Cape Town - In the face of gang violence on the Cape Flats, the Western Cape Education Department said the ratio of social workers and psychologists is 1:30 000 children who may need trauma counselling.
The Cape Argus unpacked the numbers for three areas plagued by gang violence – Mitchells Plain, Hanover Park and Manenberg.
Sihle Ngobese, spokesman for MEC of Social Development Albert Fritz, said Mitchells Plain has 26 social workers and 13 auxiliary social workers.
This includes social workers in the department and NGOs.
In Hanover Park, there are two social workers and four auxiliary social workers from NGOs funded by the department, and in Manenberg there are also two social workers and five more from NGOs.
The Department of Education provides six social workers in the Metro Central area.
These social workers serve more than 200 schools, according to Jessica Shelver, spokeswoman for MEC of Education Debbie Schäfer.
She said one psychologist and a social worker are assigned to between 30 and 35 schools.
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In Mitchells Plain there are 60 000 pupils, Manenberg has 9 000 and Hanover Park 4 500.
When asked if there are sufficient social workers to deal with the amount of trauma, she said: “We are able to respond to requests from schools.”
Gang violence often spills over and affects schools, she said.
“Gangsterism is a broad societal issue that needs to be addressed at all levels, and while the education department cannot be held solely responsible for it, we can try to minimise its impact in our schools.”
She said the trauma children faced had a negative impact on their ability to learn. However, she said some children are more resilient than others.
Debbie Kaminer, associate professor in the department of psychology at UCT, wrote in her report Prevalence and Psychological Impact of Exposure to Violence Amongst Children in Khayelitsha, which was presented to the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry into policing in 2013, it is likely that exposure to trauma can reduce learning capabilities.
“PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) may impede children’s capacity to learn because they are preoccupied with identifying potential threats in their environment and with managing intrusive recollections of past traumas, making it difficult for them to concentrate and focus on schooling.”
She said the brain becomes more geared towards survival than learning and exploration.
“There is an absence of local research on the relationship between violence exposure and school performance; however, there is no reason to expect that this relationship would be any different in South Africa than elsewhere in the world,” said Kaminer.
Valdi van Reenen, executive director for The Trauma Centre for Survivors of Violence and Torture, said that in her experience schools in gang-affected areas have shown that pupils, parents and teachers are negatively affected by gang violence.
“We have seen children who are angered and saddened by the gang violence, but also those whose laughter reveals the numbing impact of ongoing gang violence.
“Gang violence has become normalised to the extent that in the wake of the imminent danger, children are not necessarily running away from the danger.”
In terms of their ability to concentrate at school, she said children find it difficult to remain focused for long periods of time.
They are sometimes tired because they are unable to sleep at night.
“Anger and aggressive behaviour are typical trauma responses. Unfortunately, in the classroom such responses are mainly dealt with as disciplinary issues, which leads to more challenges for the child.”
Another concern is the drop-out rate associated with trauma.
“We have seen that children who have limited support structures are more likely to fail or drop out of school.”
But she said there are children who succeed in spite of the trauma.
“This is possible because of the way the brain adapts to violence and trauma.
“It does not mean that those who fare well at school are less affected by the trauma.
“And of course the impact of growing with violence and trauma is felt in one’s adulthood.”
Van Reenen said there is a need for a “multi-disciplinary mental health response” to gang violence.
The issue, she said, is not only about having enough social workers, but also whether social workers are “adequately equipped to deal with the continuous and complex trauma” seen in communities.
“The WCED does not have sufficient mental health practitioners to support schools.”
She said the Department of Social Development and the WCED need to work closely with NGOs to support trauma counselling services.
But there is more that can be done closer to home.
“Besides trauma counselling, parents and other caregivers can provide psychological first aid or trauma support to children.
“There is much that can be done that does not cost much.
“Talking to children, playing games, providing spaces for them to talk about their anxietiesand creating safe spaces within the home.”
Cape Argus