Introduction for teaching staff in preparation for delivering Sexual Bullying lessons
Before delivering sexual bullying lessons it is important to consider the following:
Disclosure from Pupils
o During or after the lessons pupils may disclose that they have been or are being bullied in this way. Prepare for this possibility by finding out how the school would respond e.g. familiarise yourself with the Anti Bullying Policy for the school or the Local Authority
o Treat disclosures as you would any disclosure from pupils – take it seriously, create a private space after the lesson, listen to what the pupil/s have to say, consider how best to support them and how to address it within school
o Let the whole school staff know that the lessons are being delivered as this could impact on other classes. Pupils may choose a different teacher to disclose to after the lesson. Pupils may be challenging each other on sexual bullying language and behaviour and if the teachers are aware of the classes they can be supportive of these challenges.
School response
o Consider including Sexual Bullying in the existing Anti Bullying Policy
o Use the work generated by pupils in lesson 2 to create a whole school response to Sexual Bullying
o It is recommended that teachers have a basic awareness of the issues which could be delivered through staff in-service days or ‘twilight’ sessions after school. This could be done in the form of a discussion on the issues included in the lessons and particularly the DVD so that teachers feel more confident about challenging language and attitudes with pupils.
Definition of sexual bullying
Suggested definition
‘Any bullying behaviour, whether physical or non physical which is based on a person’s sexuality or gender. It is when sexuality is targeted and used as a weapon by boys or by girls against others. It can be carried out to a person’s face, behind their back or by text or email. It can be done through MSN, Bebo, Facebook or other social networking websites’
Be clear with pupils that sexual bullying can lead to sexual assaults or even rape and that the school will respond to this behaviour as a criminal act and will involve the police.
National Standards
Think about where this work fits into the National Standards and key stages.
Lesson one
Aims:
o To identify gender stereotypes and agree what influences there are on young people in terms of their gender
o To identify and agree what actions and attitudes constitute sexual bullying
Materials needed for lesson one
o A4 paper
o Pens
o Board markers
o Three voting cards for each group ‘Always’, ‘Sometimes’, ‘Never’
o A pre-prepared list of potentially sexually bullying behaviour
In order to encourage young people to think about gender stereotypes, ask them to define the word ‘stereotype’
A dictionary definition: Inaccurate, simplistic generalisations about a group that allows others to categorise them and treat them accordingly.
Exercise one: Divide the class into gendered groups. Ask them to consider gender stereotypes, the rules which apply to their gender.
e.g. Only girls are allowed to play with Barbies, girls must have long hair (or at least never as short as boy’s hair), boys don’t link arms or cuddle each other in public.
These are the rules that girls and boys live by. Once the groups have a few examples on their lists, these are read out and discussed with the whole class. Ask pupils what happens to those who don’t follow these rules or stereotypes. This is the part of the lesson where sexual bullying is identified, and is linked to gender stereotypes. Discuss with the class the different ways that pressure can be put on someone through sexual bullying.
Examples: Perhaps pupils don’t feel able to be themselves or to explore their gender and sexuality because of sexual bullying. Girls may wish they could have really short hair, or want to play football at break time, but don’t because they might be called names. Girls may feel that they have to wear short skirts or low cut tops because these are the images of ‘beautiful’ women they see in magazines. Boys may want to take dance classes or wear nail varnish or make up but they don’t because of what might happen. Boys may feel under pressure to have sex or say they have to keep up with their friends.
Homophobic language and behaviour should also be challenged as part of sexual bullying. Discuss the use of the word ‘gay’ to mean sub standard. Gender based and homophobic bullying both come under the umbrella of sexual bullying and are used to control behaviour.
Ask the class where these influences come from. TV, Computer Consol games, movies, magazines images on mobile phones etc. Encourage pupils to identify magazines with highly sexualised images of girls, and ask them what attitude this may lead people to have towards women. Encourage discussion on the content of ‘girl’s’ teen magazine compared to ‘boy’s’ teen magazines.
This discussion will lead to the next exercise on identifying and agreeing sexual bullying.
It is important that the pupils feel they are involved with agreeing what kind of behaviour is sexually bullying, and this agreement can be reached with discussion.
Exercise two
Keeping pupils in their gendered groups, give out the three voting cards to each group. The teacher will read out an example of behaviour which could be sexual bullying, pupils will discuss this in their groups and then agree if they think the statement is ‘sometimes’ sexual bullying is ‘always’ or ‘never’ sexual bullying. Teacher should read from a pre prepared list, but be prepared to add examples if they are suggested by pupils.
After each group has voted, the class should discuss why they voted the way they did. The teacher should observe gender differences in responses.
Example: Pinging a girl’s bra strap or lifting up her skirt. Often boys don’t see this as bullying behaviour and girls do. Encourage the boys to listen to what the girls are saying.
Conclude the lesson by encouraging pupils to challenge sexually bullying behaviour with their peers, and to think about media influences and how they can encourage gender stereotypes.
Examples of potential sexual bullying behaviour – Lesson One, Exercise two
Actions1. Commenting on someone’s body shape or size
2. Commenting on someone’s dress sense or personal appearance
3. making jokes about sex/ Making jokes about rape
4. Spreading rumours about someone’s sexual activity
5. Making remarks about someone’s sexual behaviour
6. Calling someone a slapper / slag / ‘Ho’
7. Calling someone gay/or using the word ‘gay’ to mean sub standard or rubbish
8. Looking at page three of ‘The Sun’
9. Staring at someone’s body for a long time
10. Pulling up a girl’s skirt or pinging her bra strap
11. Writing graffiti about someone in the toilets
12. Telling ‘blond’ jokes
13. Repeating rumours or gossip about someone’s sexual activity or sexual orientation
14. Touching someone’s body
Lesson 2
Aims
o To watch the DVD
o To explore ways of challenging sexually bullying behaviour.
Materials
o Copy of the DVD
o 4 Task Sheets (1 per group)
Introduce the lesson by reminding pupils that in lession 1 they discussed the actions and attitudes that can be described as Sexually Bullying Behaviour.
Pupils can be encouraged to offer examples of this type of behaviour that they may have observed recently (on TV, in a newspaper or magazine, in school)
Show the DVD 15 minutes
Ask pupils for their first reaction to the DVD. Encourage them to share feelings about the themes discussed e.g. Cyberbullying, Pornography.
Ask the class to consider what could be done to challenge this sort of bullying behaviour.
Divide the class into 4 groups and give each group a Task Sheet with one of the following headings:
TASK 1
What could we as individuals do to challenge sexually bullying behaviour?
TASK 2
What could schools do to challenge sexually bullying behaviour?
TASK 3
What could the media do to challenge sexually bullying behaviour?
TASK 4
Suggest a statement or slogan your school could display to show that the staff and pupils won’t accept sexually bullying behaviour.
Bring the class back together and ask each group to share their answers with the rest of the class.
What next?
Further work could involve developing the idea of a statement which details their commitment to challenging sexually bullying behaviour within their school or community.
Pat Latimer Principle Teacher for Pupil Support (PSHE), Dumbarton Academy
Shona Bruce Reduce Abuse Project, West Dunbartonshire Violence Against Women Partnership