Classroom+Harassment

__ Harassment __

· ** Any student using sexual slurs, sexually oriented unwanted, offensive, and/or indecent language toward another student. ** · ** Any sexually derogatory conduct including unwanted touching, tickling, poking, and/or kissing toward another student. ** · ** Any unwanted physical/verbal/sexual attention a student experiences from another student or faculty member, including but not limited to jokes, teasing, touching, staring, laughing, name-calling. **
 * In order to ensure the most fitted educational environment that is respectful of human dignity and personal comfort, our classroom will adhere to the strict harassment policy. All of the following acts are considered harassment and will be punished accordingly: **

**// Please note this policy is not limited to the aforementioned acts. Any act in which a male or female student receives unwanted attention is considered harassment and will be dealt with appropriately. //**


 * While the classroom seating arrangements assign one boy student and one girl student to sit next to one another, appropriate and non-harassing behavior is expected. If any student should feel he or she has received any physical/verbal/sexual written or electronically communicated attention, he or she shall report the incident to a teacher, counselor, school social worker, administrator, or some faculty member he or she trusts. Any student or faculty member who has committed any form of harassment will be subject to disciplinary action based upon the severity of the offense. **

//__ Situation __//// : The class is working on an assignment with their assigned boy/girl partner sitting next to them. Suddenly, you hear a male student continuously saying to his female partner, “Stop! Stop saying that! Be quiet! I am not!” As the instructor, you walk up to the students and the boy replies “She [his partner] keeps saying I have girl shoes on! They’re not girl shoes…my brother gave them to me!” On the other hand, the female students insists she was just joking around and wasn’t trying to be mean. //

//__ How to React __//// : No matter the severity of the instance, harassment of any form must be taken seriously. As the authority figure, you must firs, assess the situation. Tell the students to stop yelling and pull them both aside, preferably to the hallway or back room to avoid distractions to the rest of the class. Then, ask both students to explain their opinions of what occurred. If you feel the situation can be controlled with minimal authoritative interaction,( ie. the situation can be resolved by having the female student understand the hurtful/embarrassing implications of her actions toward the boy and an apology or resolution is agreed upon) then approach the situation in such a manner. However, if you feel there is no resolution made or if the female student (or, if the male student) continues to assault the other student either in the same manner or in additional forms, then tell the students they must speak to another faculty member to work on their actions. Be sure not to justify either the male’s or female’s behavior by making gender-specific statements that would perpetuate the harassment, such as “Girls only focus on looks, not schoolwork,” or “Boys don’t complain.” Following this decision, it will be necessary to walk either the female student or both students to the principal, school counselor, social worker, or the like, in order for school disciplinary action to be determined. // //__ Why should the students care about the harassment policy __//// ? Students should be made aware of the horrific statists about harassment: //

Verbal and physical harassment begins in elementary school, and 4 out of 5 children experience some form of sexual harassment or bullying. 8 out of 10 will experience this at some point in their school lives, and roughly 25% will experience this often. Six out of 10 students will experience some form of physical sexual harassment. (Sexual Harassment in Education)

// Harassment of any form is intolerable. School is created to be a safe environment for both male and female students to learn and interact with others to their fullest potential. Any form of distraction is unwanted and will be avoided. Thus, harassment, including but not limited to that which is verbal, physical, sexual and written or electronically communicated will not be tolerated. Students who are harassed are often unable to focus on their schoolwork or communicate effectively with their peers. Often times, a harassed student will show a decrease in their school performance and can also suffer psychological effects. This student can also lose trust in their fellow classmates and teacher, in addition to becoming objectified and humiliated by gossip or other actions that result from the assault. Students need to understand the importance of respecting not only themselves but their classmates and teachers. If the students wish to have a positive atmosphere that encourages their best efforts and makes learning fun, they should realize the atmosphere is determined by their actions. Additionally, if the students are convicted of harassment, there are severe penalties to their actions. Each individual is property of their own bodies and ideologies. Similarly, no student is granted the right to invade another student’s personal space, whether that is physical or emotional. //