In South Africa, the period before and after the 1994 elections was characterized by high levels of violence in some parts of the country. Kwazulu Natal, was one of the provinces in the country that endured high levels of conflict and violence. In South Africa, studies on violence in schools have focused on boys and masculinity and this is the reason why we have limited knowledge of the extent to which girls are involved in school violence.
This study uses perceptions as a way to get an initial impression of the extent of violence among women in schools. To present an idea of the nature, extent and severity of violence against women internationally, as this is lacking in the South African literature. There is no clear data on the extent, frequency or severity of violence against women in schools and1, as mentioned earlier, this study cannot go far in providing data on violence against women in schools per se.
Teachers' perceptions of the extent, nature and cause of violence against women will help illuminate and give perspective to girls' violence in schools. Teachers' perceptions of the nature and extent of girls' violence will prompt some teachers to equip themselves with the necessary skills to help female learners. Participants were informed about the purpose of the study and the intention of the researcher regarding the desired responses before they answered the questionnaire.
For the purpose of this research, the researcher contacted the heads of the respective schools. The respondents were also made aware of the deadline for completing the questionnaire. At the end of the two weeks, the researcher went to the schools to collect all completed questionnaires.
RESPONSE RATE: PARTICIPANTS RESPONSES
Time did not allow to answer the questionnaire because teachers were busy with other matters. 34; Opposing identities such as men/women and hetero/gay are not only constructed in relation to each other, they always carry with them in their inner configurations a certain version (fantasy, image, image) of the Other. In fact, boys and girls are polarized by the portrayal of children's images.
Because of the above, they are unable to identify persuasive intent, to understand irony and disregard stereotypes (Graydon, et al, 1994, p. 2). This chapter reflects teachers' perceptions of violence against women in schools that have mixed gender settings. But getting a clear picture of the issue of violence in schools depends on the collection of valid and reliable data rather than relying on media reports. Teachers tended to view boys' violence in their schools as very serious, while generally ignoring girls' violence.
Before children enter school, "boys and girls are given different models of the kind of behavior appropriate to their role, both by the adults who surround them and by their friends who willingly monitor the boundaries of gender difference (Millard, 1998 ). , p19). A geographically stratified random sample of teachers provided information on their opinions on girls' violence in schools. With so little knowledge about violence against women in schools in South Africa, it is imperative that researchers delve into this issue to gain a better understanding of the current phenomenon.
The findings of this study will be presented in a variety of ways, including text, tables and graphs. Relevant information will be presented in tabular or graphical form to show changes in data. Simple data will be presented in tables and more complex data will be presented in graphs.
Some schools reported a very small percentage of black students, while white students were absent from all schools. The ratio of males to females in this study is representative of the overall demographics of the teaching profession. Most of the participants in this research have been teaching for more than fifteen years.
GRADES THAT PARTICIPANTS TAUGHT
In all of the above responses, physical harm was perceived as the critical factor in the occurrence of violence. Teacher definitions of violence did not include references to the relational aggression preferred by girls. Of the 50 participants, 20, 40% of the participants saw violence from and among girls as a problem, while they did not see it as a problem.
The graph below provides an indication of teachers' perception of the increase in violent acts committed by girls in school. It is entirely possible that the level of violence varies from school to school and that some of the disagreement between teachers can be explained by differences in their teaching context. According to teachers, gender change in schools can change the picture and put girls at the center of violence rather than on the periphery.
The role of the 'good girl' has always been evident, but it is incidents like the above that show us another image of girls. NATURE / OCCURRENCE OF WOMEN'S VIOLENCE IN SCHOOL Frequency of acts of violence by female students. It is not easy to decide whether an incident of violence is gang-related or not.
Here the pattern of responses tends to be on the lower side of the seriousness spectrum. Teachers' responses mention very little about the existence of gangs in schools. These 'female gangs' seem to have a leader who makes decisions for the rest of the gang.
An extremely important answer to the above question is that 0% of participants stated that violence by female students on the sports field and in the changing rooms does not happen very often. The table above points to the fact that not many schools needed external intervention to help curb school violence. However, there were a few schools that required the intervention of the police and social workers.
TEACHERS STATED THAT SOME FEMALE LEARNERS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FOLLOWING
Violence by girls in schools is neither considered serious nor a problem by teachers. Yet a third of respondents described cases of serious girl violence. Violence by girls in schools is not serious and is not considered a problem by teachers. Yet a third of respondents described cases of serious girl violence. Fights that broke out after school outside the school gate required police intervention.
A key finding of the report is that teachers believe that girls are involved in violence in schools. It should be noted that 5% of the responses fell into the 'don't know' or 'no' category. While international research has already identified the existence of violence against women in schools, it has yet to be acknowledged in South Africa.
Nevertheless, some teachers said that they had intervened in cases of violence involving girls in the past. HOW FINDINGS RELATE TO PROBLEM POLICY Because every school is unique, every school will develop policies to limit or reduce school violence. Perpetrators of violence must be reprimanded so that the problem does not recur.
However, considering the findings of this report in the context of other available data on male violence, some conclusions are reached regarding the general nature, prevalence and consequences of violence in schools. The researcher embarked on this exploratory project with the expectation of generating some preliminary indications of girls' violence in schools. The background of the research was secondary literature generated mainly in developed contexts (schools in the United States of America and the United Kingdom) which showed that violence against women in schools was increasing (Weiler, 1999, p. 2).
There does not appear to be evidence in South Africa that the problem is of the magnitude suggested by some of the United States/United Kingdom writings on this subject. Most teachers indicated that they turned to a member of the School Management Team for help in dealing with problem students. What is important here is that teachers who see girls engaged in violent acts should not turn a blind eye to it, but should take the necessary steps to prevent the repetition of the offence.
More research is needed to understand the extent, severity and causes of girls' violence in schools. An investigative study into the abuse of girls in African schools, (London, Department for International Development).
EDUCATORS' PERSPECTIVE
INTRODUCTION
QUESTIONNAIRE
PLEASE FURNISH ME WITH THE FOLLOWING DETAILS REGARDING YOU AND YOUR SCHOOL
DETAILS OF EDUCATOR
Being rude and disrespectful to other students. Being rude and disrespectful to teachers. Carrying or possessing weapons. Would you say there has been an increase in violent acts committed by girls in your school? Has a serious crime been committed by a female student that required police and social worker intervention?
