In This Together: A Look At Preventing Sexual Harassment, Bullying, and Teasing

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In This Together A Look At Preventing Sexual
Harassment, Bullying, and Teasing

• Carol Abnathy, MSW, MPH, LCSW
• (abnathy.carol_at_dol.gov)
• Jennifer Wild, Ed.D.
• Valerie R. Cherry, Ph.D.

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Objectives

• Learn definitions of sexual harassment, bullying,
  and teasing
• Assess knowledge of the statistics regarding
  these concepts
• Learn about solutions in dealing with these
  issues
• Discuss the Career Success Standards as an
  initiative to help prevent sexual harassment,
  bullying, and teasing behaviors on center

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Definitions

• Teasingthe act of playfully or maliciously
  disturbing another person (especially by
  ridicule) provoking someone with persistent
  annoyances
• Bullyingan ongoing pattern of physical or
  psychological aggression that is threatening,
  coercive, relentless, and leaves the victim
  feeling powerless

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Types of Bullying

• Physical
• Emotional
• Relational
• Bystander victimization
• Cyber bullyinga relatively new phenomenon

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Definitions

• Sexual Harassmentunwelcome sexual advances,
  requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or
  physical conduct of a sexual nature in which
  submission to or rejection of such conduct
  explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's
  work or school

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Sexual HarassmentTwo Types

• Quid pro quooccurs when a school employee causes
  a student to believe that he or she must submit
  to unwelcome sexual conduct in order to
  participate in a school program or activity. It
  can also occur when an employee causes a student
  to believe that the employee will make an
  educational decision based on whether or not the
  student submits to unwelcome sexual conduct.
• Hostile environmentoccurs when unwelcome
  sexually harassing conduct is so severe,
  persistent, or pervasive that it affects a
  student's ability to participate in or benefit
  from an education program or activity, or creates
  an intimidating, threatening or abusive
  educational environment.

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Examples of Sexual Harassment

• sexual advances
• touching of a sexual nature
• graffiti of a sexual nature
• displaying or distributing of sexually explicit
  drawings, pictures and written materials
• sexual gestures

• sexual or "dirty" jokes
• pressure for sexual favors
• touching oneself sexually or talking about one's
  sexual activity in front of others
• spreading rumors about or rating other students
  as to sexual activity or performance.

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True or False?

• When teasing becomes cruel and causes someone
  distress and/or it becomes one-sided and
  prolonged, then teasing has become bullying.
• Sexual conduct must be unwelcomed in order to be
  sexual harassment.
• It is estimated that 45 of American females will
  experience some form of sexual harassment during
  their academic or working lives. Yet, just 25
  ever tell anyone.

• Bullies act tough in order to hide feelings of
  insecurity and self-loathing.
• In schools, there is one incident of bullying
  every 7 minutes. 
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
  youth are equally likely as heterosexual students
  to be targets of harassment.

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True or False?

• Only the individual being sexually harassed is
  considered the victim.
• Sexual harassment leads to lost productivity,
  sick leave, and worker replacement.

• Complaints filed by men have tripled since 1994
  and are primarily due to harassment by female
  supervisors.
• Studies estimate 1 woman in 8 will experience
  sexual harassment on the job.

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PerceptionCan this be sexual harassment?
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Job Corps Significant Incident Reporting System
(SIRS) Data

• SIRS DEFINITIONS
• Sexual Assault Sexual assault includes any
  alleged non-consenting sexual act involving
  forceful physical contact including attempted
  rape, rape, sodomy, and other. If forceful
  physical contact is not used, the incident should
  be reported as a Sexual Misconduct.
• Sexual Misconduct Sexual misconduct includes the
  intentional touching, mauling, or feeling of the
  body or private parts of any person without the
  consent of that person. Sexual harassment or
  unsolicited offensive behavior such as unwelcome
  sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and
  other verbal or physical contact of a sexual
  nature is also included.

