Learners' experiences of gender-based violence : a case study at a co-educational primary school in Durban.
Loading...
Date
2012
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This is a qualitative study of girls’ and boys’ understanding and experiences of genderbased
violence in one co-educational primary school in KwaZulu-Natal. The study sought
to get insights into the problem of gender-based violence by investigating the lived
experiences of both male and female learners within the school context. The aim of the
study was to unveil forms of gender-based violence that the learners experience and some
contributory factors, as well as the strategies for alleviating gender-based violence in this
schooling context.
The study adopted a qualitative case study research design. It employed semi-structured
interviews as its method of data collection and these took the form of focus group
interviews and individual in-depth interviews. A total of eight learners (four girls and four
boys) participated in the study.
The study found that there was a high incidence of gender-based violence in the school
under study. This took the form of demeaning gendered comments, unfounded sexual
rumours, sexualized gestures and jokes, sexual harassment, bullying and corporal
punishment. Some school spaces, peer pressure, media and dominant discourses of gender
were found to be some factors contributing to gender-based violence in this school. The
findings indicate that boys are the group most culpable of continuing the cycle of genderbased
violence by perpetrating acts of aggression on others learners. Boys drew on
dominant discourses of gender in this context, which generally accord power to
masculinities, at the expense of femininities. The resultant inequitable gendered power
relations played a vital role in the perpetuation of the cycle of gender-based violence in the
school. The study also finds that school teachers too were implicated in acts of gendervii
based violence, which mainly took the form of assaulting learners, both male and female. In
addition, teachers display a general acceptance of gender-based violence incidents as
normal children’s behaviour, and take no remedial actions to stop such abuses.
The study offers some suggestions that relevant stakeholders could employ to address
gender-based violence at schools. These include supplementing teacher education
curriculum, to provide training on how to deal with gender-based violence, a campaign to
bring about greater awareness in schools and in the communities where parents are
involved, additional professional support for schools and setting up structures for learner
peer support.
Description
Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2012.
Keywords
School children--Violence against--KwaZulu-Natal--Durban., Social justice--KwaZulu-Natal--Durban., Education, Primary--KwaZulu-Natal--Durban., Theses--Education.