It’s barely a month into the school year and several incidents of school bullying have already been reported across the country. 

Two weeks back, a 14-year-old boy in Cape Town shared how his schoolmates dipped his head into a dirty toilet and smeared human faeces on his face and uniform. In the same week, a mother shared on social media about her daughter’s bullying ordeal at a Centurion school in Gauteng. Just this week a widely circulating video shows pupils being beaten by others, in full view of their peers. 

Research shows that school bullying has a profound impact on pupils’ health. Being subjected to bullying can lead to a range of problems including anxiety, depression and poor academic performance. In the worst-case scenarios, bullying has been linked to suicide and acts of violence against peers. 

The available statistics on the prevalence of bullying paint a bleak picture. A 2021 study on the prevalence of bullying looked at  7067 children between the ages of 10 and 12 selected from 61 primary schools across the country’s nine provinces. The study found that as many as 33% of the children had been hit by their peers. Thirty per cent had been “called unkind names”. The 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, found that 65% of South African pupils in grade nine (14-16 years old) were bullied.  

To address the issue of safety in schools, the government introduced the National School Safety Framework in 2015. It gives guidance on the tools to prevent and address violence in schools. But the success of this framework depends on the collaboration of teachers, parents, school governing bodies (SGBs), pupils, and government officials, says Professor Melanie Moen, an educational psychologist at Stellenbosch University. 

“Unfortunately, teachers often feel unsupported by the government when facing challenges such as resource shortages or dealing with violent incidents in schools,” she says.

Moen adds that in many cases, parental involvement is insufficient, leaving pupils without the necessary support at home. This is a sentiment shared by Basic Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga who argues that the real challenge is parenting not policies.

“There must be a strong partnership between home and school,” he says. “In schools, the curriculum teaches positive values, but it cannot be enough if the same conversations are not happening at home.”

Bullying as a societal issue

Moen points out that bullying and violence rarely originate within schools themselves but are symptoms of broader societal problems. The environment in which a child is raised greatly affects their biological, social and psychological development. 

According to Moen, when children are continuously exposed to violence, it can create a subculture of violence that influences not just their school life but their behaviour in the broader community.

“South Africa is considered a high-risk society, with very high crime and murder rates. When children are exposed to violence in their communities and homes, it eventually spills over into their behaviour at school,” she says. “It is therefore imperative that parents provide a safe home environment for their child.”

Mhlanga says it is unfair to expect schools to be the only place where bullying is addressed, especially when it is deeply rooted in societal attitudes. He says the many resources that are available through collaborations with a range of stakeholders, including the South African Police Service, and the Departments of Justice and Social Development,  are not designed to teach values but rather to address problems that often originate in the home and community.

“Bullying starts at home. How parents raise their children plays a major role in how young people behave when they interact with others,” Mhlanga says. “A pupil who does not respect a teacher is more likely to bully their peers.” 

He says no policy or resource will work if there is no change in behaviour at the individual level.  

“No amount of policies can resolve issues like drug abuse, substance abuse, or lack of parental support.”

Many bullying cases remain invisible

The issue of bullying in South African schools is exacerbated by a lack of resources, with many incidents remaining invisible.

Dr Daphney Mawila-Chauke, an educational psychologist at the University of Johannesburg, highlights the challenge of limited resources, such as cameras to monitor students. She adds that most schools do not have designated staff members like counsellors or peer mentors to implement anti-bullying policies.

Bullying is very complex,  she says, and requires a systematic approach to address it, not just general disciplinary codes as stated by most of the policies. 

“Furthermore, there are limited efforts to monitor the implementation of such policies. There is a need for comprehensive strategies on how incidences of bullying will be handled, as well as interventions to support the whole school community,” she says. 

Strategies to combat bullying 

Mawila-Chauke argues that psychology services are crucial in raising awareness about bullying and its impact on pupils’ overall functionality.

“There is a need for continuous monitoring and involvement of pupils to talk about their experiences in schools. Empowering students to take action by speaking out against bullying should be a key part of the workshops targeted at pupils,” she explains.

Mawila-Chauke also emphasises the importance of providing psychological support for educators, as bullying in schools also affects their well-being.

To further assist in tackling bullying, Moen has developed an app, Ava South Africa, to help parents and students reduce violence and abuse.

A screenshot from Ava health. 

“Educators and students can use the app as a support tool. It maps out support organisations in different communities,” she says.

Mhlanga adds that the psychological needs of children are often well-known by their families, especially in cases linked to domestic conflicts, including gender-based violence.

 “Families must share with schools about their children’s behaviour so that they (children) can receive the support they need,” he urges. – Health-e News