Gender Role Perception and Exposure to Violence at Schools: A Study of Selected Schools in District Mardan & Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

IntroductionSocial role perceptions occupy strategic position in the development effects on children. A child is generally presumed to be guided by his/her socialization and indoctrination in peer group, including his/her response to violence. Even school education has greater effect on child's perception of violence.Social role perceptions occupy strategic position in the development effects on children. A child is generally presumed to be guided by his/her socialization and indoctrination in peer group, including his/her response to violence. Even school educationhas greater effect on child's perception ofviolence.School is the second most important institution that follows in its importance of child socialization after family, and meant for imparting formal education with several latent and manifest functions. The motive of learning is managed in a diversity of ways ranging from multidimensional participatory approaches to a strict administrative uni-directional approach. In its primitive forms of educational culture learning is associated with violent behavior through punishment especially in its internalization. However, the scenario got changed in the aftermath of different psychological tests and theories from the experts of the field highlighting the negative effects of societal perceptions on students' response to various forms of exposure to violence at school. The concept of gender is distinct from the traditional concept of sex, where sex distinction is based on biological differences of male and female while gender is based on sociological concept of social role. The social constructs of gender roles are most culturally based and mostly biased in favor of males awarding benefits and favors. This paper examines these gender role perceptions, as how they are sharing their contribution in learning of violence at schools besides other contributing factors.Literature ReviewViolence is structured in the institution of schools too like any other institution. Our schools produce violence as well as consume violence (Clive Harber, 2002, pp. 7-8). Considerable amount of literature has questioned the assumedly positive role and functioning of educational institution in today's societies (Dubet, 2003; C. Harber & Mncube, 2003; Clive Harber & Mncube, 2012). The discourse on school violence might be seen relatively as latest phenomenon but concerns resonated in earlier times as well. For example, in English history, concern about children's schooling, especially for boys was started back in 1693, when researchers questioned deficiencies of education system in inculcating writing and speaking skills among youngsters (Cohen, 1998).In the context of developed countries, the existence of school violence is attributed to phenomenon of mass education that started with the advent of industrialization.This is because, being subject to controlled environment from early childhood to the age of sixteen or eighteen develops considerable amount of frustration (EacuteE Clive Harber, 1996), loss of creativity (Harber, 2002: 11), and increased drop out and repetition rates (Tigges, Browne, & Green, 1998). This might occur because an individual's sense of coherence is composed of three elements, viz. comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness (Antonovsky, 1987). In line with this Bowen et al. (1998) explained with respect to school children these elements to be (a) learner's self-perception of feelings, (b) meeting the demands and challenges of education and (c) being engaged in school(Bowen, Richman, Brewster, & Bowen, 1998). This is the argument that is addressed in this paper. Bowen (1998) considers that these three components shape violence at school and this research finds that gender based violence is based on the first principle of Bowen (1998), that is Gender role perception and self-position of a student at school, especially at tender age like grade 8-10. …