A viral video of pupils assaulting a peer at Milnerton High School in Cape Town has highlighted the pervasive crisis of school violence in South Africa. Eight pupils were arrested following the incident, which underscores a broader pattern where 3.2 million learners experience bullying annually, double the global average. This violence mirrors societal issues, including normalized aggression and entrenched corporal punishment.
The incident at Milnerton High School last month captured national attention when a video surfaced showing pupils using belts and hockey sticks to assault a Grade 10 learner. Authorities arrested eight pupils in response, but such events are far from isolated. In October, a Grade 9 learner in Boksburg was stabbed on school premises after a group of boys jumped the fence. Similarly, girls were filmed assaulting a peer in Athlone, while at St Stithians College in Johannesburg, bullying severely damaged a Grade 1 child's hearing.
Tragically, some cases have proved fatal: a 13-year-old died by suicide after enduring years of bullying, and a matric learner was stabbed to death during a brawl at an Eastern Cape school. According to 2023 data from the Department of Basic Education and UNICEF, about 3.2 million South African learners face bullying each year—roughly double the global average. A 2013 study of 12,000 Grade 9 pupils found 36% involved as victims, perpetrators, or both, with 8% as bullies, 19% as victims, and 9% in both roles, the latter group suffering the most psychologically.
The 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study indicated that 74% of Grade 5 students experienced bullying almost monthly, yet two-thirds of victims never report it due to fears of ridicule or inaction. The toll includes one in 10 high school learners skipping school, alongside depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Professor Cathy Ward of the University of Cape Town describes this as the social transmission of violence, where children internalize aggression from witnessing domestic abuse or harsh discipline.
A 2019 Statistics SA study revealed 8% of primary school-aged children faced school violence, including 84% corporal punishment. Despite its 1997 ban, corporal punishment persists, normalizing violence. At the International Day against Violence and Bullying at School on November 6, 2025, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube called for swift action by school leaders.
Experts advocate shifting from reactive measures like suspensions to prevention through restorative discipline, psychosocial support, ending corporal punishment in practice, parenting programs, and building safer school cultures via anti-bullying policies and peer initiatives.