South African school pupils will have to sign a national code of conduct in a bid to curb behaviour that has increasingly turned playgrounds into battlefields, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says.
The code will be rolled out in the coming financial year after complaints of bullying and in the face of the growing trend of physical and verbal attacks at schools shared on social media, the organisation says.
It deals specifically with bullying, which includes “physical and sexual violence, threats, gestures, teasing, social exclusion or other psychological violence or verbal, written or electronic communication, cyberbullying, and the possession or dissemination of any content, including sexual or explicit content, whether real or simulated, without the permission of the persons displayed in the content, whether such persons are visible or not”.
The code classifies bullying as serious misconduct, which is subject to particular disciplinary procedures and sanctions.
“The SAHRC is concerned about growing reports of bullying, as reported by the basic education minister. The commission is in the process of finalising the model code of conduct with the view to address systemic intervention rather than addressing bullying individually,” said commissioner Tshepo Madlingozi.
“The model code of conduct is a constitutionally compliant model school code of conduct that the commission, together with the basic education department, intends to have all schools either adopt wholesale or adapt to suit their needs while retaining the essence and provisions of the code.
“The rights and responsibilities campaign will capacitate learners on school codes of conduct and respect for the rights of learners and teachers. Challenges such as extortion are also presenting a growing trend, where younger pupils are forced to give money to their older counterparts,” said Madlingozi.
This week footage taken at Mdingi High School in KwaZulu-Natal went viral on social media, showing violent clashes involving several pupils assaulting, kicking, stoning and caning each other.
The education department recently revealed that more than 548 cases of bullying had been reported in schools since the academic year began on January 15.
Limpopo had the highest number of cases at 305, followed by North West with 78, the Eastern Cape 68, KwaZulu-Natal 29, Mpumalanga 26, Gauteng 23, the Western Cape 11, the Northern Cape seven and the Free State one.
University of KwaZulu-Natal’s South African research chair in peace and justice education, Prof Vaughn John, and postdoctoral fellow Suhana Jacobs, warn that these figures likely represent just the “tip of the iceberg” as many incidents go unreported due to shame, fear of retaliation and a lack of trust in the authorities.
Parents’ roles are absolutely crucial. Moms are pretty much doing everything they can. It’s the dads who need to step up to discipline, guide and model the way for young boys
— Craig Wilkinson, Father A Nation
Cases of cyberbullying and violence outside school premises also often go unreported due to confusion over where to report them and who is responsible for addressing them.
John and Jacobs emphasise school violence stems from multiple factors.
“South Africa remains a 'violent society' with long histories of responding to conflict with violence. Schools mirror the contexts in which they are located. Learners receive very little guidance on how to deal with conflict without resorting to violence. Such guidance should come from modelling in the home and community, supported via teaching, policy, and the overall climate in schools,” they say.
“Learners struggle with self-confidence, anger, impulse control, masculinity issues and desires to ‘fit in’. These challenges may fuel bullying and violent behaviour. Bullies have often been bullied themselves or exposed to violence at an early age, creating cycles of bullying and trauma-violence.”
“High levels of substance abuse and gang activity in some communities also influence rates of bullying and violence affecting young people. Schools feel overwhelmed and unsupported with the levels of social challenges they face,” they said.
Educational psychologist Lindsay Lamont also pointed to social and financial inequality within schools, violence being normalised by adults and peers and a lack of role models who promote positive conflict resolution as contributing to the crisis.
Afrika Tikkun Bambanani’s Pascale Bakos highlighted the importance of early intervention.
“Children as young as three or four begin to develop patterns of interaction, making it crucial to introduce anti-bullying strategies at this stage. By fostering empathy, kindness and positive conflict resolution skills early on, educators and parents can significantly reduce bullying in later years.”
Father A Nation’s Craig Wilkinson says fathers need to play a bigger role.
“Parents’ roles are absolutely crucial. Moms are pretty much doing everything they can. It’s the dads who need to step up to discipline, guide and model the way for young boys. When boys don’t have that, they turn to gangs and peers for identity, often displaying their strength in inappropriate ways. That’s a major societal issue.”
The education department did not respond to requests for comment. However, minister of basic education Siviwe Gwarube recently announced that the department had developed an “Addressing Bullying in Schools” manual, set for release in June.
But for many parents, this does little to ease their fears.
Kim Pillay, a concerned parent at Centenary Secondary school where there were two stabbings in February and March said: “I'm still reeling from the shocking incidents. My daughter's start to high school has been marred by violence, and it's heartbreaking to see our children exposed to trauma in a place where they should feel safe.”
She was worried about the long-term effects on her daughter's emotional wellbeing and academic performance.
“We expect schools to provide a reasonably safe and secure environment. It’s unacceptable our kids are exposed to such peer-on-peer violence.”
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