Atrocious school violence
Shocking statistics have shown that violence in schools is on the rise.

Violence in schools has garnered considerable media attention in South Africa in recent weeks. In the past year alone, local media coverage of brazenly violent acts ‘which at times proved fatal’ have again fuelled public opinion that school violence in South Africa is escalating at an alarming rate and that something needs to be done about it.
Last week violence erupted when pupils from a Pretoria West school attacked a group of boys from Langenhoven High School, leaving four pupils critically injured.
A recent study School Violence in South Africa. Results of the 2012 National School Violence Study by the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, found that 22% of the secondary school pupils surveyed had succumbed to some form of violence in the 12 months preceding the study. This means that 1 020 597 pupils encountered violence at school in the past year…
Violence is almost endemic to our society. South Africa’s history has left a legacy of violence. South Africa’s terrible past of violent oppression and violent resistance to oppression as well as the dangerous inequality in society, have contributed to making us one of the most violent societies in the world.
The tolerance and often veiled encouragement of violence during strike action has almost become a given, almost accepted as normal.
Although the above is not meant to justify these outbreaks of school violence, our children do grow up in a society where leaders and politicians condone and sometimes provoke violent actions.
Violence at school may result in decreased educational performance and increased isolation, and may place both students’ mental and physical health at risk.
Violence-free schools may contribute to social cohesion, although creating this ideal will be a considerable challenge. Creating violence-free schools could have a ripple effect on violence prevention and social cohesion in communities.
Eliminating school violence can make a substantial contribution to the developing capacity of our economy by freeing pupils from fear and insecurity and allowing them concentrate on learning and reaching their full potential.