Responses to gender-based violence : the situation with special schools catering for learners with intellectual disabilities in Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract

This study investigated the responses to gender-based violence by special schools catering for learners with intellectual disabilities in Johannesburg, South Africa. Despite efforts to implement strategies to respond to gender-based violence, special schools still grapple with this problem. This study undertook the qualitative approach and was entrenched in the transformative worldview consistent with the critical theory, feminist and human rights perspectives. This was a multisite case study design based on two special schools. Data were drawn from 15 female learners with mild intellectual disabilities and nine staff members. The researcher selected the female learners by purposeful and network sampling methods. In addition, the researcher used multi-method data collection techniques to collect data. Data were collected from school documents and in-depth interviews with the staff and female learners. All the data collected was about female learners’ issues, voices and lived experiences in the two special schools. Prior to each in-depth interview with individual participants, the researcher engaged the participants by showing them a video and news articles. The researcher used the thematic analysis method to analyse the data. Data analysis was categorised into five themes: the nature of gender-based violence; factors that encourage gender-based violence to thrive; school’s responses to gender-based violence; challenges in responding to gender-based violence in the schools; and strategies for responding to gender-based violence in special schools. Findings suggested that the basic inherent features and nature of gender-based violence in special schools has remained consistent over the years. This indicated the failure of the response strategies that special schools are using to curb the scourge. The study showed that gender-based violence continues to occur in special schools with little restraint. Inequalities between men and women came out as the root and major cause of this scourge. Findings also indicated that gender-based violence is motivated by the desire to intimidate, diminish, punish and humiliate girls because of their gender. Furthermore, findings suggested that special schools are not using the most effective gender-sensitive strategies to deal with gender-based violence. The study recommended gender sensitive strategies rooted on the suggestions put forward by the participants, for special schools to ensure the effectiveness of the strategies implemented to deal with gender-based violence.