Towards developing a cyberbullying policy for private schools in South Africa : policy considerations at a private school in Gauteng province, South Africa

Abstract

Cyberbullying is a growing problem in schools, posing unique legal and management challenges. I conducted a qualitative, case study grounded in the critical realism paradigm and employed multiple data-collection methods, such as a document study, document analysis, semi-structured interviews, focus groups and qualitative questionnaires. Using criterion-based, purposive sampling, I recruited information-rich participants such as the principal, deputy-principal, school counsellor, educators, and learners. A document study of the legal framework governing cyberbullying brought to the fore an absence of a departmental policy regulating cyberbullying in schools and thus the need to consider various general and education specific law and policy when adopting a school cyberbullying policy. The empirical study confirmed the need to follow a whole-school approach during policy development. Using both the legal framework and the findings from the empirical study, I compiled a prototype cyberbullying policy for private schools; so doing, realising the aim of the study.

Kuberafknouery is ’n toenemende probleem by skole en hou unieke regs- en bestuursuitdagings in. Ek het ’n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie gedoen wat in kritiese realisme gefundeer is en veelvuldige data-insamelingsmetodes gebruik, soos ’n dokumentstudie, dokumentontleding, semigestruktureerde onderhoude, fokusgroepe en kwalitatiewe vraelyste. Deur kriteriumgebaseerde, doelbewuste steekproefneming te gebruik, het ek deelnemers wat oor baie inligting beskik, soos die skoolhoof, adjunkskoolhoof, skoolberader, opvoeders en leerders van die deelnemende skool, gewerf. ’n Literatuurstudie van die regsraamwerk wat kuberafknouery reguleer, het die afwesigheid van ’n departementele beleid vir die regulering van kuberafknouery in skole uitgewys, en derhalwe die behoefte om verskeie algemene en onderwysspesifieke wetgewing en beleide te oorweeg wanneer ’n beleid ten opsigte van skoolkuberafknouery aangeneem word. Die empiriese studie het die behoefte bevestig om ’n geheelskoolbenadering tydens beleidontwikkeling te volg. Deur die regsraamwerk en die bevindings van die empiriese studie te gebruik, het ek ’n prototipe kuberafknouerybeleid vir privaat skole saamgestel om sodoende die doelwit van die studie te bereik.

Cyberbullying ke bothata bo ntseng bo eketseha dikolong, bo bakang mathata a ikgethang a molao le tsamaiso. Ke entse phuputso ya boemo bo botle, e thehilweng ho bonnete ba nnete ba ditaba le ho sebedisa mekgwa e mengata ya ho bokella dintlha, jwalo ka boithuto ba dingolwa, hlahlobo ya ditokomane, dipuisano tse hlophisitsweng hantle, dihlopha tse tsepamisitsweng maikutlo le dipotso tsa boleng. Ke sebedisa mehlala e thehilweng ho melaotheo, e nang le morero, ke ile ka thaotha barutehi ba nang le boitsebelo bo bongata ba kang mosuwehlooho, motlatsi wa mosuwehlooho, moeletsi wa sekolo, barupelli le baithuti ba tswang sekolong se neng se nka karolo. Boithuto ba lingolhwa mabapi le moralo wa molao o laolang bompodi ba marangrang bo hlakisitse ho ba siyo ha leano la lefapha le laolang bompodi dikolong, kahoo e totobatsa tlhoko ya ho nahana ka melao le maano a fapaneng a akaretsang le a tobaneng le thuto ha ho amohelwa leano la sekolo la bompodi ba marangrang. Boithuto bo matla bo netefaditse tlhoko ya ho latela mokgwa wa sekolo kaofela nakong ya ntlafatso ya maano. Ka ho sebedisa moralo wa molao le diphumano tsa boithuto bo matla, ke ile ka hlophisa leano la mohlala la bompodi ba marangrang bakeng sa dikolo tsa poraefete, ka hona ke ile ka hlokomela sepheo sa thuto.