School bullying of learners at Mshini High School in Kwazulu-Natal -South Africa
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Date
2014
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
The previous researchers suggested that school bullying is high in South Africa, especially in high schools. The researcher is motivated by seeing a large number of schools in South Africa who experience school bullying in different forms. The researcher of the study reviewed previous dissertations and thesis which indicated that schools with high levels of reported incidents of bullying have lower passing rates when compared with schools with less reported cases of bullying. This study is built on the groundwork of reviewing the findings of previous researchers about school bullying; so it is due to those regards that made the researcher decided to conduct the study of this nature. The research was designed to investigate school bullying of learners at Mshini High School in KwaZulu-Natal: South Africa. The sample was taken from grade 10 learners at Mshini High School and a simple random sample of 30 participants was used. A questionnaire with 40 closed-ended questions was used as a tool for gathering information from participants. The participants were both males and females. A quantitative programme of data analysis was used in the study. Data was analysed and presented through the use of descriptive statistics which involves tabulations and graphs; thus to find the results of the study. The name of the school that the researcher used was a pseudo name. The researcher used the pseudo name “Mshini High School” to maintain confidentiality. The researcher discovered the answers for the key questions of the study, and the objectives of the study had been achieved since the researcher discovered what was being investigated. According to the findings of the study school bullying is defined as a psychological attack that cause distress and fear, demanding the lunch box from other learners, an intimidation intended to cause harm, a repeated aggressive behaviour and a physical attack on the school ground that includes an imbalance of power. The findings suggest that school bullying did exist at Mshini High School because of the evidence and facts that the majority of participants stated that they did know of schoolmates who had been bullied. The researcher ascertained that school bullying had been reported at Mshini High School since a high percentage of participants confirmed that they knew someone in their school who had reported the incident of being bullied. The findings indicates that school bullying at Mshini High School had been reported to different people by learners and the high rate of participants had reported school bullying to their friends. Lastly, the researcher discovered that the most common type of bullying that occurred at Mshini High School was pushing.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Faculty Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters of Arts in Community Work in the Department of Social Work at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2014
Keywords
bullying --schools --KwaZulu Natal --South Africa