WCED SAFETY AT SCHOOLS IN THE WESTERN CAPE

1
WCED SAFETY AT SCHOOLS IN THE WESTERN CAPE

• IMPACT OF GANGSTERISM ON SCHOOLING

2
CONTEXTUALISING THE CHALLENGE

• Gangs emerge from the local community .
• SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
• Poverty
• Unemployment /low income employment
• Poor living conditions
• LEARNER BEHAVIOUR
• Early anti-social behaviour
• Poor academic performance/Learning
  difficulties
• Truancy / Drop outs

3

• FAMILY SITUATIONS
• Single parent families
• No adult supervision
• Physical abuse
• Alcohol and drug abuse
• Poor role models
• GANGS PROVIDE FOR THEIR NEEDS
• Vulnerable learners are targeted.
• Provide power and protection
• Gangs provide glamorous lifestyles .

4
Types of gangs .

• Street Defence
• Family Mafia
• Syndicate
• Prison Gangs

5
Why is the school such a lucrative environment ?

• Gangs provide money and draw needy families .
• Cell phones ,cars ,gold chains , food , rent
• Sense of belonging .
• Protection
• Turf for drug dealing
• Prostitution

6
The impact of gang violence on schools

• External activities .
• Gangs choose the arrival and departure times
  of
• teachers and learners to begin the shoot-outs
  .
• Safety drills (stop,drop and roll )impact on
  emotions.
• Traumatized educators and learners are fearful
  and
• terrorised
• Educators need time out for severe stress and
• trauma debriefing.
• Perceived allegiance -determined by where you
  live.
• Parent ,Governing Body meetings and extra-mural
  
• activities cannot take place .

7

• INTERNAL ACTIVITIES
• Gang involvement of learners impact on
  restriction
• of movements when rival gangs frequent turf
• like tuck shops or toilets .
• Threats to educators by learners involved in
  gang
• activity .
• Graffiti on school premises.

8
What does Safe Schools have in place ?
OBJECTIVES

• ENVIRONMENTAL
• ATTITUDAL / BEHAVIOURAL
• SYSTEMIC

9
Drugs

• WCED is currently busy with a protocol in line
  with
• the National Drug Policy.
• Drug trafficking is a criminal offence - inform
• SAPS , Municipalities and other key role
  players .
• Safe Schools in partnership with Bridges
  supported
• schools with Information , intervention
• and educational programmes for parents , school
  
• policies and referrals .

10
MANAGING SAFETY AND CRISES

• Reactive procedures are in place .
• Support to school communities in their efforts
  to regain control
• Trauma Debriefing / Counseling / Therapy
• Intervention and prevention programs
• Infrastructure support if needed
• Law enforcement support
• Safe Schools Call Centre

11
NEED FOR A HIGH LEVEL INTERSECTORAL TASK TEAM

• High level multi -sectoral Task Team
• to deal with crime and violence
• All three tiers of government should be included
  .
• The task team should look at short ,
• medium and long term strategies .
• It should co-ordinate activities of all
  agencies .

12

• Job creation / Reduction of unemployment
• Long term solutions would include moral
• regeneration of our country .
• Education will have to play a special role in
• conjunction with religious and sport bodies ,
• NGO and CBO .
• This process will involve learners ,
• teachers their parents and school community .

13
OPTIONS

• Relevantly trained Municipal police officers
  deployed to high risk areas for a year
• Army vehicles visibility .(currently withdrawn
• from Operation Slasher.)
• Searches and Seizures and raids of shebeens.
• Gang Mediation/ Social Crime Prevention
  Activities

14

• Media coverage - Strong messages to communities .
  
• Stronger legislation - Firearm Free Zones within
  a
• 100m of school premises and the implementation
  there of .
• Review the release of gangsters (20 000
  prisoners release p.a) Correctional services and
  behaviour modification -pre requisite
• Police Officers as Resource Officers in each
  school .
• All of the above need to be balanced with social
  crime
• prevention strategies .