Effective moral strategies in mitigating gender based violence (GBV) in public secondary schools in Vihiga County, Kenya

Abstract

Moral education remains an important foundation for developing learners who value respect, empathy, justice, responsibility, and peaceful coexistence. In secondary schools, these values are necessary because students interact daily in ways that can either promote dignity or reinforce harmful behaviours such as gender-based violence (GBV). Although moral education is taught in schools, the continued prevalence of GBV underscores the need for practical strategies that translate moral lessons into everyday practice. This article examines effective moral education strategies for mitigating GBV in public secondary schools in Vihiga County, Kenya. It is extracted from a phenomenological study that investigated the efficacy of moral education in addressing GBV. The study was guided by Aristotelian virtue ethics, which emphasizes the formation of good character through repeated practice of virtues. Phenomenological-hermeneutical and critical methods were used to interpret teachers' lived experiences and the moral strategies they considered effective in preventing GBV. Purposive sampling was used to select five guidance and counselling teachers from five public secondary schools in Vihiga County. Primary data were collected through unstructured interviews and were analyzed thematically using Braun and Clarke's six-step approach. The findings showed that effective strategies included integrating GBV education into moral and life skills lessons, peer counselling, interactive discussions, student-led clubs, confidential reporting systems, mentorship programmes, awareness campaigns, community involvement, and balancing discipline with moral guidance. The study concluded that moral education can mitigate GBV more effectively when it is participatory, continuous, learner-centred, and supported by teachers, parents, schools, and the wider community. Schools should actively involve parents, religious leaders, local administrators, law enforcement officers, alumni, and community-based organizations in designing and implementing gender-based violence prevention programmes. Regular community sensitization forums, parent engagement meetings, and school–community partnerships should be established to reinforce moral values, strengthen reporting mechanisms, and create a coordinated approach to preventing GBV both within and outside the school environment.