Understanding Me, Understanding You: Transforming Diversity in Middle Schools 24
Understanding Me, Understanding You: Transforming Diversity in Middle Schools
James Bell, Lisa Marvel, Stephanie Smith,
Ruth A. Uhey and Krystal Wright
Wilmington University
December 6, 2010
Understanding Me, Understanding You: Transforming Diversity in Middle Schools 24
Table of Contents
Introduction 4
Background 5
History 5
Problem’s Significance 6
Elementary Years 7
Middle School 8
High School 10
Higher Education 10
Statement of Need 12
Summary of Proposed Solution 12
Objective 13
Goals 13
Evidence 14
Empirical Data 14
Secondary Data 15
Plan of Action 16
Budget and Funding 18
Schedule 19
Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation 19
Recommendations 20
Conclusion 20
Appendix A 22
References 23
Abstract
Bullying is a growing trend that does not discriminate among the various levels of education. According to the United States Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, “bullying fosters a climate of fear and disrespect that can seriously impair the physical and psychological health of its victims and create conditions that negatively affect learning, thereby undermining the ability of students to achieve their full potential.” Unfortunately, the negative effects of bullying are being increasingly felt by the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgendered, and questioning student populations. Bullying and harassment for these students creates psychosocial distress that tragically results in depression and increased suicides. With peer cruelty escalating, it is therefore recommended to implement a professional development program for educators at the middle school level. The middle school years are critical for adolescent development, and it is vital to reach student populations prior to entering high school.
Understanding Me, Understanding You: Transforming Diversity in Middle Schools
Introduction
Bullying is a growing trend that does not discriminate among the various levels of education. Whether a student is in elementary, middle, high school, or on a college campus, at some point in their academic journey they will personally experience, or know someone who has been bullied. On October 26, 2010, Russlynn Ali, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights of the United States Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, issued a Dear Colleague letter which clearly defined that “bullying fosters a climate of fear and disrespect that can seriously impair the physical and psychological health of its victims and create conditions that negatively affect learning, thereby undermining the ability of students to achieve their full potential.” In association with the Dear Colleague letter, The White House issued a press release with a direct quote from President Barack Obama advising that
We've got to dispel the myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage, or an inevitable part of growing up. It's not. We have an obligation to ensure that our schools are safe for all of our kids. Every single young person deserves the opportunity to learn and grow and achieve their potential, without having to worry about the constant threat of harassment.
Dr. Allison Dempsey of the University of Houston, has pondered the notion that there could actually be
Something about the [United States] culture that makes bullying more acceptable than in other countries [as] there are a lot of people [who] have the attitude that bullying is a part of growing up, and until we shift those attitudes we're not going to see change (Cassels, 2010, p. 1).
Tragically, bullying is becoming even more common place as it is specifically targeted toward the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgendered, and questioning (LGBTQ) student community. According to Goldfried (2001), one out of four gay adolescents has experienced physical abuse at school. LGBTQ students face harsh social challenges, which sadly are resulting in increased suicides, as they are not fully equipped to proactively handle bullying. Russell and Joyner (2001) concluded from a survey involving 6,000 adolescent girls and 5,000 boys respectively, that students within the same-sex orientation were twice as likely to attempt suicide. Furthermore, Kitts (2005), noted that being homosexual was not specifically the cause of the increased rate in suicides. The increase was a direct result from the psychosocial distress connected with being gay. Adding to the distress is the fact that many school administrators and faculty are equally ill-equipped to address the diverse needs of the LGBTQ youth, and the homophobia perceptions of their heterosexual counterparts.
Background
History
The historical classification of homosexuality in the United States has transformed from its original mental illness diagnosis. According to Professor Catherine Lugg of Rutgers University, in 1973, the American Psychiatric Association (APA)
declassified [homosexuality] as an illness and removed it from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). [In 1980, homosexuality received] a new designation called “ego-dystonic homosexuality” only to be removed in 1986. The consequences of the mental illness designation were profound for gay men and lesbians in the teaching profession: teachers and administrators were banned from licensure if they were deemed mentally ill (Kim, R., 2009, p. 1).
