Bullying Experiences Among Secondary School Learners in Eswatini's Manzini Urban Area and Strategies for Mitigation

Thesis from the year 2021 in the subject Pedagogy - School Pedagogics, grade: 5.0, , course: Educational Management, language: English, abstract: Bullying is one of the major issues educators, learners and school communities are facing in Eswatini, Africa, and globally. This study looks at secondary school learners' experiences of bullying in co-educational schools in the Manzini urban area. The main objectives of the study are to identify forms or types of bullying experienced by learners, effects of bullying in the lives of learners, characteristics of the victims of bullying, as well as strategies which can be adopted to counter bullying in the school context. The study uses a qualitative research approach where thirty individual interviews were conducted with form 2, 3 and 5 learners, including three guidance teachers. Data is analysed through themes. A detailed analysis of the themes is then conducted to tell a coherent and a persuasive account on the experiences of bullying. The study found that boys usually engage in physical forms of bullying, such as hitting, punching and kicking, while girls often engage in verbal forms of bullying such as hurling insults, name-calling, spreading rumours, as well as cyberbullying. These forms of bullying affect learners socially, emotionally and psychologically, including their academic performance. Gender identity, age, and economic status were found to be the common characteristics among victims of bullying. Socialization also seems to play a major role in perpetuating bullying in schools, as boys exercise their power over those whom they deem to be weak. The study recommends that various stakeholders such as teachers, parents, non-governmental organizations and social workers could work together to minimize the prevalence of bullying in schools.