Gender Violence In Schools

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION OF THE STUDY

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The study seeks to investigate the views pertaining to learners, teachers and parents on gender violence in schools. These views are vital in understanding and dealing with gender violence in schools.

The United Nations regards violence in schools as one of the main social concerns and it should receive appropriate attention (United Nations, 2006). This is because such violent behaviours limits the basic benefits provided through education, and in some cases causes poor health or leads to a range of psychological traumas for the victims of gender violence (ibid). The World Report on Violence against Children has further identified the different forms of violence

Morrell (1998) and Bhana (2005) contend that gender violence in the school context in African countries has been identified as a considerable problem and necessitates serious consideration. In South African context, gender violence is a widespread problem of substantial concern. Social and economic conditions in South African townships exacerbated by history of apartheid have created a climate for violence against females (Bhana, 2005). According to Meier (2002) gender violence is also inextricably linked to social problems such as poverty. Poverty has been linked to the prevalence of gender violence in schools; poverty may mean that essential goods, school fees or extra tutoring are out of reach for many learners. Girls, in particular, may be vulnerable to engaging in exploitative sexual relationships with teachers in order to meet these educational needs. In fact, teachers are occasionally the perpetrators of such violence in schools. For example, girls have been threatened with school failure for not having sex with a teacher (Jewkes, 2000). In addition, adolescent girls may face economic pressures to allow older men to be their ‘sugar daddies’ in exchanging sex for presents, to pass to the next grade or money for themselves and or families (Hunter, Jewkes and Abrahams,

According to Maree (2012) qualitative research is on a naturalistic approach that seeks to understand phenomena in context (real world settings). Further, in general, the researcher does not attempt to manipulate the phenomena of interest. In other words, research is carried out in real-life situations and not in an experimental (test-retest) situation. The study employed a narrative inquiry which rely on the stories of learners, teachers and parents. Clandinin & Rosiek (2007) state that narrative inquiry is the study of experience through narratives of the participants and the research has to think reflexively and narratively through the research process. Through such narratives from participants, gender violence at school was explored from the views of the learners, teachers and