Education stakeholders’ roles in the effective management of learner bullying at public secondary schools in Vhembe East district

Abstract

The phenomenon of bullying among learners, particularly at the public secondary education level, is a global issue that many public secondary schools encounter worldwide. Education stakeholders struggle to implement laws and policies effectively to discipline learners who engage in bullying in public secondary schools. Consequently, education stakeholders are unable to establish programmes that support both victims and offenders within their schools. The purpose of this research is to examine the roles of education stakeholders in effectively managing learner bullying in public secondary schools within the Vhembe East District. The study is rooted in theoretical frameworks informed by pertinent theories of an educative corrective approach, namely, behavioral theory and social learning theory. Despite these theories initially being designed to emphasise various facets of education and development, they are particularly relevant to bullying in youth developmental contexts, since all professions are grounded in established science. This study employed both interpretive and constructive research paradigms to highlight the influence of social context and individuals’ perceptions of reality on their actual experiences. A qualitative research approach was adopted in this study. Focus groups, semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis were used as data collection instruments. Data were sourced from five public secondary principals, 10 learners, five teachers, and five School Governing Body (SGB) members. Purposive sampling was conducted to select 25 research participants for this study. Thematic data analysis was employed to synthesise interview data into themes and sub-themes. The research adhered to the code of research ethics by obtaining informed consent, ensuring anonymity, protecting privacy and confidentiality, and ensuring the right to protection from harm and deception. Findings from the study revealed that education stakeholders do not fully enforce proper disciplinary procedures, an effective Learner’s Code of Conduct, and anti-bullying policies. However, findings suggest inconsistent implementation across schools, often due to limited training and resources. The researcher developed a bullying management model for education stakeholders based on the study’s research findings. The model outlined the steps that education stakeholders should follow to effectively manage bullying in secondary schools.