NATURE AND EXTENT OF SCHOOL VIOLENCE IN THE GAUTENG

Abstract

Incidents of school violence are frequently reported in the South African media. Due to these media reports, school violence is increasingly perceived as a major problem in South Africa. It is hard to evaluate media statements because studies are dispersed and statistics are fragmented. The media reports can lead to wrong or misplaced interventions or programmes to reduce school violence. This research combined the dispersed studies of school violence in order to evaluate, amongst other things, if the popular view is correct or not. This study found that school violence accounts for less than 0.01% of deaths of among children aged 18 years and less in the Gauteng province per year. This figure is lower compared to deaths, which is 1%, of children of the same age in the developed countries. From the research findings recommendations were made to reduce school violence in Gauteng schools