Sexual violence in schools: does anybody really care?

If we accept that the social identities of individuals and groups do not suddenly materialise in adulthood, but are constructed from birth, then we ought to take seriously, the experiences of girls in and around our nation?s schools. For example, it is now common knowledge that young children in contemporary South Africa, particularly girls from marginalised communities experience their childhoods and girlhoods amid gender-based sexual violence and other forms of brutality.

If we accept that the social identities of individuals and groups do not suddenly materialise in adulthood, but are constructed from birth, then we ought to take seriously, the experiences of girls in and around our nation’s schools. For example, it is now common knowledge that young children in contemporary South Africa, particularly girls from marginalised communities experience their childhoods and girlhoods amid gender-based sexual violence and other forms of brutality.

While it is true that children are sometimes perpetrators of such violence against their peers and adults, most of them, particularly girls, are victims. More disturbing are research findings which indicate that while schools should be safe havens for all children, many of them, by their silence, or the inadequacy of the actions they take against perpetrators, tend to communicate a high degree of tolerance for these acts of violence. This means that the reality of schooling for many children, particularly girls and other socially marginalised individuals and groups is marked by frequent acts violence against them, including sexual violence.

Thus far, the ineptitude of our responses as citizens, schools, and other social institutions is not only astounding but also has a devastating effect on our society and its children. Our periodic declarations that “we care” and annual ritual of pledging our undying support for such initiatives as the 16 Days of Activism on Violence Against Women and Children without significantly changing the lives of women generally, and that of girl children in schools in particular, remain meaningless slogans.

Why, for example, is there no strong and enforceable legislation against teachers and other adults who mete out acts of sexual harassment and violence against girls in and around schools? Why are parents, who because of poverty, are coerced into consenting to their daughters’ violation through bribes by perpetrators not provided with alternatives that will benefit their children? Why are schools allowed to continue to excuse and condone boys’ aggression against girls as “boys will be boys”? Where are the vital professional development projects that must educate teachers to equip them with the necessary understanding, values and skills to intervene on behalf of girls who continue to be sexually violated 10 years into our beautiful democracy? Where are the community development projects? The list of questions is endless.

On the one hand, South Africa has enthusiastically ratified the various international Human Rights conventions, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and adopted a constitution and Bill of Rights that commit the government to protecting children’s rights. On the other, the lack of, or ineffectual interventions against sexual violence in schools is not only detrimental to the girls themselves, it counteracts the very values and principles enshrined in these conventions and our Constitution. In particular, girls’ rights to education, safety, freedom, and others are compromised.

Further, it is self evident that any type of violence will result in trauma for the victim. For schoolgirls, such trauma might result in poor engagement in learning activities, and ultimately failure. Sexual violence in particular, has devastating effects on the personal, social and school life of the girl child. These might include unplanned and unwanted pregnancy, which in turn often lead to the punishment of the very victim of the violent act through her exclusion or withdrawal from school. Sexual violence also results in emotional turmoil for the victim and her family, and in further problems for schooling and learning. To illustrate, in a writing project organised under the auspices of then University of Natal’s Crime Reduction in Schools Project (CRISP) one of the girls wrote:

“I remember a couple of weeks ago I read about a 14 year old girl who had been raped by several men and I also remember how scared I felt because I am almost the same age as her. What if that had been me? Before I read the story I used to walk to the shop without worry, but now I am terrified to walk alone.”

What kind of society are we where little girls are afraid to go about what is supposed to be their daily routine of being children and girls? Why do we continue to support or fail to act against schools that further victimise girls and are silent and/or condone the violent sexual acts perpetrated against girl children? How can girls even be expected to go to school and succeed in such schools and beyond?

Another direct and devastating impact of sexual violence against girls in and around schools are the increasing gendered HIV infection rates among children of school-going age. For example, research findings have concluded that one-third of all HIV infections happen during the school years, while another third occur within two years of leaving school. Many of these have been found to occur among girls from poor and marginalised groups.
Scholars and practitioners in the field of gender equality in education have suggested that one reason for the high infection rates among school children is the unequal gender relations among adolescents, which are often defined by violence, including rape and assaults by classmates. That such violence and infection will lead to poor performance in school and ultimately failure and withdrawal from school must be obvious to many. However, the ways in which the education system and others can intervene on behalf of victims of violence on the one hand, and implement programmes that aim to eliminate the potential for boys and men to become perpetrators of such violence remain elusive.

Unless somebody out there really cares, after this year’s 16 Days of Activism Campaign Campaign, we will again go our separate ways, and once more the sexual violence against women in general, and against girl children in and around our schools in particular, and its destructive impacts will continue unabated.

Relebohile Moletsane is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. This article is part of a special series of articles produced for the Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign.

This article is part of the GEM Opinion and Commentary Service that provides views and perspectives on current events.

janine@genderlinks.org.za for more information.