Students gather outside their South African school before classes begin.
A new report calls on the government to issue guidelines for responding to violence in schools, and publish punishments for violations of conduct codes. In addition to widespread sexual abuse in South African schools across economic and racial lines, the report found that school administrators do not protect victims or punish perpetrators. This report, combined with other surveys that show rape and AIDS infection rates in South Africa to be among the highest in the world, illustrate the challenges that continue to bedevil women here. Despite a Constitution considered one of the world's most liberal, that guarantees equal rights and nondiscrimination, life for South Africa's girls continues to be challenging and downright dangerous. Sexual abuse in schools is not unique to South Africa.