South African schools have been rife with bullying for many years now. It’s reported that as many as 57% of South African students have been bullied at some time during their high school careers. These numbers are shocking as they include over half of the high school population. But what really is the main cause?

There are many factors that contribute to bullying. One of the main ones is that students who bully their peers often come from dysfunctional homes and have experienced some sort of bullying or abuse in the home. This leads to children or adolescents who feel helpless at home, to try and regain that power by bullying other kids at school.

Some students may also join in the bullying because of peer pressure. This behaviour usually escalates as a result of poor intervention from authority figures. The cycle of bullying then continues, leading to more incidents.

What other factors lead to bullying at schools? Voice your opinions below.