SCHOOL-BASED GENDER-RELATED VIOLENCE IN NAMIBIA: CAUSES AND MANIFESTATIONS

Abstract

Measuring the prevalence of violence and/or bullying in schools in Namibia has become a recent concern, with little available data. The purpose of the article is to uncover the causes and manifestations of gender-based violence in Namibian schools. This study employed a mixed methodology that included in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and quantitative methods of data collection such as a self-administered questionnaire targeting learners and educators. The evidence emerging from this study indicates high levels of violence and/or bullying in schools and that this violence and/or bullying is frequent, takes specific forms, and targets particular groups of learners, such as girls and those who are perceived as different in terms of their gender. It is hoped that findings will assist relevant ministries and others in the education sector in engaging further with the issue of violence and/or bullying in school and in providing support to those learners who are targeted.