Addressing gender-based violence among school learners: Strategies for prevention and support

Abstract

Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a pervasive concern in schooling environments and significantly affects learners’ emotional, social, and cognitive development. Although GBV is commonly examined in the context of older learners, early encounters with gendered aggression in the Foundation Phase are often overlooked, despite their potential long-term consequences for children’s behaviour, relationships, and self-worth. This article explores strategies for preventing GBV and supporting young learners who may experience or witness such violence in schools. Guided by the social-ecological model, the study emphasises how individual, relational, school, and community influences shape learners’ experiences of safety and vulnerability. The findings indicate that early intervention plays a crucial role in fostering safe and supportive learning environments. Effective strategies include integrating age-appropriate awareness and social-emotional learning activities into daily classroom practice, along with strengthening school-based support systems through teacher capacity-building, clear reporting procedures, and meaningful caregiver engagement. These approaches encourage respectful peer interactions and contribute to a secure school climate. The study suggests that prioritising GBV prevention in the early years can disrupt patterns of violence and cultivate more inclusive and nurturing educational spaces. Schools and policymakers are encouraged to embed proactive, developmentally sensitive GBV prevention within broader learner support programmes.