This document discusses the impact of domestic violence on learners and how teachers can support learners from abusive families. It defines domestic violence and explains that between 3.3-10 million children in South Africa are exposed to it. Domestic violence can negatively impact a learner's academic performance by causing stress, anxiety, and inability to concentrate. It also lowers their self-esteem and makes them feel ashamed. The document provides tips for teachers on how to create a safe environment for these learners, develop trust, provide structure, and work with a support team to counsel the learner and address issues at home if needed. It stresses the importance of teachers recognizing signs of abuse and supporting learners through their challenges.

1. BECOMING A LEARNING
SUPPORT EDUCATOR

2. THIS PRESENTATION WILL BE FOCUSING
ON
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

3. INTRODUCTION
• South African teachers are daily faced with challenges within the
diverse classroom context.
• Researchers have estimated that between 3.3 million and 10 million
children are exposed to domestic violence.

4. WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?
◦ According to Kithonga and Mbogo (2018), “domestic violence is the wilful
intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive
behaviour as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated
by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence,
sexual violence, psychological violence, and emotional abuse”. This is a
critical issue because domestic violence can impact the learner’s learning
and become a barrier to their learning.

5. WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE ON A LEARNER?
•Domestic violence can impact on the learner’s academic performance, as
the learner is stressed. Therefore, the learner cannot concentrate on the
schoolwork.
•According to Kithonga and Mbogo (2018), children who witnessed violence
were also found to show more anxiety, self-esteem, depression, anger, and
temperament problems.
•They are aggressive and constantly feel the need to defend themselves.

6. EXAMPLE OF THE IMPACT
◦ For Example: A learner experiencing domestic abuse in the household will be affected
greatly by the indecency or unpleasantness of his or her situation back at home. Through
having post-traumatic stress about what had occurred (Domestic Violence). The learner
may be reprimanded for not participating in class as per the teacher’s instruction and
because the learner’s mind may be very well occupied by his/her experience of domestic
violence. The learner’s attention may be elsewhere, whereas it should be targeted
towards his/her schoolwork because a learner learns a lot from classroom participation.
Which has a pivotal role in his/her academic performance. Upon being reprimanded the
learner may feel attacked and may present temperament issues.

7. WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE?
◦ When the learner experiences domestic violence it is most of the time visible through his/her
grades dropping. This is because the learner may not be able to focus on his/her academics.
◦ For Example: The learner may be the individual affected by domestic violence. He/she may
come across as injured and in unbearable pain consequently, the learner would be deemed
unfit to even make it to class or school. As the learner needs to recover, at the same time
falling behind on his or her academics. Even if the learner does make it to class he or she may
be faced with underlying health issues that rescind him or her from learning accordingly hence,
the unbearable pain.

8. WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE?
◦ •Children’s exposure to domestic violence has a considerable potential to be perceived as
life threatening by those victimised and leave them with a sense of vulnerability,
hopelessness, psychological disorders and emotional threats. This results in affecting their
academic lives.
◦ •They often feel ashamed and do not participate in the classroom. This is because the
violence may have an impact in their self-esteem. Kithonga and Mbogo (2018) state that
children are like adults in a sense that their own knowledge often flies out of their grasp
when they are scared. When they are faced with frustration, despair, worry, sadness, or
shame, kids lose access to their own memory, reasoning, and the capacity to make
connections. By being asked to read aloud in the classroom it can cause these learners to
freeze.

9. WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE?
•For Example: An impact to a learner’s self-esteem as a resultant from domestic
violence may tamper with the learner’s academic performance, in that, when the
learner is undergoing assessments he or she faces a deterioration in confidence
and the lack of confidence in oneself disables one to believe that they can do better
to reach a satisfactory academic success.
The learner might end up taking drugs or alcohol as a way of avoiding reality.
Which is a signpost of numbing whatever the learner may have encountered in his
or her life.

10. HOW CAN A LEARNER FROM AN ABUSIVE
FAMILY BE SUPPORTED BY THE
TEACHER?
◦ •Firstly, it takes an observant teacher or learner support specialist as an ‘agent of care’ to
notice the abused learners’ stark difference from the way they usually behave. This could
be seen or taken note of when either of the educators are delegated to do some
monitoring during break-time or in a class setting when they are teaching.
◦ •If the educator takes note of stark changes in a learner he or she should create a
relationship with the learner which is based on trust . This will help the learner disclose
any relevant information that may match the educator’s observances. The teacher needs
to ensure that every step that is taken, is for the best interest of the learner.

11. HOW CAN A LEARNER FROM AN ABUSIVE
FAMILY BE SUPPORTED BY THE
TEACHER?◦ •Create a safe environment for the learner to participate in the classroom.
◦ •Provide structure and predictability for the learner. This can be done by helping the learner in clearly outlining
daily schedules, especially when the learner’s grades have been affected.
◦ •A more escalated approach towards supporting the learn would entail that: the teacher should always take
cognizance of what the learner has told him or her. Should it be that the learner is struggling to reach an
academic success then he or she needs to file the matter with the School-Based Support Team. And further
include the parents of the learner to hear what they have to say about issues of abuse arising at home.
However, in order to do this the support specialist must have vital stakeholders present, whilst undergoing an
interview with the parent or the learner such as: A social worker, a member of the head of department, a
psychologist or a school counsellor. How will this support the learner? The learner will be supported through
counselling to keep track of how she feels about certain situations that make her feel the way she does.
Furthermore, the Social Worker can monitor the household to make sure that the learner is not facing any
unpleasantries in the home. The school support team will initiate a support plan that will keep track of the
learner’s academic performance with the issuing of consent forms for both the parent and the learner to
acknowledge in light of the learner’s work being monitored by the parent. Also making sure that the learner’s
school work is not infringed upon by domestic issues.

12. CONCLUSION
• Considering the various implications related to domestic violence, educators and support
teams essentially need to be ready with administering knowledge as well as
comprehending and having eagerness to use the skills they have acquired. Teachers
should take note of the interiorized and exteriorized symptoms of domestic abuse.
• The impacts and effects of domestic violence deserve aptitude from relevant stakeholders
whereas they are not deprecated because of society deeming it ‘just one of those
domestic violence cases’ to move on by disregarding the repercussions that the learner
may face. But rather it should be considered significantly so to redress the social ill that is
domestic violence

13. PRESENTATION CREATED BY:
•
1. KUBONI NP 201815147
2. Lefhuleni N 201603755
3. MALAZA SM 217000858
4. MARUATONA RJ 218000907
5. MTHEMBU NS 218010246
6. NDLOVU TV 217033730
7. NHLAPO TN 201515908
8. nong Ms 217079968
9. NQETHO N 218000563
10. Sebesho MK 217007292
11. XINWA W 218031966