SafeSchoolsSouthFlorida PO Box 24444, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33307

1. Broward County Office of Prevention ProgramsandSafe Schools South Florida Present:BullyingandSexual Minority Youth Issues101 www.SafeSchoolsSouthFlorida.org PO Box 24444, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33307 (305) 576-2126 ~ (954) 771-4799 safe@SafeSchoolsSouthFlorida.org

2. Agenda • Welcome • Who is Safe Schools South Florida? • Goals of the workshop • Why we are here today • Issues facing LGBTQ students • Student panel and questions • As professionals, how do we respond? • Strategies for helping professionals • Utilizing resources

3. Welcome • Acknowledgements • Thank you: • The Graves Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation of Broward. • Gamma Mu Foundation. • Aqua Foundation. • Office of Prevention Programs of Broward County Schools. • Introductions • Who we are. • Who are you?

4. How We Fulfill Our Mission • We empower students • We train educators • We educate parents and the public • We review our programs for value and improvement

5. “I hate you people for leaving me out of so many fun things…you had my number and I asked and all, but no, no, no, no --- don’t let the weird looking Eric kid come along.” From the journal of Eric Harris, Columbine High School shooter

6. Common Reasons for Bullying and Harassment in School Source: From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America, A Survey of Students and Teachers

8. Broward County School Board Policy The School Board of Broward County, Florida (Hereinafter referred to as “The Board”) shall not discriminate against students, employees, applicants, contractors, or individuals participating in school board sponsored activities. The school board is committed to the provision of equal access in all student, employment, and business programs, activities, services, and operations that are operated or provided directly by The Board, as well as those operated or provided by another entity on behalf of The Board under contractual or other arrangements. This policy is established to provide an environment free from discrimination and harassment based upon age, race, color, disability, gender, marital status, national origin, religion, or sexual orientation. It is the intent of this policy, and respective procedures, to support and implement protections against discrimination and harassment as prohibited by the constitution, federal and state statutes, county ordinance, and all other applicable laws or regulations. AUTHORITY: F.S. 230.22(1)(2) & The Federal Americans with Disability Act Policy Adopted 9/5/74 Policy Amended: 7/22/75; 3/4/82; 7/14/87; 5/18/93 Amended Policy Approved 3/18/97

9. BCPS Bullying and Harassment PolicyAdopted July 2009 “Bullying” means systematically and chronically inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students or employees. It is further defined as: unwanted purposefulwritten, verbal, nonverbal, or physical behavior, including but not limited to any threatening, insulting, or dehumanizing gesture, by an adult or student, that has the potential to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment or cause long term damage; cause discomfort or humiliation; or unreasonably interfere with the individual’s school performance or participation, is carried out repeatedlyand is often characterized by an imbalance of power.

10. Research Tells Us… How did it feel to be displaced? "At first I was in complete and utter shock but soon after I started to believe that I was created to demonstrate negativity. I felt that all of my intellect, compassion, morals and talents were soon to be abolished. I was sickened to look at myself and after countless vain attempts to try and be "normal" I felt there may be nothing to live for. My mind was flooded, and still very much is, with the painful reality that I would never have a family again. I tried to escape reality with false hopes and empty promises to myself but none of this gave me a sense of genuine hope.“ David Hitchcock

11. Research Tells Us… • Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers.1 • Nearly half of young transgender people have seriously thought about taking their lives and one quarter report having made a suicide attempt.2 • Various studies have found depression strikes LGBT youth four to five times more severely. • Three-fifths (60.8%) of LGBT students felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation.3 • LGBTQ teens have twice the number of unwanted pregnancies as straight teens. An 11-year-old Massachusetts boy, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, hanged himself after enduring bullying at school, including daily taunts of being gay, despite his mother's weekly pleas to the school to address the problem. http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/news/record/2400.html • Sources: • 1Massachusetts 2007 Youth Risk Survey • 2Grossman AH, D’Augelli AR - Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior 2007 • 32007 GLSEN National School Climate Survey