In 1990, the American Psychological Association (APA) in partnership with the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) acknowledged as a priority the growing needs of homosexual youth. Their collaboration produced a Resolution on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youths in Schools (1993), which set the foundation identifying areas including, but not limited to:
· “society’s attitudes, behaviors, and tendency to render lesbian, gay and bisexual persons invisible permeate all societal institutions including the family and school system;
· it is a presumption that all persons, including those who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual, have the right to equal opportunity within all public educational institutions;
· current literature suggests that some youths are aware of their status as lesbian, gay, or bisexual persons by early adolescence;
· many lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths and youths perceived to belong to these groups face harassment and physical violence in school environments” (American Psychological Association, 1993).
Now, seventeen years following the creation of the Resolution, youth within the LGBTQ community not only continue to face harassment and physical violence, the bullying tactics have generated elevated numbers of depression, drug abuse, and suicide.
Problem’s Significance
Bullying for the LGBTQ students has produced more school negative attitudes and difficulties, including truancy due to fear, and lower grade point averages (GPA) versus their non-LGBTQ students (Cianciotto, J., & Cahill, S., 2003). However, bullying is not isolated solely between student-to-student interactions. Many teachers, faculty, and staff have also participated in, and/or embodied homophobic beliefs and actions toward gay students. Furthermore, many “wonder how they can be expected to prevent harassment that occurs out of adult earshot, in the relative secrecy of school bathrooms, hallways, locker rooms, and playing fields” (Jones, 1999, p.26).
Over the course of the last ten years, the Gay-Lesbian-Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has been collecting data biennially. Although their 2009 findings revealed a decline in reported homophobic comments, LGBTQ students' are still experiencing harassment, as well as even more severe forms of bullying, with that particular data remaining consistent. GLSEN’s 2009 National School Climate Survey included 7,261 middle and high school students. Within the past school year, approximately nine out of ten LGBTQ students indicated experience with in-school harassment. Almost two-thirds reported feeling unsafe due to their sexual orientation. In addition, roughly a third of LGBTQ students reported that within the past month they were truant from school, citing safety reasons.
Elementary Years
Bullying typically first appears in the elementary school years involving seemingly innocent name-calling and teasing as someone appears to be different. For example, perhaps a classmate wears glasses, or has a bright hair color. Name-calling, teasing, as well as stereotypical word use, can escalate into more cruel behaviors. Some U.S. schools have integrated LGBTQ learning in their curriculum in order to teach tolerance and to respect differences. However, this type of curriculum is not without controversy. In May 2009, the Alameda, California elementary schools were thrust into the national spotlight for considering and potentially incorporating such a curriculum. Kirsten Vital, Superintendent of the Alameda Unified School District explained that the reasoning for the potential curriculum was
To include everyone [by creating] a welcoming environment for everyone including [the] LGBT community. [The intended materials connected] to the anti-teasing, anti-bullying curriculum [by] helping kids not to tease each other on the playground and not to bully one another and really understand everyone's differences (Melendez, 2009).
Middle School
As a student moves from elementary to middle school, the cruelty of peers can escalate. For the LGBTQ student, trying to handle the escalating events can become quite alienated as they are vulnerable emotionally and physically as they are becoming more self-aware, and trying to establish peer relationships. According to Rubin, Butkowski, and Parker (2006)
Peer relationships serve as contexts for young people to explore identity; learn about social hierarchies and develop life skills around interpersonal interaction, intimacy, and group dynamics. Peers can be a tremendous source of support and affection, serving many positive functions in adolescents’ lives; but for many… peer relationships and peer groups can also be a source of ostracism, social exclusion, and harassment (Horn, S.S., & Romeo, K.E., 2010, p. 7).
Recently, the U.S. Department of Education released data indicating that the middle school years is the “worst” stage for adolescent bullying. Table 1 features the United States Indicators of School Crime and Safety (2008) middle school percentages of bullying reported.
