomy. I did three independent studies to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of school violence in the South African context in a triangulation mixedmethod design. Burke’s dramatism theory was used as a framework for analysis. Firstly, I did a media analysis of articles on school violence that appeared in South African newspapers during the course of one year. The objective of this study was to understand the perceptions that are created, and the sense that is made of school violence through media reporting. The second study is a literature study to understand how school violence is reported on in research publications. I limited my literature study to mainly publications that focused on the South African context in peer‐reviewed journals. The third study is a survey that was conducted in 11 secondary schools from 3 provinces. The aim of this study was to understand school violence through the experiences of learners as victims and onlookers. An international questionnaire, adapted for the South African demographical context, was administered to a non‐probability sample of 690 learners. School violence is complex and it has many faces, some of which are hard to notice. Consequently newspaper reports on school violence are very limited and they fail to sensitise the public. Scientific knowledge on the topic is also limited. Although the kinds of acts vary in various school contexts, school violence is a common occurrence in South African schools. Results from the survey refute stereotypical thinking about so‐called vulnerable schools, but confirm findings based on the literature study that large schools, in particular, are susceptible to school violence. The results from the three studies suggest that, while outsiders in various capacities are sometimes involved in school violence dramas, most actors are those that spend their days at school. An examination of the three studies in juxtaposition clearly revealed that learners and staff members are all alike guilty of school violence, although they are also the victims and the onlookers. Sexual school violence is a constant menace, and so is corporal punishment. Weapons and other instruments are brought to school and used on others, and this phenomenon is not limited to certain categories of schools. Although there are many reasons for school violence, there is no single explanation for the ever‐present threat of school violence at schools. Most acts of school violence seem to happen randomly, often in instant retaliation. Based on my research, I recommend that schools should sensitise role‐players to the many faces of school violence, and regularly explore the state of affairs at their own schools so that they can make informed decisions. All schools should take steps to prevent any armed person from entering the school premises, and they should also be aware of how everyday objects are used to victimise others. Furthermore, schools should realise that acts of school violence can happen at any time and in any place; therefore, they have to ensure that there is adequate supervision in all possible areas. Every school should take steps to strengthen support for all individuals in the school so as to make role‐players feel accepted and respected.
Afrikaans: Die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid‐Afrika onderskryf die reg tot vryheid en sekuriteit vir die mense van Suid‐Afrika, asook die reg tot onderwys. Hierdie regte word egter deur die voorkoms van geweld in skole geskend. Die media rapporteer gereeld oor voorvalle van skoolgeweld wat landswyd by sommige skole voorkom. Selfs by skole wat nooit die aandag van die media trek nie, is skoolgeweld immer teenwoordig. Skoolgeweld word by talle skole as normaal beskou en belanghebbers is magteloos om die probleem aan te spreek. Omdat skoolgeweld egter ’n skadelike uitwerking op leer en onderrig by skole het, en dit die leerders se reg tot onderwys in ’n veilige omgewing skend, sal rolspelers die realiteit van skoolgeweld moet begin aanvaar en stappe doen om dit aan te spreek. Dit kan alleenlik gedoen word indien skoolgeweld ten volle verstaan word. Die doel van hierdie studie is om ’n bydrae te lewer tot ’n begrip vir die verskynsel van skoolgeweld in