School violence – a TTUTA perspective

THE ISSUE of school violence has been with us for a long time. Even as we try to grapple once again with this issue, TTUTA as its contribution to this national dialogue reproduces a three-part series first published in 2015. This is the third time we have deemed this as necessary as it is as pertinent today as it was nine years ago. The intervention needed must be derived from a position of collective responsibility, if we are to make any headway in eliminating this social scourge with the tremendous potential to disrupt the very fibre of our society. This three-part series will explore some dimensions of school violence and attempt to offer some approaches teachers can adopt in treating with the issue.

Part I

Once again, the ugly spectre of school violence has resurfaced in the national media and as usual many people are expressing surprise at this reality. However, for us teachers this has become commonplace in the nation’s schools. Unfortunately, the cries of teachers have been falling on deaf ears for a long time regarding this issue and the wider national community still has its head buried in the sand thinking that the nation’s youth are only engaging in violent conduct while at school, so it’s a school problem.

The first step to treating with this social problem is firstly acknowledging that we have a problem. Only then can we begin to come to grips with the magnitude and dimension of the problem by exploring its root causes. Deriving a clear understanding will then pave the way for solutions.

One must also acknowledge that the problem did not just magically happen overnight but has been in the making for the last two decades or even more. School violence is the result of a combination of socialisation factors, and these are well documented in the literature.

Many young people reject the curriculum that is being offered and do not see education as the means by which they can ascend the social ladder. They accept that the odds are against them when it comes to school success since the school system is designed to ensure that the majority of students are certified as failures.

This process begins very early in our primary schools and progressively builds as the child moves from one level to the other. Teachers also tend to ignore these "slow" learners and focus on those who can cope with a curriculum that essentially focuses on numeracy and literacy, and not on emotional well-being as a precondition to learning.

These students usually hail from homes that have not been able to provide the kind of social support and discipline that would ensure a high premium is placed on the acquisition of education. This value for education must be instilled in children from a tender age and all available resources, albeit scarce, must be allocated to ensure children are successful at school, no matter what their economic circumstances.

This kind of thinking, which must be continuously reinforced by parents and other family members, then guides students to see school as a ticket to a better life, thereby discouraging them from rejecting the school system and mapping alternative criminal pathways to success in life. It also enables them to be better able to adjust to the demands of school.

Armed with that firm belief that school and the opportunity it presents will tend to keep students’ behaviour in check and, with the help and support of school personnel and the home environment, students will not see it necessary to descend to acts of violence as a means of establishing their presence and identity. Schooling will take on new meaning and purpose and this will prevent feelings of marginalisation which lead to anger and frustration.

The absence of such a success-promoting culture forces students to lash out violently against those around them, including those in authority (teachers) and even the school building (vandalism). Unfortunately, this is no longer an anomaly; school violence is becoming a norm – a truly sad state of affairs.

This is a state of affairs that we can no longer ignore. This is not a "school problem;" it is a national problem since there is the very distinct likelihood that these school bullies and deviant students may escalate to criminal behaviours that will impact the wider society. To bring about meaningful change to this situation will require all of us to become a part of the solution.

In our second part we will look at the need to understand the root of the problem.