Discrimination, Harassmentand Bullying

Reporting and Coaching

Jj

Jim WatsonMargaret MazzottaRose WildeCommittee for Children

Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination Defined

Any act that substantially interferes with a student’s educational benefits, opportunities or performance and that has the effect of:

1) physically harming a student or damaging a student’s property; or

Jj

Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination Defined

2) knowingly placing a student in reasonable fear of physical harm to the student or damage to the student’s property; or

3) creating a hostile educational environment; or

4) harming the student through humiliation, exclusion, rumors, or verbal or non-verbal hostility.

Jj

By law have a basis:• Racial or sexual; disability; sexual orientation; age

or religion; socioeconomic, marital or familial status; physical or linguistic characteristics

Jm

Harassment and Discrimination

Bullying• Has no obvious basis• Involves a power difference - the person bullying

is bigger, older, higher status, has more peer supporters, etc.

Mm

Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination Responsibilities

• Staff must act on AND document any incident that is observed or reported which takes place on or immediately adjacent to school grounds, at any school sponsored activity, on any school provided transportation or at any official bus stop.

• See Harassment Law and Policy handout.

Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination

Goals of this workshop

Develop skills to:– Recognize these behaviors– Accept reports– Support students making reports– Develop safety plans– Intervene effectively– Follow through on options generated

Mm

Recognizing/Reacting to Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying

Mj

Recognize

Refuse Report

Dealing with Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying

Jj

•Harassment, bullying and discrimination are handled differently than conflict!

•What skills do bystanders need to help?

•How do we teach them and support their use?

Accepting Reports - 4A #1

Jj

the Child’s Feelings

Examples:

• “You did the right thing!”

• “That must make you really mad!”

Probably not time for open ended questions

Questions

Examples:

• “Tell me what happened.”

• “It doesn’t sound like this is the first time it has happened. Has it happened before?”

• “What did you do? Did it help?”

Accepting Reports - 4A #2

Jj

the child’s safety

Examples:

• “What would you like to happen?”

• Are there other places you worry about?

• “When, where, and with whom do you feel safe?”

Accepting Reports - 4A # 3

Jj

• Set up a temporary safety plan with student

• Tell the child what will happen next

• Contact coach and adult supervisors

• Coaching should occur soon (within 72 hrs)

Accepting Reports - 4A # 4

Jm

Coaching• Meet with students separately • Meet with student who may have been

targeted first• If appropriate, allow each student to play

a part in generating options for the future• Options can be generated without getting

to the bottom of the incident

Mj

Coaching the targeted student

• Blaming the victim is the equivalent of re-victimizing

• There is NO excuse for bullying or discrimination!

• Coaching of targeted students must be focused on the future - NOT WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE

• Aim for empowerment of the targeted student

• Stress the need for and process of reporting all future incidents

• Any teaching of skills or techniques to targeted students should be separated from reporting and coaching

Jj

Coaching the targeted student• Affirm the child’s feelings - more open

ended - “How did you feel?” Assure them that they are not alone and it isn’t their fault.

• Ask questions

• Has anything worked in the past?• Generate options for the future (as appropriate)

safety plan, effective responses

• Document and Follow-up

Jm

Mr

• Identify the problem and diffuse reporting responsibility (“I usually hear these things from many people”)

• Ask questions and gather information (with an open mind as to guilt - “This is how others see it. What shall we do?” “Think about what you might do if it did happen?”)

• Apply consequences (as required and helpful - we want to help!!!)

• Agree to actions to be taken

• Document and follow-up

Coaching the Accused Student

• What about abuse taking the form of harassment and bullying elsewhere?

• Help the student devise a safety plan• It is possible for students who witness or experience

abuse at home to learn that there are other ways to relate to people

• Womenspace can help 485-8232 :– Curricula

– Curricula adaptations

– Guest speakers

– Consultation

Rj

Problems Outside of School