Similarly, the disruption to schooling, the attacks on teachers (and their frequent displacement), and, worst of all, the use of schools for political activities and even as places where violence and intimidation occur, can have profoundly negative consequences for children. It was noted that children were frequently forced to attend political rallies where it can be made manifestly plain to children the risks involved in political activity, never mind the more odious implication that children are being politically indoctrinated. It was also plain from these cases that teachers were viewed as untrustworthy people in the community, and can be publicly humiliated and physically attacked, which hardly creates the kind of climate in schools necessary for safe learning. This data does not permit any analysis of the actual harm, physical and psychological, that these child victims might have suffered, nor can this data give any understanding of the magnitude of the problem. It can be inferred from the very brief review of the international literature that the consequences to children are not likely to be any less serious than those to adults, and, if the trends seen from this examination of the reported cases are actually very extensive, then Zimbabwe is facing a rehabilitation problem of considerable magnitude. This requires urgent action by government to ensure that schools become and remain Zones of Peace, especially during elections. In addition, there is an urgent need to understand the scale of the existing problem (and the extent of the harm suffered by children) in order that an appropriate preventative and rehabilitative strategy be developed. 4