Your child is my child! The plea to address challenges of school violence in South Africa

Abstract

The incidence of violence in schools and their surroundings is increasing. Although violence within schools is not a new phenomenon, the recent spate of attacks in South African schools resulting in the loss of lives of both learners and educators has raised serious concerns. This study aimed to develop an in-depth understanding of the challenges experienced by educators in addressing violence in schools. This study applied a ‘qualitative research approach’ to develop an in-depth understanding of the challenges experienced by educators in addressing violence in schools. The objectives were to explore and describe the challenges educators face in addressing violence in schools and make recommendations. Only educators from the four schools in Soweto, Braamfischerville, Gauteng Province, South Africa, were selected by employing ‘purposive sampling’. The study was guided by two theoretical frameworks: social learning theory and Ubuntu philosophy. The data was analysed using Tesch's eight steps, with ethical considerations considered. The results indicate a rising trend of violence in schools, which is exacerbated by the lack of sufficient resources and effective disciplinary measures to tackle this issue. The study also underscores that Ubuntu is the cornerstone in communities and emphasises an urgent need for the government to collaborate with educators and provide them with the necessary support to mitigate the challenges of school violence.

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Mohale T. and Skhosana R. M. (2024). Your child is my child! The plea to address challenges of school violence in South Africa. African Journal of Social Work, 14(6), 396-406. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v14i6.11