Protecting the rights of the girl child: implications for educational psychologists

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study was carried out to evaluate the situation of violation of girls’ rights among Grade 9 learners in Johannesburg’s high schools, with a focus on how educational psychologists working with these children can help to protect the nurturance and self-determination rights of girls in schools as defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. A random sample of 148 girls from 13 urban Johannesburg schools in South Africa, aged between 13 and 16 responded to an open-ended questionnaire. The results showed that girls’ rights that were commonly violated were the right to be protected from abuse and harm, the right to privacy and the right to having various freedoms. The major perpetrators were family members, friends and school learners. Based on the results, implications and recommendations for educational psychologists are articulated in an effort to assist with the protection of girls from the violation of their rights.