12. Biased Language in School • Homophobic remarks are the most common type of biased language heard at school: • Approximately 90% of students hear “that’s so gay” or ”you’re so gay” frequently. • Approximately three quarters of students hear other homophobic remarks (e.g., “dyke” or “faggot”) frequently. • Nearly a fifth of students hear homophobic remarks from teachers or other school staff. Source: 2007 GLSEN School Climate Survey

13. Biased Language in School • Negative remarks about gender expression were also common: • Just over half of students hear frequent remarks about someone not acting masculine enough and 39% heard remarks about someone not acting feminine enough. • More than a quarter (28%) of students hear negative remarks about gender expression from teachers or other school staff. Source: 2007 GLSEN School Climate Survey

14. Sexual Orientation:One of the Human Diversities • Heterosexual • Homosexual • Bisexual

15. Paradigm of Human Sexuality

16. Sexual Behavior • Sexual behavioris a choice. • Behaving homosexually does not necessarily mean that one’s sexual orientation is homosexual. • Likewise behaving heterosexually does not necessarily mean that one is heterosexual. • Significant numbers of people have engaged in both heterosexual and homosexual behavior.

17. Sexual Orientation • Sexual orientation seems to be formed at a very early age. • Adolescence and early adulthood are an unfolding of that orientation. • The development of sexual orientation does not seem to be a choice.

18. Gender Identity • Gender identity is the sense of “I am male” or “I am female.” • Formed at a very early age and not subject to choice. • Gender identity is revealed by feelings, dreams and fantasies about one’s body and genitals.

19. Gender Role • Gender role most often reflects the ways in which our culture invites us to behave depending on our genitals. • Gender role is similar to sexual behavior in that it is a choice. • “Be a man” • “Act like a lady” Comment to a middle school boy who was not portraying typical gender role cueing: “What the heck, ________!! Sit like a man, would you please?” Several others chime in humiliatingly with agreement. Numerous others laugh. (Incident in Broward Middle School Camp Program, summer 2010.)

20. Counselors and Teachers: Responding to Students

21. Counselors and Teachers:Responses to Coming Out • Recognize the importance of this process for the gay student. • Respect the risk the student is taking by coming out to you. • Show your appreciation and support of the student. • Help to make it a happy occasion. • Also remember to never out a student to parents, guardians, or others due to possible severe ramifications for the student.

22. Step One and Step Two:Identify the Bullying or Harassment:Connect and Reflect • Be assertive, yet connect with the aggressor. Label the form of harassment: “Paul, you just made a harassing comment based upon… appearance, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, abilities, size, age, etc.). • Do not imply the target is a member of that identifiable group.

23. Step Three:Say What’s Not Okay • Do not personalize your response at this stage: • Consider this: “We at ____ school do not harass people – we do however ensure that everyone here feels welcome and valued.” • Re-identify the offensive behavior: “This name calling/this type of language can also be hurtful to others who overhear it.”

24. Step Four:Request a Change and/or Ask for Change in Future Behavior • “So, let’s give it a rest.” “______ is a great school, let’s keep it that way, okay?” • “Jessica, please cut it out. I know you and am sure you can make the right decision.” • “Miguel, please pause and think before you act.” “We want everyone to be safe at this school.” • Check in with the target, either offline or in the moment, depending on context and situation: “If this continues, please tell me, and I will take further action, and/or we will talk about what to do next.”

25. Intervening inAnti-gay Bullying • It might sound like this: • Connect: “Vanessa, you’ve got a great head on your shoulders.” PAUSE… • Reflect: “But, I just overheard you call Jylene a dyke, and it doesn’t look like she’s laughing.” • Say What’s Not Okay: “Calling her a dyke is a putdown and our school is a place where everyone is valued and respected.” • Request a Change: “So, stop it/cut it out. I have confidence in you to make good choices.”