Dynamics of Gender Based Violence: Investigating the Effects of Violence in Pakistani School on School Dropout and Loss of Creativity among Students

IntroductionThe effects of violence at school could be ascertained by unearthing students' perception, for example, through asking about whether they consider violence as normal or consider it inimical to their development and education. Research by Everett and Price (1995) suggests that if violence is observed or sustained for a longer period of time, students start perceiving violence as normal behavior. Moreover, from psychological perspective , more the occurrence of violence at school, more is the students vulnerability to start practicing various forms of violence (Nuwer, 1990). A number of studies have demonstrated that students exposed to violence are suffering from loss motivation and loss of engagement in academics. Negative self-image (Potgieter, 2000) and non-participation in school in classroom activities (Flannery and Singer, 1999) are commonly identified problems. Similarly, the culture of violence operates as vicious cycle in that the more a child is engaged in violence the more he/she loses interest in academics thereby making him/her more vulnerable to be more violent.Whether tolerated for his/her social status or relationships with teachers, students engaged in violence if prolong their violent practices consistently, they become immune to the threat of punishment or violence by others. Similarly, boys' violence tolerated under socially constructed myth that 'boys will always be boys' mean that they would not deter from committing violence. In circumstances such as these the practice of violence get deeper and deeper becoming part of actor's personality. Moreover, it has also been observed that the use of violence to prevent violence - for example, in the form of teachers administering corporal punishment to deter violent students - translates into behavioral sturdiness in violent students so that they become more frequently violent.Teachers' use of corrective mechanisms, such as bullying, ridiculing, corporal punishment etc. though is forms of violence but they sometimes might affect students in observing and strengthening their academic behavior. This could be gauged by comparatively asking about students' hard work in school activities and their grades and juxtaposing it with their views on punishment as means for compelling them towards such activities.Research ObjectiveThe current research is to investigate effects of violence in schools on students' attitude toward dropout and loss of creativity among students.Literature ReviewExistence of gender-based violence in schools leads to low or poor educational output. For instance, in their research on the impacts of gender-based school experiences on enrolment-retention and achievement outcomes in Ghana and Botswana, Dunne(2006) found that sexual harassment, physical assault, verbal abuse etc. significantly contributed towards irregularity in attendance and lower grades among girls (Dunne, Humphreys & Leach, 2006). The experiences of violence at school could also introduce truancy thereby undermining learners' ability to learn with a consequent negative impact on their academic output (Pereznietoet al., 2010).Coercive discipline strategies are associated with decreased confidence, assertiveness which enhance feelings of humiliation and helplessness (Baumrind & Black, 1967). Corporal punishment contributes to delinquent behaviors such as theft, running away, and truancy and as a factor in antisocial behaviors such as cheating and lying (Straus, Hamby, Finkelhor, Moore, & Runyan, 1998). When teachers and parents use corporal punishment as an attempt to reduce antisocial behaviors in their child, the long-term effect tends to be a further increase in antisocial behaviors(Straus, Sugarman, & Giles-Sims, 1997). Usually excessive physical punishment and aggression leads to molding of students' behavior towards aggression and wrath (Naz, Khan, Daraz, Hussain, & Khan, 2011).The culture of using corporal punishment for disciplining children in schools is a global problem. …