How can we make positive and lasting change?
SCENARIO: Student 1 is Muslim and wears the Hijab. She begins the year with excellent grades and a happy demeanour. As the year progresses, she becomes increasingly withdrawn and her grades decline. One day you are walking through the lunchroom and you notice her sitting at a table looking frightened and frozen, and several male students are surrounding her at the table, laughing out loud.
You see Student 2 sitting at another table, watching the scene, looking unhappy and anxious. Following meetings with various students, you understand that there is a widespread problem of sexualized, racialized and religious bullying targeting female students, not only among the students in this class, but also among students in other classes and grade levels.
Aware that the issue is more widespread, the principal notes that training and consultation are called for under these circumstances. The principal calls a staff meeting for the teachers of the grade level involved. This group decides to invite an expert in to talk to students of the grade level involved about the impact of bullying, and to organize some additional training for all teachers.
The problem is being taken seriously. By implementing the bullying intervention and prevention plan and by activating the appropriate steps, you and the principal are taking into account the safety and wellbeing of the targeted students and offering them the support they need. A plan is in the works to address the larger issue of racist and sexist attitudes within the specific class involved.
Soliciting the participation of other parties generates access to more resources and infuses the process with greater creativity with which to reach the group’s objectives. These measures lead to a more comprehensive approach to intervention and prevention.
The racism, sexism and xenophobia, which are at the root of the problem have been exposed. These problems have been named and strategies have been created in order to address and reduce them, while ensuring students’ safety. The school has publicly condemned these forms of bullying and made a commitment to eradicate them in order to interrupt the cycle of violence and reduce the incidence of bullying in the whole school. This approach sends a clear message to the whole school community thereby contributing to the creation of a school culture that does not tolerate bullying.
The activities are aimed at only one class and one grade level which so the results will be limited.
2You report the problem to the principal, aware that the school has a bullying intervention and prevention plan. The principal thanks you, and together you discuss the procedures and strategies described in the plan as well as their implementation. The principal, with your collaboration, activates the appropriate steps to ensure that the female students are safe and supported.
Aware that the issue is more widespread, the principal notes that training and consultation are called for under these circumstances. The principal calls a staff meeting with the appropriate committee(s), and the group develops a training plan for the upcoming school year, within which experts will provide student and staff training in various fields, such as bullying, sexual assault, gender equity, racism and other forms of discrimination and exclusion, and human rights. The School Council is also approached in order to devise a training plan that will include parents and guardians in the process.
The problem is being taken seriously. By implementing the bullying intervention and prevention plan and by activating the appropriate steps, you and the principal are taking into account the safety and wellbeing of the targeted students and offering them the support they need.
Soliciting the participation of other parties generates access to more resources and infuses the process with greater creativity with which to reach the objective. These measures lead to a more comprehensive approach to intervention and prevention.
The different activities are aimed at all members of the school community and as a result, the positive impact is likely be more widespread.
The racism, sexism and xenophobia, which are at the root of the problem have been exposed. These problems have been named and strategies have been created in order to address and reduce them, while ensuring students’ safety. The school has publicly condemned these forms of bullying and made a commitment to eradicate them in order to interrupt the cycle of violence and reduce the incidence of bullying in the whole school. This approach sends a clear message to the whole school community thereby contributing to the creation of a school culture that does not tolerate bullying.
3You intervene immediately, offering support to Students 1 and 2 and telling the boys who are involved to cease bullying the female students. You report the problem to the principal, who examines the prevention plan, activating the appropriate steps to ensure that the female students are safe and supported. The parents of Student 1 are contacted.
The problem is being taken seriously. By implementing the bullying intervention and prevention plan and by activating the appropriate steps, you and the principal are taking into account the safety and wellbeing of the targeted students and offering them the support they need.
It would be important to contact the parents or guardians of all the students who are involved (including the targeted students, the students doing the bullying and the witnesses).
This approach only ensures the safety and wellbeing of Student 1 and those students who were targeted in the short-term. Without efforts to raise awareness more broadly (at the whole school level), the problematic attitudes and behaviours are likely to continue. The underlying issue has not been named and the root of the problem has not been addressed.
✓Explanation of the recommended response.
Recommended response and explanation:The second answer is the recommended response. This response allows all school members to make connections between different forms of aggression (for example : bullying, sexism, racism and other forms of discrimination and exclusion, sexual harassment) and to participate in their prevention. The response also includes action to address the specific incidents of bullying, while taking steps to prevent future incidents by engaging all school community members in changing attitudes, beliefs and values, and working toward a school culture that welcomes diversity and respects differences. Teachers model appropriate behaviour and attitudes when they respond to sexist and racist comments in class. This approach fosters the creation of a school climate that is accepting of diversity and respectful of differences.
Note: For information about intervening with all parties involved in a bullying situation, see module 7. For information about involving the whole school in developing a comprehensive bullying prevention plan, see Modules 8 and 9.