Social Media Sexual Harrasment by Student Middle School

Sounds daunting, doesn't information technology? Simply as school leaders, nosotros need to confront to it. Sexual harassment has happened or is happening in your center schoolhouse. Co-ordinate to a 2016 study,  43 percent of centre school students reported they had been the victims of verbal sexual harassment, such as sexual comments, jokes, or gestures. That's nearly one-half of all center school students. It's highly unlikely your school is an exception.

This by February, a California school district was sued for  being "deliberately indifferent to" i daughter's sexual harassment, which had get "and then severe and pervasive and considerately offensive that it deprived her of access to educational opportunities or benefits."

As this case illustrates and researchers corroborate, as well often  schoolhouse staff, both leadership and teachers, minimize incidents of sexual harassment or fail to realize or acknowledge that it was even happening. All schools need to have a clear and consistent policy in place for identifying and responding to reports of harassment behavior. But across having a strong policy, we need to talk to our students.

Adolescence is the fourth dimension to take this on. We need to talk with our students virtually how to set and respect personal boundaries, discuss gender stereotypes and harmful "boys will be boys" attitudes well-nigh traditional masculinity. Higher up all, we need to allow our students know we will take reports of harassment seriously.

Start with a shared read.

Barbara Dee's Perchance He Just Likes You lot is a bang-up book to use as a common read for middle school teachers. There is nothing in this volume that will make teachers uncomfortable virtually reading it with kids either. Then, using it every bit a schoolhouse read aloud is a swell idea.

Dee presents a relevant middle school–based story where a girl becomes the object of a game. The boys who invent the game get points for saying and doing things to a particular girl. This book serves up an amazing starting place for all centre schools to create a culture of self- and social-awareness and respect.

Open upward the conversation.

Nosotros all know staying silent virtually things that might be difficult to discuss is a error. So, hold a staff meeting about sexual harassment and what to look for. Now that y'all've all read the same book, talk about what yous might see at your center school. Then start to build a plan for how y'all handle certain kinds of incidents. The more than yous begin to use common language and responses to like types of behavior, the more middle school students will understand expectations and consequences.

Develop a sexual harassment policy.

Many resources out there can assist y'all develop the policy that works all-time for your schoolhouse. Make sure all staff members and teachers take part in establishing the policy. No one should exist left unaware or unprepared to manage sexual harassment in middle school.

Harassment-Complimentary Hallways is published by the American Association of Academy Women Educational Foundation and can serve equally a stand-solitary policy to help your schoolhouse community get clear on its stance.

Practice identifying behavior and talking to students about it.

Information technology's one challenge to talk honestly about sexual harassment as a staff, still it'southward different to do so with kids. But open discussion with students about what sexual harassment is, how to recognize it, and what to do if they see it or if it happens to them is essential to creating a safe school environment. A great guidance advisor, if y'all have one, can guide teachers through this work.

Some schools may rent outside help to become teachers ready to piece of work with kids in this capacity. Common Sense Media has a great tool for talking to kids about sexual harassment to get you started.  And that's only it, we have to get started.

As schoolhouse leaders, we demand to commit to ending sexual harassment in our middle schools. Facing information technology caput on is necessary.

Take an interesting policy or position on this at your school? Share your ideas in our Chief Life Facebook grouping!

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