Learner Violence In African Schools: Gangsterism

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Learner Violence is behavior by learners attempting to inflict physical or psychological on another person or to damage school property. The scourge of violence in South African schools is a cause of concern, daily reports in written and electronic media show high levels of learner violence, bullying, sexual harassment, injury, and gangsterism activities in South African Schools.

Violence does not take place in a vacuum; it is influenced by Contextual factors. Learner Violence often occurs in lower-income Communities in South Africa.

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Socio-economic factors such as poverty can make people feel disempowered and frustrated by their circumstances, leading them to use violence as a means of asserting power and being in control. For example, on the 13th of September 2018, it was on news headlines that a boy aged 17 years who attended a high school in Zeerust, North West, was arrested after allegedly stabbing a teacher to death. The Department of Education Spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said, it “seems there was an altercation regarding feeding the boy.

” According to the Spokesperson, the boy was in a queue and was reprimanded by the teacher. He took it personally and went home and came back the next day only to find the teacher inside the classroom where he stabbed him.

This kind of violence where the injury is inflicted on another person has become a common feature of many South African Schools. Learners carry dangerous weapons to schools and use them to harm both learners and educators. In, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, a 16-year-old boy was stabbed by two of his classmates at a school in Inanda.

Increased exposure to violence at home or in Communities, Violent games, and television programs can also influence the prevalence of violence in schools. In a community where violence is a common feature and substance abuse is a norm, in schools in such communities the rate of learner Violence is high. Learners are likely to practice what they experience in their respective environments.

Sexual assault is another form of violence that has become a constant feature in South Africans Schools and victims are afraid to talk about it due to fear of not being believed and fear of being blamed for the abuse. The other reason is that learners who abuse others are also often school bullies, and again victims are intimidated into not reporting. One of the causes of Sexual assault amongst others is abusive power and control (also controlling behavior and Coercive Control) which is the way that an abusive person gains and maintains power and control over another person to subject that victim to sexual abuse. The motivations of the abuser are varied and can include personal gain, personal gratification, psychological projection, or just for the sake of enjoyment of exercising power and control. For example, in August 2018 there was a report into allegations of Sexual assault at Parktown Boys’ High School in Johannesburg. It said that the school had practices that include “Sexually predatory behavior” by senior learners against junior learners, a culture of and Sexual assault. A former Parktown Boys’ High School assistant water polo coach was found guilty of 114 counts of sexual assault and 12 counts of common assault. The hostel master faced 327 counts of Sexual assault but pleaded guilty to 144 counts of sexual assault. Between January 2017 and April 2018 Gauteng schools expelled 31 learners for assaulting teachers and other school staff.

Learner violence is seen mostly in schools that are mismanaged and lack effective leadership. This often creates spaces for incidences of learner violence to exist. One of the most common forms of learner violence in South African Schools is bullying. Learners who are engaged in bullying seem to need to feel powerful and in control. Because schools are mismanaged and policies are not in place or not used, learners misbehave. Due to this reason, an imbalance of power is seen in schools and it has the potential of impacting learners both physically and psychologically. In most cases parties involved in bullying are minors, but teachers are also victims of bullying. In most cases, female educators are sometimes harassed by both boys and girls. Bullying can occur in nearly any part in or around the school building, though it more often occurs during school breaks, in hallways, bathrooms, school buses, classes that require group work, and after-school activities. For example, in November 2018 at Kimberley Boys’ High School, a learner is caught on a video that went viral throwing water in his teacher’s face while his classmate's crow in the background. In Gauteng at Albertina Sisulu Special School, the education department expelled a learner who threw a stone at a teacher, causing the teacher to suffer minor injuries. In the video of the incident that occurred in November 2018 the learner can be seen chasing the teacher out of the school hall. The teacher runs away, while other learners try to stop the learner.

Also in September 2018, an a15-year old learner from Eldorado Park, Johannesburg, was arrested after he allegedly pulled out a toy gun, pointed it at his teacher, and threatened to shoot.

According to the report on news24, the teacher confronted the grade 8 learner for wearing a beanie at school. Instead of taking it off, he pulled out a gun.

Another example is an incident that happened in November 2012 at Phineas Xulu Secondary School in Vosloorus. According to headline news, the grade 10 learner was shot dead by a grade 10 learner who accused him of bullying him.

Gangsterism is also rising rapidly and is a serious concern in South African Schools. It is one of the external factors that cause violence in schools.

When families become dysfunctional and discordant many children choose to leave their family's homes, opting to spend their time on streets where they are gradually drawn into gang-related and criminal activities. The sad current fact in South Africa is that gang violence is often born out of the need and a socially disadvantaged situation. Sometimes, innocent learners can be drawn or forced into violent behavior, alcohol, and drug abuse by joining gangs, as this provides them with a sense of belongings.

Shootings, stabbings, and physical and emotional violence take place in both public and private schools.

When families become dysfunctional and discordant many children choose to leave their family homes, opting to spend their time on the streets where they are gradually drawn into gang-related and criminal activities. The current fact in South Africa is that gang violence is often born out of the need and a socially disadvantaged situation. Sometimes, innocent learners can be drawn or forced into violent behavior, alcohol, and drug abuse by joining gangs, as this provides them with a sense of belonging.

These activities often take place during break time and in-class which is unattended by the teacher. For example, in August 2018, a grade 10 learner was stabbed to death by a schoolmate at Kwamasakhane High School in KwaZulu-Natal.

In February 2017, at Lekhulong Secondary School in Rocklands, Bloemfontein, two learners were stabbed to death due to gang-related matters. On the 23rd of September, 2017 young man holding guns and knives were allegedly seen vandalizing property and attacking school learners in Petunia, Kagisho, Ikaelelo, Marang, and Guyane.

Learner violence in schools hurts both teaching and learning.