Abstract
M.Ed.
In schools today discrimination based on sexual orientation takes place on a
regular basis. This form of discrimination leads to aggression towards
learners perceived to be homosexual, and learners with a homosexual
orientation. For more than 10 years South Africa has been a democratic
country with laws that protects learners who have a homosexual orientation,
yet, aggression and discrimination towards these learners still takes place in
schools. This aggression leads to verbal and physical bullying of the victims
by perpetrators. The objectives of the study will be: to explore and describe
Grade 11 learners' experience of aggression towards learners perceived to be
homosexual and learners with a homosexual orientation in a secondary
school environment; and to describe guidelines to address learners'
aggression towards learners perceived to be homosexual and learners with a
homosexual orientation in a secondary school environment.
The research design followed was qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and
contextual in nature. Phenomenological group interviews and essays based
on a published newspaper photograph and field notes were used as a means
of data collection. Tesch's method tor data analysis was used and an
independent coder together with the researcher cooperated in analysing the
data. In phase one of the study three themes with categories were identified,
discussed and supported by a literature control. In phase two guidelines were
described to address aggression towards learners perceived to be
homosexual and learners with a homosexual orientation in a secondary
school environment.