Graffiti as Pedagogy: Addressing Sexuality and Gender-Based Bullying in Schools |Chapter 9 | Walls That Teach: Graffiti, Education and the Pedagogy of Resistance

 

Schools are expected to provide safe environments where all learners thrive. Yet, learners perceived as different due to their gender identity, expression, or sexual orientation frequently experience fear, exclusion, and harassment. In response, creative interventions such as graffiti have emerged as tools for challenging prejudice, fostering dialogue, and promoting inclusivity. This chapter examines the role of graffiti as a creative and pedagogical tool for addressing sexuality- and gender-based bullying in schools. Sexuality and gender-based harassment remain a pervasive barrier to inclusive education, often silencing marginalised learners and undermining their well-being. Drawing on Freire’s (1970) critical pedagogy and Bandura’s (1977) Social Learning Theory, the study explores how graffiti can simultaneously empower learners’ voices, foster empathy, and transform school cultures. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and analysis of student-created graffiti artefacts at an inclusive secondary school in Zimbabwe, involving five teachers and ten student participants. Thematic analysis revealed four key themes: expression and voice, community engagement, challenging dominant narratives, and fostering empathy and awareness. Findings demonstrate that graffiti provides learners with safe avenues for self-expression, enables collaborative participation in school culture, disrupts heteronormative assumptions, and encourages prosocial behaviours through observational learning and reflection. The chapter argues that graffiti is more than artistic expression; it functions as a transformative educational practice that bridges critical consciousness with social learning. By incorporating graffiti into anti-bullying initiatives, educators can foster inclusive, participatory, and empathetic school environments that challenge prejudice and amplify marginalised voices. This study contributes to educational practice and policy by highlighting how creative student-led interventions can promote inclusion, equity, and responsive school cultures.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Kenneth Mukau
Faculty of Education-Department of Educational Foundations, South Africa.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mono/978-93-47485-01-5/CH9