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Alleged Sexual Assault/Misconduct Incidents
(PY05-PY06)
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Job Corps SIRS Report by Primary/Secondary
Incident Code Sexual Misconduct (PY05-PY06)
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Job Corps vs. National Data Alleged Sexual
Assault Incidents

• There were 117 incidents of sexual assault by Job
  Corps students in PY06, which is a rate of 1.8
  incidents per 1,000 separated students.
• The 2005 National Crime Victimization Survey
  (NCVS) reported a sexual assault rate of 2.0
  incidents per 1,000 youth ages 16-24
• Retrieved from the World Wide Web
  http//www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cv05.pdf

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What we have learned

• It is often hard for students to verbalize what
  makes them feel unsafe
• Many students do not realize that harassment,
  teasing, or bullying are inappropriatethey think
  its cool
• Students really appreciate staff who address
  inappropriate behavior but many staff feel
  uncomfortable with this responsibility
• The best centers help students learn how to deal
  with inappropriate behavior and do not just
  handle it for them

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What we have learned

• Female students can be uncomfortable when PDA is
  common and not addressed by staff
• Females feel more comfortable when the population
  on center is close to 50/50 in terms of male/
  female
• Many centers have been successful in
  incorporating harassment, discrimination and
  impropriate behavior issues into their diversity
  activities
• When harassment, teasing, and bullying are
  common, the culture is negative

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Lets Try a Scenario
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Scenario Questions

• What could happen to the individual in the
  scenario?
• How does this behavior impact the group?
• Does this behavior have any influence on the
  organizational culture?

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What has Job Corps done?

• Violence, Suicide, and Bullying Prevention
  Project
• SafetyNet New website with a focus on
  prevention of bullying, suicide, and violence
  (which includes sexual assault and rape).
• Toolkits
• Center self-assessment
• Policy development
• On-line training
• Fact sheets and brochures
• Resources
• Evaluation

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Bullying Prevention Program Core Components

• Planning
• Training
• Promotional Activities
• Environmental Safe Guards
• Center-wide Prevention Activities

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What has Job Corps done?

• To decrease negative behaviors and develop
  employability and independent living skills, Job
  Corps has developed Career Success Standards
  (CSS)
• CSS helps create a constructive (positive
  normative) culture

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What are the Career Success Standards?

• The Career Success Standards (CSS) are a set of
  student behavioral expectations in the areas of
• Social Development
• Employability
• Independent Living

CSS aims to create a constructive culture
(positive normative culture) on each Job Corps
center supported by indigenous proven practices
and proven instructional methods and materials
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The Career Success Standards are

• Workplace Relationships and Ethics
• Personal Growth and Development
• Communications
• Interpersonal Skills
• Information Management
• Multicultural Awareness
• Career and Personal Planning
• Independent Living

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Each Standard has a Profile that includes

• Standard Statement EXPECTED OUTCOME
• Competencies WHAT BEHAVIORS?
• Performance Levels HOW WELL?
• Staff Responsibilities REINFORCEMENT

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What does a profile look like?
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Standard Profile Statement and Competencies

• EXPECTED OUTCOME

Standard Workplace Relationships and Ethics The
student will leave Job Corps with the ability to
productively interact with co-workers and deal
with problems and situations with honesty,
integrity and responsibility.
WHAT BEHAVIORS?

• Competencies
• Follows and promotes workplace policies and
  procedures including good attendance, being on
  time and dressing appropriately for the job.
• Understands and supports organizational goals
  and structure and follows the chain-of-command.
• Observes and practices safety standards.
• Develops and practices safety standards.
• Develops productive relationships with members
  of his/her team.
• Maintains confidentiality and personal
  trustworthiness.

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Standard Profile Performance Levels
HOW WELL?
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Staff Responsibilities
REINFORCEMENT
STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES
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What CSS IS IS NOT

• CSS IS NOT
• A curriculum
• A program of facilitated sessions
• Focused on the process
• A one-size-fits-all for ALL centers and ALL
  students

• CSS IS
• Behavioral STANDARDS
• Supported by PROVEN PRACTICES
• Focused on OUTCOMES
• Chosen by center

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Results of CSS thus farPilots report.

• Increase in performance measures
• Increase in staff and student relationships
• Decrease in negative behaviors such as
  harassment, bullying, and teasing
• Increase in staff involvement and ability to
  model, mentor, and monitor
• Self removal of negative staff and students

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How can you use this information?

• Develop office and/or program norms of behavior
  like CSS to improve your culture
• Investigate the statistics relating to your
  office or program
• Hold focus groups with staff and/or program
  participants to explore their perceptions of
  these issues
• Hold staff training and include behavior
  expectations in performance reviews
• Others?

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Resources

• http//www.eeoc.gov/
• http//www.safeyouth.org
• GLSEN's 2005 National School Climate Survey
  http//www.glsen.org
• TAG-I Health and Wellness Approach to (1) Family
  Planning and (2) Sexual Assault and Prevention
  http//jchealth.jobcorps.gov
• http//jccdrc.jobcorps.gov/CSS

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Video ClipsQ and A