This study has largely focused on female students as victims of gender-based violence perpetrated by male students. The findings from the interviews outlined the factors that explain gender-based violence in schools.
CLARIFICATION OF TERMS
Most of the aggressive behavior by male learners at school comes from their observation of the wider society, which constructs gender identities about how men and women should behave. Learners at school often construct and shape gender and sexual relations in creating everyday gender identities.
CONTEXTUALlSING THE STUDY 1.Historical background
Family influence
Society's influence
What they observe in their families is confirmed by the practices of the larger societies. These institutions shape their own arrangements of gender relations, in line with those of the wider society, which distribute power.
Influence of the media
The ratio of male to female students in Inanda schools is more or less the same as in the wider community. Moreover, the educator's denial of the existence of gender-based violence in schools condones this act.
EDUCATIONAL POLICIES AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE Research has proven that there is high prevalence of violence in
Khoza (2002) further states that the attitude of the educator sometimes discourages female students from reporting incidents of gender-based violence. This causes female students to leave school, as they feel vulnerable to gender-based violence.
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AND HIV/AIDS
There is generally a tendency for educators to turn a blind eye to incidents of gender-based violence; they consider it as part of the socialization process (Agenda 53: 2002). On the other hand, educators who tend to ignore such behavior convey the message to male students that gender-based violence is acceptable.
OVERVIEW OF CHAPTERS
Chapter 4: Research design and methodology
First, the quantitative method was used to answer the first critical question, which examines the forms of gender-based violence experienced by students in three high schools. Second, the feminist experiential methodology was used to complement the quantitative methodology as it seeks to gain insight into the second critical question, which examines the factors that explain gender-based violence among students.
CONCLUSION
The fifth chapter presents the ways in which the data were organized, recorded and analyzed with the aim of understanding the types of gender-based violence experienced by secondary school students in Inanda schools and the factors that explain gender-based violence. The data for the first critical question were analyzed quantitatively and presented in graph form.
INTRODUCTION
DEFINITION OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
Gender-based violence is any act of violence that results or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether in public or in private. (Unesco, 1999:53). Research shows that female students in South African schools are exposed to various forms of gender-based violence (Truscott, 1994), and in schools it is linked to the constructions of masculinity and femininity in the wider society.
CONSTRUCTION OF GENDER IDENTITIES AND GENDER- BASED VIOLENCE
Mass media is one factor that contributes to the widespread acceptance of violence between men. Gender-based violence stems from rigid parenting, the dominance of the father in the family because he wants society members to treat him as a man among men.
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS
Female students always complain that male students try to kiss them, caress their breasts, lift their skirts and touch them under their skirts. In this sense, female students accepted that they were objects of male students (Human Rights Watch, 2001.
AFRICAN SCHOOLS AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
Another study in Senegal, Africa confirms that female students face gender-based violence in schools. Rape, sexual harassment, abuse, assault, the list is endless of gender-based violence experienced by schoolgirls in Zimbabwe (Insight Issue 36, 2001).
SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE Various studies conducted in South African schools confirm the
Female students are forced by male students to engage in sex without the choice of using condoms. In this case, the male students use violence to scare the female students into submission in order to ensure their hegemony.
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN SOUTH AFRICAN RURAL SCHOOLS
Through observation, it has been found that girls are also beaten for refusing to be in a relationship with male students.
EDUCATORS AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
The research has found that educators themselves tend not to take the issue of gender-based violence seriously, as Khoza (2002) argues that educators often claim to be unaware of these violent acts. Some incidents of gender-based violence are seen as something acceptable and part of the socialization process or as a natural part of sexual relationships (Agenda 53:2002).
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION Research has proven that female learners in South African schools are
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S RESPONSE ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
However, it is essential that educators are made aware of what gender-based violence and sexual harassment is and why it happens (Insig Issue 37 of 2001). Educators must also see the urgency of emphasizing equal rights for all learners, instead of turning a blind eye to the incidents of gender-based violence that occur at school.
CONCLUSION
The Department of Education has shown commitment to eradicating gender-based violence in schools through "Guidance for educators on gender issues in schools", which was published in May 2002, but schools only reached May 2005 and other schools have not yet received it. It will take some time for educators' workshops to be offered, while female learners still live in fear at schools.
