Bullying of refugee learners in South African schools: The perspective of parents from Kivu (Democratic Republic of Congo) living in Cape Town.
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Date
2024
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Publisher
University of the Western Cape
Abstract
Bullying victimization in school settings is a serious issue in many countries hosting refugees including South Africa. And even though bullying is an everyday reality among school learners, research in South Africa has not investigated the kind that mostly targets adolescent refugee learners rather than native-born youth. The prevailing atmosphere of bullying in South African school continuously affect refugee learners ‘health and hinders their integration in school. This study explored how and why bullying victimisation is experienced by newcomer adolescent refugee learners from Kivu province who attend school in Maitland and Parow, in Cape Town. The objective of this study was to understand the effect of social connection in the mitigation of bullying victimization. Hirschi’s social bonds concept was used to understand the role of attachment to parents, teachers and peers, commitment in school activities, involvement in social activities and belief in school rules/policies to deal with bullying and help newcomer refugee learners to integrate in school. The research is qualitative and used participant observation and interviews as tools for data collection. Respondents were parents of children who experienced bullying victimization in schools. This research argues that the combination of social support and connection from educators, parents and peers creates a new identity for learner that is important for their effective integration and well-being.
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Keywords
Migration, Bullying, Victimization, Refugee, School learners