Silence the Violence
| Published date | 29 January 2010 |
| Date | 29 January 2010 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5042/jacpr.2010.0006 |
| Pages | 69-72 |
| Author | Nanette Minnaar |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Sociology |
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10.5042/jacpr.2010.0006
Introduction
Efforts are constantly made to downplay
statistics that portray South Africa as the ‘crime
CAPITALOFTHEWORLD 4HEREALITYISTHAT RECENT
STATISTICSINDICATETHAT3OUTH !FRICASMURDER
rate is roughly 28 times that of the UK and
seven times that of the US. In December 2008,
statistics showed that 1,691 children under
the age of 18 were detained in South African
correctional centres, of which approximately
50% were for violent crimes (DCS statistics).
But this is only the tip of the iceberg or, as
we like to say in South Africa, ‘the tip of the
HIPPOPOTAMUSSEARS
-ANYOF3OUTH!FRICAS CHILDRENAREBORNAND
raised in a society with a legacy of violence.
Violence has permeated areas such as schools,
homes, shopping malls and public places, which
TRADITIONALLYWEREPERCEIVEDAS @SAFEZONES
(Burton, 2007). The National School Violence
study conducted in 2008 among 12,794 primary
and secondary school learners (Burton, 2008)
found that 15.3% of learners were exposed
to some form of violence at school, including
verbal abuse, physical assault, sexual assault
and robbery. Furthermore, the study found that
exposure to violence and personal experiences
of violence are just as common in the home
and community as they are in school; 14% of
the children indicated that they fear travelling
to and from school. Contrary to popular belief,
violence is not limited to households and
communities in poorer or impoverished areas,
but is a widespread phenomenon. Despite these
levels of violence, nine out of ten children
indicated that they feel safe at school. The sad
reality is that some children in South Africa have
become immune to the violence and for others
violence has become a way of life.
Similarly to South Africa, children raised
in the UK are also exposed to violence. A UN
study conducted in 2008 on violence against
children spoke about children exposed to
violence in the home, at school, on the street
and in the criminal justice system (deCordova
et al, 2008). Sadly, these young people are
more than just victims; in many cases, they
are the perpetrators of violence. Research
has substantiated that young people who are
exposed to violence are themselves more
likely to get caught up in the cycle of violence,
ABS TR AC T
This paper focuses on modelling as a causal factor of violence in South Africa and the United
Kingdom, and on a unique aggressive behavioural programme called ‘Silence the Violence’
that uses modelling in effectively addressing violence.
KEY WO RDS
Silence the Violence; South Africa; crime; murder; children.
Silence the Violence
Practice report
Nanette Minnaar
Strategic Programme Development Manager, Khulisa Crime Prevention Initiative
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