Set out below are descriptive statements indicating incidents based on real events that have occurred in schools. These statements are grouped according to who is involved: students only; adults and students; adults only.
Consider the incidents described briefly here and discuss whether in your view any of them constitute sexual harassment. You might like to have to hand any definitions you can find for this term taken from dictionaries and policy documents. You could get together with a large group of staff for this discussion, in which case you will be able to cover all groups or, for a smaller group, you could instead select one or two.
1. Students
At breaktime, a group of boys is attempting to lift girls' skirts.
Two Year 7 boys are pointing and making fun of a girl with developing breasts.
At breaktime a group of girls keep running in and out of the boys toilets
A boy who is not good at football is called a 'wimp' and a 'poofter' by boys and girls.
2. Adults
Male head teacher to young female member of staff in short skirt, "I bet your boyfriend appreciates that skirt".
At parents' evening a father of a student says to the teacher, "if I'd had a teacher who looked like you when I was at school I wouldn't have had any trouble learning".
A female teacher is lining up the students in the corridor and school maintenance worker (male) whistles at her.
A male caretaker blocks the way in a narrow corridor so that a female teacher has to squeeze past.
3. Adults and students
A Year 8 girl says to a student teacher, "Sir, have you got a girlfriend? (giggles)".
A female deputy head enters the boys' toilet in pursuit of an offender who saw the place as a sanctuary from female authority.
A male deputy enters the girls’ toilet in pursuit of an offender who saw the place as a sanctuary from male authority.
Were you able to achieve consensus? Where were the major areas of discussion? Have you any examples from your own experience you could offer for discussion?
If you feel action is appropriate in any of these incidents, what would it be?
Follow-up
Students' awareness of sexuality - their own and others' - is an aspect of secondary school life which is not much discussed or researched. Do your observations of students suggest that they are sexually aware? What is your reaction to this? Discuss with a colleague what view a secondary school might take of this aspect of adolescence.