Suid‐Afrika. Ek gaan uit van die standpunt dat rolspelers by skoolgeweld nie bloot passiewe geleiers is nie, maar dat hulle oor die innerlike vaardighede beskik wat aan hulle individuele oordeel en besluitnemende outonomie bied. Ek het drie onafhanklike studies onderneem ten einde ’n beter begrip van die verskynsel van skoolgeweld in die Suid‐Afrikaanse konteks te bekom deur middel van ’n trianguleerende gemengdemetode‐ontwerp. Burke se dramatisme‐teorie is as raamwerk vir analise gebruik. Ek het eerstens ’n media‐analise gedoen van artikels oor skoolgeweld wat oor ’n tydperk van ’n jaar in Suid‐Afrikaanse koerante verskyn het. Die oogmerk met hierdie studie was om ’n begrip te kry van die persepsies wat geskep word, asook die sin wat deur middel van mediaberiggewing van skoolgeweld gemaak word. Die tweede studie is ’n literatuurstudie om te bepaal hoe skoolgeweld in navorsingspublikasies gerapporteer word. Ek het my literatuurstudie hoofsaaklik beperk tot publikasies wat op die Suid‐Afrikaanse konteks in ewekniebeoordeelde vaktydskrifte gefokus het. Die derde studie het ’n ondersoek behels wat in 11 sekondêre skole in 3 provinsies gedoen is. Die doel met hierdie studie was om skoolgeweld vanuit die ervarings van leerders as slagoffers en omstanders te verstaan. ’n Internasionale vraelys, wat vir die Suid‐Afrikaanse demografiese konteks aangepas is, is gedurende ’n nie‐waarskynlikheidsteekproef by 690 leerders afgeneem. Skoolgeweld is kompleks en het talle aangesigte, waarvan sommige moeilik waarneembaar is. Gevolglik is koerantberigte oor skoolgeweld baie beperk en slaag hulle nie daarin om die publiek genoegsaam bewus te maak van die verskynsel nie. Vakkundige kennis oor die onderwerp is ook beperk. Alhoewel die tipes skoolgeweld varieer in verskillende skoolkontekste, kom skoolgeweld algemeen in Suid‐Afrikaanse skole voor. Die resultate van die meningsopname weerlê die stereotipiese denke rakende sogenaamde kwesbare skole, maar bevestig die bevindings gebaseer op die literatuurstudie dat veral groot skole ontvanklik vir skoolgeweld is. Die resultate van die drie studies dui daarop dat, terwyl buitestaanders in verskeie hoedanighede soms by dramas rondom skoolgeweld betrokke is, die oorwegende groep rolspelers diegene is wat hulle dae by die skool deurbring. ’n Ondersoek waarin die drie studies teenoor mekaar gestel is, het duidelik uitgewys dat leerders en personeellede ewe aandadig aan skoolgeweld is, alhoewel hulle ook die slagoffers en toeskouers is. Seksuele skoolgeweld sowel as lyfstraf is ’n konstante bedreiging. Wapens en ander instrumente word skool toe gebring en in geweld teenoor ander persone gebruik, en hierdie verskynsel is nie slegs tot sekere kategorieë skole beperk nie. Alhoewel daar baie oorsake vir skoolgeweld is, bestaan daar nie ’n enkele verduideliking vir die immer‐teenwoordige bedreiging van skoolgeweld by skole nie. Die meeste voorvalle van skoolgeweld skyn toevallig te gebeur, dikwels as onmiddellike weerwraak. Op grond van die navorsing beveel ek aan dat skole rolspelers bewus behoort te maak van die talle gesigte van skoolgeweld, en gereeld die stand van sake by hulle eie skole te ondersoek sodat hulle ingeligte besluite kan neem. Alle skole behoort stappe te doen om te verhoed dat enige gewapende persoon die skoolterrein betree, en hulle behoort bewus daarvan te wees hoe alledaagse voorwerpe gebruik kan word om ander te viktimiseer. Verder behoort skole te besef dat voorvalle van skoolgeweld ter enige tyd en op enige plek kan voorkom, en daarom moet hulle verseker dat daar toereikende toesig in alle moontlike plekke is. Elke skool behoort stappe te doen om ondersteuning vir alle individuele in die skool te verseker, ten einde rolspelers aanvaar en gerespekteer te laat voel.
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Keywords
Thesis (Ph.D. (Interdisciplinary in Education))--University of the Free State, 2012, School violence -- South Africa, School violence -- Research -- Methodology, School violence -- Prevention -- South Africa, Mass media -- Influence -- South Africa, Mass media -- Social aspects -- South Africa, Survey, Framing analysis, Literature study, Media analysis, Burke’s dramatism
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