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Bathabile Masilela
The high suicide rate and violence among schoolchildren raises the question of how children are raised in households, but it is also a reflection of the violent behaviour in our society.
It’s no secret that South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world. The latest crime statistics for South Africa show that in the first quarter of this year, 6,228 murders were recorded. This is an alarmingly high number, considering that an average of 68 people are killed daily in the country.
The Gauteng Department of Education (DOE) intends to deploy counsellors and social workers to approximately 1,200 schools to combat the province’s high prevalence of violence and pupil suicide.
The DOE said it reached out to the Gauteng Department of Health to undertake a mortality analysis on cases of suicide to understand the causes and drivers of these incidents. The Health Department has accepted the task and is currently conducting the assessments.
Here we unpack some of the factors influencing school-based violence that can lead to pupils committing suicide:
Drugs
The use of tobacco, cannabis, and drugs is one of the biggest concerns in our schools. Cannabis is the most widely used drug among teenagers today, with about 4.7% of 15–16- year-olds using it at least once in 2018, according to a study by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
This is also a risk for the many schools in townships and rural areas where the majority of children are from impoverished families and there are also no resources, entertainment, or sports facilities.
Social ills in family
The second aspect to consider is family dynamics. About 60% of South African children are raised by single mothers. The research conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and the South African Race Relations Institute (SARRI) in 2019 found that 60% of the children in the country have absent fathers, while more than 40% of the mothers are raising their children as single parents. Unfortunately, the high divorce rate exacerbates this social ill in our society.
Childhood Abuse
The third factor is the traumatic experience as a result of violent upbringings. Shockingly, the recent crime statistics further revealed that 293 children were killed, an increase from 243 during the same period last year.
This means there was a staggering increase of more than 50 children killed in the three months between April and June 2023 compared to the same period last year. A substantial number of children are subject to abuse at the hands of family members. When trauma is untreated, children grow up with bitterness and emotional problems that can spiral out of control if left untreated.
Mental illness
The fourth untreated problem is mental illness. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one in seven teenagers experiences a mental disorder during the adolescence stage, while suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds.
The study also shows that physical, emotional, and social changes, including exposure to poverty, abuse, or violence, can make adolescents vulnerable to mental health problems.
If untreated, this can also lead to anger issues. Recently, one of our teenage students was suspended from his school for fighting. When asked why he was fighting, he stated that the other learner had provoked him.
Tragically, children, particularly teenage boys, do not know how to resolve conflicts amicably. Because violence is not dealt with adequately across the country, they are prone to violence.
Every South African school must have at least two psychologists and two social workers. Victims of abuse, sexual assault, harassment, and mental illness must be treated effectively and properly by professionals.
When something is wrong with a learner, immediate action must be taken. Teachers are critical in monitoring learners’ behaviour and taking appropriate actions to assist them.
Bathabile Masilela is Founder and CEO at Learn English with Bathabile, an English language school in Pretoria. LEWB specialises in English, business, and communication.