# Presentation: 100433

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

- Carol Abnathy, MSW, MPH, LCSW
- (abnathy.carol@dol.gov)
- Jennifer Wild, Ed.D.
- Valerie R. Cherry, Ph.D.

## 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

## Definitions

- Teasing—the act of playfully or maliciously disturbing another person (especially by ridicule); provoking someone with persistent annoyances
- Bullying—an ongoing pattern of physical or psychological aggression that is threatening, coercive, relentless, and leaves the victim feeling powerless

## Types of Bullying

- Physical
- Emotional
- Relational
- Bystander victimization
- Cyber bullying—a relatively new phenomenon

## Definitions

**Sexual Harassment**—unwelcome 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

## Sexual Harassment—Two Types

_**Quid pro quo**_—occurs 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 environment**_—occurs 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.

## 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.

## True or False?

- 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.

- 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.

## True or False?

- 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.

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

## PerceptionCan this be sexual harassment?

**Perception****Can this be sexual harassment?**

## 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.

## Alleged Sexual Assault/Misconduct Incidents (PY05-PY06)

| Primary Incident | PY05 | PY06 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Total Number of  Incidents  | 158 | 163 |
| Sexual Assault by Student | 59 | 62 |
| Sexual Assault by Staff | 0 | 2 |
| Sexual Assault by Unknown | 47 | 53 |
| Subtotal Sexual Assault | 106 | 117 |
| Sexual Misconduct by Student | 36 | 36 |
| Sexual Misconduct by Staff | 8 | 7 |
| Sexual Misconduct by Unknown | 8 | 3 |
| Subtotal Sexual Misconduct | 52 | 46 |

## Job Corps SIRS Report by Primary/Secondary Incident Code: Sexual Misconduct (PY05-PY06)

**Job Corps SIRS Report by Primary/Secondary Incident Code: Sexual Misconduct ****(PY05-PY06)**

|   | PY05 (7/1/2005 - 6/30/2006) |  |  | PY06 (7/1/2006 - 6/30/2007) |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Primary/Secondary Incident Code  | Off Center | On Center | Total | Off Center | On Center | Total |
| Totals  | 12 | 40 | 52 | 11 | 35 | 46 |
| Sexual Misconduct  | 12  | 40  | 52  | 11 | 35  | 46 |
| Inappropriate Touching  | 5 | 17  | 22  | 4 | 22 | 26 |
| Other  | 4  | 11  | 15  | 6 | 6 | 12  |
| Sexual Harassment  | 0  | 4  | 4  | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Unwelcome Sexual Advances  | 3  | 8 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 4 |

## 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

## 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 inappropriate...*they think it’s 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”

## 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

## Lets Try a Scenario

## 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?

## 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

**Notes:**
Goal:  To ensure that Job Corps centers foster an environment that prevents students from harming themselves or others. 
SafetyNet, will be created as part of the Job Corps Health and Wellness website.  This subsite will contain virtual toolkits to be used by Job Corps staff.  The toolkits will be comprised of center self assessments, resources, related presentations and communications, and online trainings.  Centers will also be provided with ideas for forming center policies and components for each of these topics.  The Job Corps safety contractor will be encouraged to add content to the subsite 
Data Collection and Evaluation:  Data will be collected before program implementation and after 1 year.  A  few of the areas we will look at will be- Average safety rating (%) per center,  Student separations, and Significant Incident Reports (SIRs)

## Bullying Prevention Program Core Components

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

**Notes:**
Let’s talk specifically about the Bullying Prevention Program --5 Core Components -Some examples for each component
Planning
 Identify a bullying prevention committee on center 
 Distribute an anonymous student/staff questionnaire to assess the nature and prevalence of bullying on center. 
Develop and adopt center-wide policies and rules against bullying 
Training activities
All staff will participate in an online five-module training
Development student awareness training
Promotional activities to disseminate information about anti-bullying policies, intervention and evaluation plans during CPP, at staff meetings, assemblies, the center website and the student handbook 
Build anti-bullying material into the Career Success Standards and Social Skills Training activities
Environmental safe guards 
Identify the “hot spots” on center where bullying may occur and alter supervisory patterns so staff is more present
Activities that promote pro-social behavior and reduce bullying

## 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

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

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

**W****hat are the Career Success Standards?**

**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

## 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 **

## Each Standard has a Profile that includes:

- Standard Statement: _**EXPECTED OUTCOME**_
- Competencies: _**WHAT BEHAVIORS?**_
- Performance Levels: _**HOW WELL?**_
- Staff Responsibilities: _**REINFORCEMENT**_

## What does a profile look like?

## Standard Profile: Statement and Competencies

**EXPECTED OUTCOME**

**WHAT BEHAVIORS?**

**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.

**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.

## Standard Profile: Performance Levels

**HOW WELL?**

| NEEDS IMPROVEMENT
(1-2)
Student may lack knowledge of appropriate workplace standards of conduct and workplace relationships. Student struggles to conform to regulations and is reluctant to improve his/her demeanor. | MEETS STANDARD
(3-4)
Student follows directions and is respectful of his/her peers, subordinates and supervisors. Student deals with problems discreetly, and demonstrates honesty at all times, seeking guidance as appropriate.
 | EXCELS
(5)
Student exhibits extraordinary professionalism and personal accountability. Student maintains amicable relationships and uses sound judgment when confronted with low group morale. |
| --- | --- | --- |

## Staff Responsibilities

**REINFORCEMENT**

| MODEL
Staff demonstrate honesty, integrity and responsibility. Staff develop healthy relationships with other staff and students and follow the chain-of-command. | MENTOR
Staff engage students in conversations about confidentiality, responsibility and proper workplace relationships. Staff explain the process of decision-making and resulting consequences.  | MONITOR
Staff objectively observe student behavior and readily acknowledge tardiness, unsafe practices, or dishonesty. Staff take proactive measures to educate and address such behaviors. |
| --- | --- | --- |

**STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES**

## 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

## Results of CSS thus far...Pilots 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

## 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?

## Resources

- http://www.eeoc.gov/
- _[http://www.safeyouth.org](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_

## Video ClipsQ and A