Reimagining school safety: innovative strategies to prevent and address pupil violence

PARENTAL GUARDIANSHIP

- PROFESSOR SURIAMURTHEE MAISTRY

SCHOOL violence is not a phenomenon that is only prevalent in South Africa. It is, in fact, a problem that almost all schooling systems across the world have to deal with.

The recent fatal stabbing of a Grade 11 pupil at Lesedi Secondary School, in Gauteng, by a fellow pupil, is yet another instance which suggests that there is a serious need to rethink the current anti-violence school policy.

What is becoming increasingly clear is that conventional disciplinary and security approaches have limited effectiveness in sustaining long-term change and that there is indeed a need for alternative ways of preventing violence in South African schools.

Research on violence in South Africa reveals that there is a strong correlation between levels of violence, and levels of poverty and unemployment.

Contexts

Where socio-economic conditions are dire, such areas are likely to be more susceptible to school violence than better-resourced contexts, mainly because communities with high unemployment and poverty often do not have the necessary social cohesion and informal social controls to deter violent behaviour.

Such communities have fewer good role models, mentors and positive peer influences.

It is not unusual to expect that when families struggle financially, community institutions are weak and schools become places where violence is likely to manifest.

Having said that, it is also important to understand that poverty in itself does not automatically cause violence or that all poor children will be violent.

There is much evidence in South Africa that many poor children show enormous resilience and do succeed academically, even in the context of severe destitution.

While deprived socio-economic environments present conditions that might breed violence, school violence is also prevalent in former Model C and private schools in South Africa.