The South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics for the third quarter of 2023/2024 paint a grim picture: 171 children were murdered in 2024, with 313 surviving murder attempts and over 13 700 women were assaulted in the first quarter alone.
Says Rev Melanie Thirion, Early Intervention Service Coordinator at Little Seeds, an Early Childhood Development (ECD) unit, which aims to bring together ECD programmes and services delivered by Diaconia and Badisa, “While these numbers highlight the immediate and visible toll of gender-based violence (GBV), the less obvious forms, such as emotional, financial, and sexual abuse, leave lasting scars, especially on young children who witness such violence within their families. The ripple effects can shape their emotional, cognitive, and social development and often impact them negatively for the rest of their lives.”
Thirion outlines how GBV influences learning and educational growth in young children:
Cognitive development
The stress and trauma associated with GBV can impair cognitive functions. Prolonged exposure to stress can affect brain areas critical for learning and executive functioning, leading to challenges with concentration and information retention.
Emotional regulation
Healthy emotional regulation is essential for effective learning. A child frequently feeling anxious or upset due to exposure to violence may struggle to participate in classroom activities, follow instructions and engage in learning.
Behavioural problems
Children who witness or experience GBV may display behavioural problems, such as aggression, withdrawal or defiance. These behaviours can disrupt their learning environment and negatively impact their relationships with teachers and peers.
Social skills
Learning involves not only academic skills but also social development. Children affected by GBV may struggle to develop positive social skills such as trust, cooperation, and communication which are all crucial for group work and classroom dynamics.
School attendance and engagement
GBV often results in a chaotic and unsafe home environment which may lead to irregular school attendance. Parents may also lack involvement in the child’s learning processes, which also negatively affects the child’s development.
Self-confidence and motivation
The trauma of GBV can harm a child’s self confidence and motivation. They may doubt their abilities and feel less driven to participate in learning activities. Furthermore, when GBV occurs in a household, it disrupts the system that should encourage and support a child’s learning.
Long-term educational impact
The cumulative effects of GBV can impact a child’s long-term educational progress. Children exposed to GBV face greater challenges in achieving academic success and are at a higher risk of dropping out of school before completing Grade 12.
To break the cycle of gender-based violence, we need to stand together, raise awareness and support one another to give children a safer and brighter future.
Badisa, together with the gender task team of the Dutch Reformed Church, Uniting Reformed Church, CABSA, CLF and Thursdays in Black initiative, is calling on communities to take part in its “Step up and stand against gender-based violence” campaign during the global 16 Days of Activism taking place from 25 November to 10 December.
For more information on GBV or if you or someone you know needs help, visit www.badisa.org.za or email info@badisa.org.za