INTRODUCTION
POST-STRUCTURAL FEMINIST THEORY
AFRICAN FEMINIST THEORY .1 Introduction
Through observation, male students become aggressive towards female students in school because of the power invested in them by society. The male students force the female students to respond positively to their offers or the female students receive punishment.
CONCLUSION
It is believed that school can play an important role in changing the attitudes of male students. The school must take responsibility to include equal rights for both girls and boys in the future curriculum for a non-aggressive society.
INTRODUCTION
Quantitative methodology
Bailey also argues that the data are examined without fear that the actions of the observer may affect the raw data. Finally, the numbers were used to analyze the data in the form of statistics and presented in table form.
The Feminist Experiential Approach
Therefore, the researcher had an advantage because of her experience as a member of the management team at the school and she had already handled cases of gender-based violence. Furthermore, the participant's feelings were taken into account in the interaction, with attentive listening on the part of the researcher, to the participant's views in order to gain an understanding of the totality of factors influencing gender-based violence.
SAMPLING .1 Gaining access
Therefore, using the feminist approach helped to realize an understanding of how participants view gender-based violence. Whatever learners perceive of society is reflected in the incidents of gender-based violence that occur in schools.
THE RESEARCH INSTRUMENT .1 Records review
It was interesting to note that the female students understood that these actions violated their rights. At lIanga Secondary School, most of the reported cases were recorded, but it was found that teachers sometimes did not bring these incidents to the office where they were to be recorded by the school secretary.
THE SAMPLE
After reviewing the recorded cases, it was found that various cases of gender-based violence such as physical fights, verbal abuse, assaults, sexual harassment, intimidation, threats, intimidation and attempted rape occur in schools. Time constraints were also considered, as it is difficult to conduct interviews with a large number of participants, so it was considered beneficial to have fewer participants, making the interviews more detailed and thorough.
THE INTERVIEWS
THE SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW
Consent was sought from the participants to record the interview sessions in order to create meaning from the participants' point of view. There was also a chance to notice gestures and facial expressions, which helped a lot to assess the validity of the answers.
DATA ANALVSIS PROCEDURES
In addition, it has qualities of flexibility, adaptability and probing that are valuable tools for obtaining a holistic view of the lived experiences of research participants. In addition, semi-structured interviews helped a researcher new to the research field to stay on track with the critical question and purpose of the study.
CONCLUSION
It is necessary to present and analyze the data for research purposes in an attempt to identify trends emerging from the review of the records. For the first phase of the research, the data was collected by reviewing school records of reported cases of gender-based violence from the three secondary schools in the Inanda area.
KINDS OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL LEARNERS
The interviews conducted confirmed the forms of gender-based violence recorded in the school records. The cultural influence of gender-based violence also reared its ugly head as all the female participants felt that male students abuse female students due to lack of respect.
FACTORS THAT EXPLAIN GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AMONG LEARNERS
In most cases, the boys demanded respect from the girls while disrespecting the girls. One participant's response to how he reacted when the girl showed she didn't like doing what he wanted was.
CONCLUSION
He followed me to class and told me that I take him for granted. I kept quiet and he told me he was going to pick me up after school, then I went to the office to report him.
INTRODUCTION
DISCUSSION
This is because both students and teachers did not understand what gender-based violence entails. It has therefore formulated policy guidelines for identifying and tackling the problem of gender-based violence in schools.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Ministry of Education and Culture has already introduced policies that spearhead the fight against gender-based violence. Schools must organize counseling sessions for both perpetrators and victims of gender-based violence.
LIMITATIONS
Students who have experienced gender-based violence need counseling that is readily available so that they do not resort to dropping out of school or being distracted from their schoolwork. Since students in schools come from society with gender-based violence attitudes, schools need to develop programs where parents are educated about gender-based violence.
CONCLUSION
It calls for urgent interventions to address the issue of gender-based violence in schools.
The Culture of Learning and Teaching in Gauteng Schools: Report of the Committee on the Culture of Learning and Teaching' (Education Policy Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, July). I am currently employed by the Department of Education and Culture as an educator in your circle.
PROVINCE OF'KWAZULU-NATAL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
![Table 2: Number of reported cases of gender-based violence [January 2003·March 2004]](https://thumb-ap.123doks.com/thumbv2/pubpdfnet/10642198.0/54.856.265.665.335.764/table-number-reported-cases-gender-violence-january-march.webp)
