Citation

Makgoke S, Mofokeng JT. Acta Criminol. 2020; 33(1): 91-114.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Criminological Society of South Africa)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Alcohol and illicit substance abuse amongst secondary school learners is a vital concern, not only for parents or guardians, but for administrators, policy makers, criminal justice personnel, and concerned citizens. Efforts to reduce alcohol and illicit substance abuse at schools have led many schools to adopt preventative strategies aimed at reducing actual crime and victimisation. Recognising these efforts and the limitations of prior research investigating strategies for policing alcohol and substance abuse, the current study examined the impact of the relationship between law enforcement (public or private) and school security measures pertaining to the incidence of alcohol and substance abuse in selected secondary schools by learners in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM), Gauteng Province, South Africa. The target population for this study comprised Life Orientation (LO) educators from selected urban and rural secondary schools, as well as South African Police Service (SAPS) social crime co-ordinators, located both in urban and rural police stations, of the CTMM policing area. This was a qualitative study conducted on selected schools in the district, thus the research results may not be generalisable to all Tshwane precinct schools. It was found that, although intervention measures have been implemented at these schools in an attempt to curb these social ills, illicit substances still find their way into schools, either through students or through the community. Although existing prevention measures are continually reviewed to cope with these incidents, illicit substance abuse, like many other social ills, is still on the increase in society. Educational drug awareness co-ordinators within schools (Life Orientation educators) and SAPS social crime co-ordinators were interviewed, and their experiences, expert opinions, and recommendations recorded. The findings obtained in this study may also be utilised to stimulate further research, as well as to inform policing strategies and potential reduction measures in an attempt to address alcohol and illicit substance abuse within the school context.

Language: en