Violence rocks Boksburg high, parent of victim calls for hardline stance

The parent of a learner who was attacked by a group of fellow learners at Boksburg High School is calling for meaningful action to address such incidents.

The attack has reportedly created a climate of fear among learners at the school.

The appalled mother, whose name is withheld to protect her son’s identity, said her Grade 11 child was the latest victim of what seems to be a culture of violence known as ‘jumping’, reportedly carried out by groups of learners at the school.
The mother said her son was ‘jumped’ on Wednesday afternoon (September 17) on the school grounds, after being falsely accused of gossiping by one of the alleged attackers.

“He told me that the group of boys stopped him as he was walking along the premises from the classroom, but he ignored them and started to walk faster.
“However, one of them threw water in his face and slapped him. They then surrounded him, pushed him over and hit him with their fists until he fell to the ground.
“They continued to repeatedly kick him even when he was on the ground. He was kicked all over the body, including the head, ribs and chest, before they walked away.”

The mother said she received a call from the school informing her that her son had been attacked by fellow learners.
She rushed her child to the hospital.

The mother opened an assault case at the Boksburg SAPS.
The incident was captured on camera, apparently by one of the dozens of onlookers, and the video is now circulating on social media.

“My child is sitting at home recovering from the inflicted pain and trauma. The school needs to take harsher disciplinary measures to curb this inhumane behaviour.“

Prevalent events
“People I spoke to described similar incidents of violence by groups of learners at the school, and I am concerned that the school does not seem to have a firm grip on this ongoing problem of violence and bullying.

“There have also been reports of other learners recently being jumped by groups of boys, who seem to be constantly looking for a victim on whom to unleash their violence.

“This has to be taken more seriously, because I don’t think the school is doing enough. They need to deal with the perpetrators decisively, including expulsion,” said the parent.

Perpetrators suspended
The Gauteng Department of Education confirmed the incident and added that the alleged perpetrators have been suspended, pending disciplinary processes scheduled for September 25.

The department said its psycho-social support team was dispatched to the school to provide support.

“Schools are assisted in coming up with preventive measures to curb the possibilities of recurrence.
“While the matter may be concluded as soon as the disciplinary hearing is finalised, remedial action may take longer depending on the programmes learners undergo, such as diversion programmes for behaviour modification and counselling,“ said GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona.
“We strongly condemn any misconduct that undermines the dignity of our learning institutions. Schools are urged to enforce their codes of conduct to deal with disciplinary matters.

“The department continues to appeal to parents in helping to enforce discipline in and outside the school environment,“ added Mabona.
The Boksburg SAPS has not yet responded to our request for comment.

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