The aim of this study was to investigate the causes and consequences of learner aggression in rural secondary schools in the Empangeni District of KwaZulu-Natal. The study also sought to establish the management strategies required to manage learner aggression in rural secondary schools. An in-depth literature study was conducted in this regard. A qualitative research design and methodology was adopted to investigate the phenomenon through an interview process with participants from five rural secondary schools. This study found that the causes of learner aggression were rooted in the family, the environment and the school. It was further established that the consequences of learner aggression were so serious that it resulted in victims experiencing intense fear, anxiety, tension, depression and ill-health. Furthermore, the findings of the empirical investigation concurred, to a large extent, with the findings of the literature study. Based on these findings, recommendations were made regarding the management of learner aggression in rural secondary schools. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The aim of this study was to investigate the causes and consequences of learner aggression in rural secondary schools in the Empangeni District of KwaZulu-Natal. The study also sought to establish the management strategies required to manage learner aggression in rural secondary schools. An in-depth literature study was conducted in this regard. A qualitative research design and methodology was adopted to investigate the phenomenon through an interview process with participants from five rural secondary schools. This study found that the causes of learner aggression were rooted in the family, the environment and the school. It was further established that the consequences of learner aggression were so serious that it resulted in victims experiencing intense fear, anxiety, tension, depression and ill-health. Furthermore, the findings of the empirical investigation concurred, to a large extent, with the findings of the literature study. Based on these findings, recommendations were made regarding the management of learner aggression in rural secondary schools. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

This study investigated the severity of bullying perpetration in secondary schools in the Uthungulu District of KwaZulu-Natal. The study further sought to establish the various types of bullying that were rife in secondary schools, the factors that contributed to bullying perpetration and the negative impact of bullying behaviour on all stakeholders of the school system. An in-depth literature study was conducted in this regard. Accordingly, various theories relevant to the phenomenon were explored exhaustively. A qualitative research design and methodology was employed to investigate the phenomenon through interviews with participants from five secondary schools, including the circuit manager of the circuit concerned. Strict ethical principles were adhered to throughout and the study was also evaluated for reliability and validity. The study found that the factors that contributed considerably to the problem of bullying in secondary schools were embedded at the level of the family, the school and the community. In addition, the study established that the impact of bullying was so severe that it affected the day- to- day functioning of the school from a management perspective where a considerable amount of time was spent managing the problem, substantially reducing valuable teaching time. The impact was also felt significantly among victims who experienced low self-esteem, humiliation, embarrassment and palpable levels of stress and anxiety that ultimately led to appreciable rates of absenteeism, truancy, dropping out of school, transfers to other schools, ill-health, depression and even suicide. On the basis of the findings of the literature study and the empirical investigation, a model to curb bullying was developed, which required all stakeholders of the secondary schools in the Uthungulu District of KwaZulu-Natal to work collectively as a team to manage the problem effectively and efficiently. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Educational Management)