Azande’s strength lay in her sporting ability. She excelled in sport. She represented her athletic house on a yearly basis and won many medals each year for featuring among the top three fastest runners in her division. She also represented the school at Ward level in athletics
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and netball. She enjoyed sport. She is tall and well built. However, whilst her physique bears testimony to her athletic prowess, her stature also belied her age. Academically, she
underachieved. Her teacher noted that she was struggling academically at school. Teachers’
notes in the learner profile indicated that Azande was displaying problematic behaviour in the classroom.
Figure 22: Documentation taken from the learner profile
Upon speaking to her, the teacher noted that domestic violence featured prominently in her life. The teacher subsequently completed Form 2512 (14 September 2010) which is issued by the Department of Education (DoE) to report Azande’s complaints of domestic violence and ill-treatment. Subsequent to Form 25, another form, LSEN 001 (no date) was also completed and submitted to the Psychological Guidance and Special Needs Services. Documentation from school records (Form 25 and LSEN REF 001) below provide evidence of the reported
FORM 25: 12 NOTIFICATION OF SUSPICIONS OF ILL-TREATMENT OF OR DELIBERATE INJURY TO CHILDREN:
SECTION 42[1] CHILDCARE ACT NO. 74 OF 1883: REGULATION 39A
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domestic violence which was subsequently reported to a social worker in the DoE in 2010.
Azande was in grade five at that time.
FORM 25
NOTIFICATION OF SUSPICICIONS OF ILL-TREATMENT OF OR DELIBERATE INJURY TO CHILDREN: SECTION 42 (1) CHILD CARE ACT NO. 74 OF 1983:
REGULATION 39A
2. Particulars of place, time and date of the alleged incident, including a children’s home, place of care, place of safety, school of industries or shelter:
Informal settlement – according to Azande this has been an ongoing problem – perpetrator is her ‘stepfather’.
4. Nature and extent of the ill-treatment of or deliberate injury inflicted on the child.
Being threatened with violence, locked out of the home, being instructed to buy beer or cigarettes from shebeens.
7. Circumstances giving rise to the suspicion that the child has been ill-treated or suffers from an injury, single or multiple, the cause of which probably might have been deliberate
Azande confided that she was unhappy at home and cited reasons – violence, locked out, told to go to granny (night), buying liquor
8. If the incident has been reported to the police, details of police station and references concerned:
Not reported – mother was called in and informed – told to stop ill-treatment – she has tried and is trying but perpetrator not willing to move/stop abuse
9. Other information or remarks
Child says that the level of violence against her mum has increased. Relative warned her that he will inform husband should she go to the police. Relative is a policeman.
LSEN REF 001
1. Reasons for referral
‘Child (Azande) is struggling academically. Is becoming frustrated by circumstances at home iro of demands made by ‘stepfather’,
2. Relevant background information (obtained from parents/educators, etc.) Birth and developmental history.
Normal birth – no specific concerns/observations. Mother indicated that Azande is stubborn and is back chatting both herself and her stepfather.
Social background
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Disadvantaged – informal settlement – mother is educated and has concrete plans for her future.
3. Emotional/Behavioural/social functioning
Becoming increasingly rebellious, stubborn, angry 4. Interests/strengths
Confident, shows leadership when working with groups.
6. Scholastic functioning at time of referral
Literacy, Reading, comprehension (grade 3 level), written work and spelling (Grade 2 level) [Azande was in grade 5 when the report was written].
7. Steps taken by the school/parents/educator to help the learner Is in a remedial group
8. Other information
Mother had another child from the stepfather. Azande seems threatened by sibling’s position in family’.
Azande’s rebellion, anger, and poor academic performance might have been related to the circumstances at her home. Azande’s low academic achievement is supported by research which endorse that children who are exposed to domestic violence may experience difficulty learning, have limited social skills, exhibit violent, risky or delinquent behaviour, suffer from depression or severe anxiety (Kiesel, Piescher & Edleson, 2016). Kiesel et al’s study based on administrative data from the Minnesota Departments of Education and Human Services on a large sample (2 914) of children studied the link between children’s experiences of domestic violence and their scholastic performance. Their study showed that children who were exposed to domestic violence underperformed academically and were characterised by poor attendance. Their findings resonates with Azande’s scholastic profile. The above entries suggested that Azande was being ill-treated by her stepfather and that her mother was being intimidated by both him and family members hence she capitulated to his abusive ways.
Azande’s efforts to rebel resulted in threats, being ‘locked out of home’ and being sent to live with her granny, who also lived in Mopane Informal Settlement. Azande’s resistance to mistreatment noted in her disclosure to her teacher must be seen as her resolve to expose her stepfather whom she believed had wronged her.
On the 17 of May 2012, learner attendance was poor due to a planned taxi strike. Learners that resided nearby and those that walked have however reported to school. Azande is one of
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them. Since there were no formal lessons for the day, I thought to use some time to engage in an individual with Azande. Before we begin, I tell Azande that I had read about her
complaints concerning her stepfather in the school documents. I then ask her if we can talk about how things are at home presently. Azande disclosed that her stepfather was abusive towards her mother, her grandmother and herself. She revealed that she was subjected to physical violence, verbal and emotional abuse at home. She spoke in clear, flat tones and in a matter of fact way about her stepfather.
P.J.: Tell me about your stepfather.
Azande: He is fine, but when he is drunk he is always doing that to me.
P.J.: What does he do to you?
Azande: Shouts at me. Hits me. Hits my mother. Swear me or my grandmother.
When he comes back, he breaks the door. I go to my grandmother. When he is drunk he goes crazy.
The graphic and vivid details of the assault in her narratives suggests a familiarity with incidents of violence within her home. Whilst her subsequent perception of her stepfather as
‘crazy’ illustrates the association between alcohol, violence and an impaired mental capacity, Azande reasserts herself by drawing attention to the lack of control in her home and her decision to withdraw herself from the violence in her home. In doing so, she redefines and narrows the definition of victim, showing instead that she is both controlled and resilient whilst she casts her stepfather as ‘crazy’, as having lost his wits and therefore less powerful in her life. Poverty and gender violence are closely linked in South Africa (Meth, 2017;
Statistics South Africa, 2016). According to Meth, South Africans experience a multitude of crime related behaviours. However, she notes that sexual violence against women and domestic violence are more common in informal settlements. She attributes these forms of violence to the lack of visible policing, lack of law and order, gangs and illegal activities.
Statistics South Africa (2016) taken from the Demographic and Health Survey, reveals that one in five women older than eighteen years have experienced physical violence, the survey also shows that physical violence is most prevalent amongst women living poverty stricken households where one in three women reported physical violence. Jewkes et al (2014) and Jewkes and Morrell (2010) also support that people living in poverty stricken contexts experience oppression in a myriad forms which also increases their risk to violence. They link poverty to violence, which includes domestic and sexual violence, adding that social
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norms that promote gender equalities further oppress girls and women, even in such poverty stricken contexts, men with their ability to provide (albeit meagre) still enjoy the privilege of control, domination and sexual entitlement delivered by a provider masculinity. Jewkes and Morrell (2010) identify structural inequalities such as patriarchy, gender and socio-economic conditions which they claim function as intermediaries to create and exacerbate
vulnerabilities especially for girls and women that live in poverty stricken contexts. These assertions are visible in Azande’s disclosures of her experiences of domestic violence and in the ensuing discussion that centres on her experiences of gender and sexual violence. The discussion centres on themes that emerged from the analysis of the data.