Table 1
Indicators of School Crime and Safety Middle School Bullying/Reporting Percentages
High School
The Healthy Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Students Project (2009), reported that 2.9 percent of high school students, with all ethnicities and races included, “described themselves as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.” One student, Robert Dejulio (19), a gay college undergraduate in Pennsylvania grew up in a religious family in Virginia. During his middle school years, he knew at the age of fourteen that he was homosexual. However, due to his family’s belief system, and bullying of fellow gay classmates, he operated in fear that he would be ostracized and physically harmed. Mr. Dejulio recalled while in high school, one of his close friends was hospitalized after a severe beating by a group of three classmates. Due to Mr. Dejulio’s intense level of fear for his life, he did not openly admit he was gay until after he graduated high school, and turned age eighteen (R.B. Dejulio, personal communication, November 28, 2010).
Bullying in high school can have detrimental consequences as students are more physically developed to inflict harm. For another student, Jamie Nabozny, physical violence and victimization occurred on a daily basis. Mr. Nabozny’s bullying experiences gained national attention when he had reached his limits and filed a law suit against his Wisconsin school district and several administrators for violating his Fourteenth Amendment rights by failing to provide a safe school environment due to his sexual orientation. The bullying that Mr. Nabozny endured is featured in the Southern Poverty Law Center documentary titled “Bullied” (Brummel, B. (Producer), & Sharp, G. (Director). (2010)).
Higher Education
Issues among LGBTQ college students have been prevalent in the media with reporting on recent suicides. Perhaps the most recognizable events of gay bullying involved the 1998 brutal murder of University of Wyoming student, Matthew Shephard. More recently in September 2010, a Rutgers University student, Tyler Clementi, committed suicide after a same-sex intimate encounter was allegedly posted on the Internet by his non-gay roommate. Many college-age students, despite reaching adulthood, have not openly disclosed their sexual orientation due to their perception of repercussions. For Brian P. Smith (20), of New York, he has only confided in his dearest friends, and is not fully open on his university campus. He continues to operate in fear that his parents will no longer assist him in paying for his education if they learn that he is homosexual (B.P. Smith, personal communication, November 28, 2010). Students’ perceptions and fears of what could potentially happen to them are very real, and can affect not only their academic success, but may prevent them from reporting any bullying as well.
Although awareness for the LGBTQ students is a growing trend among higher education institutions, it was first truly recognized in 1993 by then Massachusetts Governor, William F. Weld (R). Former Governor Weld was the first Governor to create a committee, the Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, and subsequently issued a report advising ways to help lesbian and gay college students. The Commission’s report was distributed to gay-student organizations and all Massachusetts college presidents. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education article Mass. Governor Issues Report on Helping Gay Students, some of the highlights suggested:
· Baring sexual orientation discrimination.
· Punishing perpetrators who act violently or harass gay students.
· Urging higher education institutions to recruit potential gay employees by advertising in homosexual publications.
· Hiring gay employees by offering benefits for their partners.
· Creating educational opportunities on homosexuality and AIDS.
· Incorporating “the contributions to society of gay people should be incorporated in workshops and the curriculum” (Chronicle of Higher Education, 1993).
One higher education institution, Arcadia University, located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, features on the school website their commitment to respecting diversity by posting information for their LGBTQ students. Arcadia states their commitment to
all sexual orientations, and the lifestyles associated with them… dedicate[d] to providing a safe, accepting environment who are out or questioning their sexuality, and to those who actively support the LGBT community… staff believes and strives for a student group and social setting where LGBT students and heterosexual students interact comfortably… [and,] are committed to working with each student to find a program that suits his or her individual needs and to providing resources and cultural guidance, as needed, for LGBT students
(http://www.arcadia.edu).
Statement of Need
Summary of Proposed Solution
Due to the escalating violence that is directly linked with bullying, it is critical for all education stakeholders to review, assess, and focus on the school environment and characteristics in order to affect real change for all students. By re-assessing the school environment, teachers, faculty and staff interactions with students, as well as peer communication, policies and programs can be designed and implemented to ensure safety and learning. This can begin by essentially educating the educators. Mandatory professional development opportunities must be implemented so the educators can model and inspire positive, appropriate behaviors toward LGBTQ students and all other representative cultures. Research studies have revealed that bullying escalates at the middle school level. Due to the critical years of maturity during middle school, implementation of a professional development program for education stakeholders is critical in order to affect real change prior to students entering high school.