Strategies to Prevent Leaner-on-Educator Violence in South African Schools

Abstract

School violence is singled out by many researchers as an area of salient concern, both nationally and internationally. Moreover, learner-on-educator violence has become a phenomenon of great concern in schools worldwide; and no school is ruled out of this challenge. Various studies in the field of school violence focus on the safety of learners at schools, with inadequate attention paid to violence perpetrated against educators in school environments. Although some local studies on school-related violence do focus on educator-on-learner violence and the causes thereof, little or no studies have been conducted on coping strategies to deal with this concern. This literature study focused on learner-on-educator violence in South African schools and the coping strategies that educators use or can use to manage and restrict violence perpetrated against them. Located in the constructivist research paradigm, this study emanated from an empirical study by the authors on how educators, as victims of school violence, experience and understand learner-on-educator violence in the school environment. The findings of the current study revealed that South African educators use different coping strategies such as departmental directives; collegial support; in-school training programmes; monitoring of classroom access; collaboration with the school environment and participation of parents. It is concluded that these strategies are pertinent in stimulating the reduction of learner-on-educator violence in South African schools.

Teachers’ lived experiences of school violence and their coping strategies

“…Sibisi (2021) states that counsellors, psychologists and social workers can identify and provide the required assistance (before they harm other learners or teachers) to learners who pose a danger to schools. According to Botha and Zwane (2021), South African teachers cope better when there is a prevention programme offering emotional support and workshops on conflict management to equip them with the necessary skills to manage school violence. Moon and McCluskey (2020) emphasise that in such circumstances, teachers need psychological assistance from healthcare professionals such as counsellors, psychologists and alternative mental-health specialists to address their problems.…”

“…Moreover, teachers acknowledged requiring the services generally to deal with their personal and professional problems, apart from school violence. Botha and Zwane (2021) agree that South African teachers cope better when a prevention programme offers emotional support and workshops on conflict management skills to equip them with the necessary strategies to manage school violence. Additionally, Moon and McCluskey (2020) suggest that teachers need psychological assistance from healthcare professionals such as counsellors, psychologists and alternative mental health specialists to address their problems and function optimally.…”

A new phenomenon of Learner-on-Educator-Violence: A case of two secondary schools in Umlazi Township, Durban

“…All four kinds of violence can be found in formal schooling indirect, repressive, and alienating violence as defined above contribute to a context that increases the possibility and occurrence of direct forms of violence in schools. In terms of types of behaviours, spreading of rumours, social exclusion, making fun of someone, hitting and even killings were the most frequently reported (Hatzichristou et al,, 2012;Yang et al, 2021;and Botha, 2021). Wilson (2006) added that there are various forms of violence that are understood and expressed within a framework of heterosexual gender relations.…”

“…A range of needs exists among learners and within the education system which must all be met if effective learning and development is to be provided and sustained in schools (Department of Education, 1997;Mncube & Madikizela-Madiya, 2017;Botha, 2021). In recognising this, it follows that the education system must be structured and function in such a way that it can accommodate a diversity of learner needs and system needs.…”

The Negative Consequence of Teacher Directed Violence to Student Learning

“…Teachers who reported experiences of being threatened with injury or being assaulted by a student were more likely to move to a different school the following year (Curran, Viano, & Fisher, 2019;Zurawiecki, 2013). Teachers have very often accepted that they have lost control over their classrooms; very often, they do not know of methods that can be used to replace corporal punishment with other non-violent corrective techniques (Botha & Zwane, 2021).…”