Effective Safety and Security Measures in the Prevention of Various Crimes in Selected Ordinary, Public Secondary Schools: A Participatory Framework Approach

Worldwide, various crimes have permeated schools, creating a major challenge when it comes to the maintenance of the safety and security of both educators and learners and, to a large extent, school infrastructure. It is surprising that South Africa is constantly grappling with a burgeoning wave of diverse crimes, a problem that is confined to the broader society but has infiltrated secondary schools. This study examined the types of crimes caused in secondary schools to establish effective safety and security measures for the prevention of those crimes. The study employed a qualitative approach in the form of an explanatory multi-case study of nine Tshwane South District (D4) public ordinary secondary schools in the province of Gauteng, South Africa, entrenched within Borda’s (1987) Participatory Theory. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews which were conducted with 30 purposively selected participants and analysed using thematic content analysis (TCA). The findings revealed the prevalence of various crimes in all the schools under study, and further exposed the lack of efficiency in the preservation of safety and security. To preserve safety and security, community involvement and participation are key because schools cannot rely only on technological advancement. Furthermore, all the stakeholders constituting a school community are urged to methodically consult and analyse all the existing policies for better and informed safety and security measures formulation. The study provides a unique opportunity for all stakeholders to assess strengths and weaknesses, thereby enabling the development of more effective measures to curtail and minimize the ongoing prevalence of such crimes. Keywords: Safety and Security, Various Crimes, Participatory Framework, South Africa, Ordinary, Public Secondary Schools