26 August 2025 | 09:55 CAT
3-minute read

Violence in South African schools is intensifying with worrying frequency, escalating from bullying to murders, assaults, and even weapon-related attacks on both pupils and educators. Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) are emerging as focal points of this crisis.

The Department of Basic Education reports that in the last financial year, half of the school-related murders in the country occurred in KwaZulu-Natal, and there were 28 murders recorded in schools nationally. Additionally, over 11 000 school burglaries were logged, ranging from theft of nutrition supplies to significant criminal activity.

In Gauteng, school violence has taken on a particularly vicious form, with gangsterism and bullying frequently escalating into fights involving deadly weapons, such as knives.

Meanwhile, since January 2025, the country has recorded 548 cases of bullying, with 23 in Gauteng and 29 in KwaZulu-Natal, underscoring wide-reaching concern beyond the most impacted provinces.

Teachers’ first-hand accounts reveal disturbing realities: in Gauteng, at least two in every ten teachers have experienced violence—ranging from thrown books and physical attacks to verbal abuse and intimidation—often without recourse or support from school leadership.

National human rights assessments further highlight that 40% of children reported being victims of crime at school, and over 20% of child sexual assaults occurred within educational settings.

Joining the conversation is Dr Shaheda Omar, the Director of Clinical Services at the Teddy Bear Foundation, a prominent NGO dedicated to combating child abuse and advocating for safe school environments.

Reflecting on the trend, Dr Omar cautions this is not just a continuation of past patterns, but an escalation in brutality.

“Violence has been prevalent, but I think we are seeing an increased spate of violence now, where it’s becoming more brutal,” Dr Omar said.

She attributes growing fear and tension to the increasing lack of compliance from pupils, and the rising severity of weapon use, noting a disturbing trend where “children not being compliant, being totally disorderly, out of control, and violating even the adults, the educators.”

Dr Omar also emphasises the societal roots of this crisis.

“Children are the microcosm of the macrocosm, and children are surrounded by violence,” Dr Omar said.

She highlights factors such as exposure to domestic and community violence, residual effects of punitive disciplinary norms (like corporal punishment), poverty, unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse, and gendered vulnerabilities, including threats against girls and persons with disabilities.

“Children… they’re going to re-enact the pattern or cycle of violence,” Dr Omar observed, drawing attention to destructive behavioural cycles—where pupils who themselves have been bullied or violated may re-enact that trauma through aggression.

To tackle the crisis, Dr Omar advocates a systemic, multi-tiered prevention model:

• Early engagement: Begin in early childhood development (ECD) settings to teach acceptable behaviours and impulse control.
• Support within schools: Equip educators to recognise, manage, and respond to violence; embed psychologists, social workers, and trusted support figures into the school system.
• Parenting programs: Promote positive, non-punitive discipline, distinguishing it from harmful punishment.
• Adolescent life skills education: Foster problem-solving, conflict resolution, and relapse prevention to channel children’s behaviour adaptively.
• Zero tolerance messaging: Ensure schools enforce firm anti-violence policies, backed by consistent responses.

Government efforts are underway to bolster preventive capacities. The National School Safety Framework (NSSF) guides schools to assess risks, engage stakeholders (police, social development, civil society), and craft safety policies.

The “Addressing Bullying in Schools” manual is being updated to help identify bullying types and craft anti-bullying strategies. Referral systems—including school-based support teams connecting to psychologists or social workers—are also being reinforced.

Minister Siviwe Gwarube has called for unified action from educators, parents, and communities, denouncing corporal punishment and championing proactive mental health support—remarking: “We cannot allow children to go to school only to be violated.” She notes that while each education district has one psychologist, this is grossly insufficient.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.