An investigation into learner violence in township secondary schools: A socio-educational perspective

Abstract

The study examines the culture of students' violent behaviour, with a focus on socialisation provided by schools and teachers. It explores the beliefs and wishes of teachers, students and parents in some townships of Gauteng Province about the role of teachers in addressing and preventing students' antisocial and violent behaviour in schools.

The thesis offers six chapters divided into two components. The first component, chapters one to three, systematically explores socialisation of children by the home and the school. It discusses the historical/theoretical foundations of antisocial and violent behaviour of children/youth from low economic groups. The study utilises literature on strain theory on sociological considerations of adolescents' deviance from Durkheim (1897) to Messner and Rosenfeld (1994) in order to provide an in-depth appraisal of theoretical paradigms and thereafter. The second component, chapters four to six unpacked the research by analysing data from interviews and observations collected from township participants. It identifies five socio-educational factors that deterred students' antisocial behaviour. These included: teachers' attribution for success and failure; teachers' theoretical/practical leadership; the quality of the teacher-student relationship; the level of support to teachers and the function of home and community.

The findings identify the approach to antisocial and violent behaviour in Gauteng townships to be punitive. Participants regard township school violence, especially in secondary schools, as serious. The present study concluded that socialisation fostered by a supportive teacher, acting with efficacy and caring, working with parents and the community, can prevent antisocial and violent behaviour. Furthermore, the study uncovered patterns indicating that socio-educational measures are a constructive means to respond to antisocial and violent behaviour.While sometimes justified as responses to antisocial and violent behaviour, reactive measures (like corporal punishment, student expulsion, incarceration) may be less effective than socio- educational measures in instilling prosocial behaviour.