“What bothers the heart”: a phenomenological study of adolescents’ experiences and interpretations of school-based gender-based violence in Kinshasa, DRC

Gender-based violence in high schools undermines adolescents' rights, well-being and opportunities at a critical moment in their psycho-social development. While violence prevalence has been partially assessed in Sub-Saharan Africa, there remain gaps in understanding how adolescents themselves define, interpret and navigate these situations. This phenomenological qualitative study conducted in four high schools in Kinshasa (DR Congo) centers adolescent voices to explore how they perceive, legitimize, and manage School-Based Gender-Based Violence. It aims to identify the individual beliefs and practices that can be used to interpret, accept or challenge violence, as well as the institutional structures that produce and legitimize these conditions. In December 2024, 90 adolescents aged 15-17 participated in focus group discussions and individual interviews. Data were thematically analyzed using NVivo and iterative validation. Violence was pervasive and multifaceted, encompassing physical abuse, humiliations, economic coercion, and sexual harassment. Some instances of violence were seen as legitimate based on institutional and gendered expectations, and victim blaming was frequent. Community judgement deeply framed students' narratives, leading to stronger condemnation of arbitrary acts, public humiliations, and economic sanctions. Correspondingly, fear of reputational harm discouraged reporting, and silence and conformity emerged as key coping strategies. Students' ability to respond effectively appeared entirely constrained by their pre-existing reputation in the community, which determined whether they were believed, supported, or blamed. Findings indicate that addressing GBV in Kinshasa high schools requires both community- and school-level interventions that confront the norms legitimizing violence and victim-blaming, policies that strengthen accountability mechanisms and protect students who report abuse, and further research on adolescent-led strategies to transform harmful institutional and social expectations. Supporting adolescents' voices in defining and resisting school-based GBV is critical to safeguarding their rights and fostering equitable education.