General: Government concerned about escalating school violence

The Department of Social Development is ‘deeply concerned’ about the increase in ‘serious violence’ at schools ‘across SA’ – especially ‘learner-on-learner violence’, reports Pam Saxby for Legalbrief Policy Watch. Noting government’s obligations under the 2005 Children’s Act and the 2008 Child Justice Act, a media statement released yesterday alluded to ‘second chance’ programmes for child offenders, an ‘anti-gangsterism strategy’, ‘care and reintegration services for children in conflict with the law’ and facilities used to ‘accommodate’ not only children ‘awaiting trial or sentencing’ but those already sentenced. While no meaningful information was provided on the programmes and services concerned, of the nearly 24 000 children ‘assessed’ during the year ending 31 March less than half were ‘diverted’ away from the criminal justice system. About 3 000 were ‘placed under home-based supervision’. It is not clear what happened to the rest.

In a related but separate statement, acting Government Communication and Information System director general, Phumla Williams, said that – with the necessary ‘mechanisms and legislation to protect the rights of children’ firmly in place – it is now the responsibility of ordinary South Africans to ‘play an active role by speaking out’. She was referring to SA’s ‘atrocious’ record of child abuse. However, research points to a strong correlation between a child’s regular exposure to crime and violence in the his/her community or home environment, and classroom behaviour (South African Medical Journal). Read together, the two statements paint a dismal picture as SA ‘observes’ its 22nd child protection week.

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