Exploring Factors Contributing to Crime and Violence in South African High Schools: The Case of 2008 Study on Nzululwazi High School in Alice Town, Eastern Cape, South Africa

This paper sought to explore the contributing factors of crime and violence in schools as a pathway to formulate alternative ways to bolster the perfidy currently experienced in schools in South Africa. A qualitative method was employed to explore the perceptions and experiences of the participants towards crime and violence in schools. The study was explorative in nature and the design took the form of a case study. An interview guide with semi-structured questions was utilized as a data collection tool to guide the administration of one-on-one indepth interviews with the study participants. The findings indicated that: the location of schools contributes to violence; drug abuse by the students also contributes to violence and crime; lack of security services that search the students by the school premises and the crimes that go unreported also contribute to the perpetuation of crime and violence. These findings prompted these researchers to recommend for a comprehensive framework that addresses crime and violence in terms of ensuring security services are put in place and police forums and social workers should frequently be utilized in schools to ensure that all crimes and violence are prevented, and if they occur, they are reported urgently. To this end, it is hoped that the findings from this paper could form a platform to ring the bell to both the government and non-government officials to consider embarking on strategies and ways of protecting and safeguarding the children and the teachers in schools among other things.