Exploring the causes of violence in Tanzanian secondary schools in coast region

This study explored causes of violence in Tanzania secondary schools, with particular focus on the cause of school violence in Coast Region. The study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches to collect, analyses and report the findings. The study was conducted in Kibaha, Bagamoyo and Rufuji in Coast Region. Data were obtained through interviews, questionnaire and focused group discussion from six selected secondary schools. The sample survey a total of 384 respondents which included 360 students, 12 teachers, six heads of schools and six government officials. The respondents were obtained through purposive and random sampling quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, while content analysis was employed to analysed qualitative data. The finding of the study revealed that students in all selected schools had experienced violent incidents. Further, the study revealed that riots, demonstration, bullying, verbal abuse, vandalism, intimidation, sexual harassment, theft and many others are forms of violence prevalent in the secondary schools. Moreover, the findings revealed that students were of the view that teachers’ absenteeism, unprepared teachers, corporal punishment, delay in solving students’ problems, drugs and alcohol consumption as well as religious intolerance were the causes of school violence. Whilst school heads, teachers and government officials were of the view that academic tension, parenting style, modeled violence, religious intolerance as well as disunity among the teaching staff were the causes of school violence. Furthermore, the findings showed that school violence had effects of school violence include disturbing psychological well-being of the student, reduced student-student relationship, students missing studies where the normal school timetable curtailed due to violent incidents. Moreover, the findings showed that school violence reduces teacher-student relationship, disturbs the teaching process which may hinder the accomplishment of the syllabus and creates tension among the teachers. Other effects of school violence included destruction of school properties which may result to impair of teaching and learning material. The study concluded that the causes of school violence are multiple and complex. Some of the causes had roots from individual students, the family, the school and the community as a whole. The forms of school violence are many. Both small and complex forms of violence have a great effect on the whole process of teaching and learning. The study recommended that all teaching staff, students, and community members should be involved in making the school a safe place for teaching and learning. It also recommended that all teaching staff, students, and community members should be involved in making the school a safe place for teaching and learning. It also recommended that further studies on the causes of school violence should be conducted in country wide to explore problems of school violence and its effects on students’ academic performance.