SHARING OUR STRUGGLE:

SEXUAL BULLYING

The University of Vermont

Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration Program

Eric Carnaje, Daniel Fairley, II, & Josephine Gonzalez

Conceptual Framework Informing This ProjectEmploying Participatory Epistemology:

● “Silveria employed a participatory epistemology, actively engaging students in art projects within their communities to foster student development and social change.”

● “Activist practice served to awaken critical consciousness (Freire, 1971) that enabled students to recognize social inequities and to take action to remediate them.”

(Rendón, 2009)

In our video, we considered the following: ● Artwork and social justice● Power of words and emotions ● Raising awareness● Encouraging participation● Student activism

Defining Sexual Bullying● Sexual Bullying can include:

o Sexual Harassmento Gender-Based Harassmento Stalkingo Cyber Bullyingo Unwanted Contact

● Title IX defines sexual harassment and gender-based harassment as: o Sexual harassment - “Unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature. It includes unwelcome sexual

advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual violence is a form of sexual harassment prohibited by Title IX”

o Gender-based harassment - “Include[s] acts of verbal, non-verbal, or physical aggression, intimidation, or hostility based on sex or sex-stereotyping, even if those acts do not involve conduct of a sexual nature”

● Title IX o “The university is required to eliminate the harassment, prevent its recurrence, and address

its effects” (Ali, 2011: Dear Colleague Letter)

Intersection of Social Identities & Sexual Bullying ● Social identities include, but are not limited to:

o Sexual Orientationo Gendero Religiono Raceo Socio-economic Class

● In order to “meaningfully stop this epidemic, we must critique discourses of identity and safety in order to be creative and effective.” (Pritchard, 2013)

Implications● Individuals who have being bullied experience significant health and

psychological consequences (Dilmac, 2009):

o Depression

o Emotional Distress

o Low-esteem

o Poor Academic Achievement

● Targets of cyber bullying endorsed significantly more suicidal behaviors than those who did not identify as a victim (Schenk & Fremouw, 2012).

Reflection & Closing Thoughts Oppression is pervasive and it affects us all.

Recommendations:

● Promote a more compassionate and inclusive campus climate. Sulkowski (2011) posits that students who feel connected within the campus have been found to be more willing to report threats and bullying behaviors on campus.

● Students, staff and faculty should be vigilant about bullying on and off campus. Stopbullying.gov (n.d.) encourages young adults to talk to someone they trust.

● Develop campus programming around issues of bullying that are more educational and less about reinforcing policies and the law, i.e., reframe the conversation.

● Develop interactive anti-bullying presentations that students can relate to. Seek out student groups/organizations and faculty to collaborate as partners invested in effecting institutional change.

● Institutionalize and make bullying reporting mechanisms accessible for students. For example, online bias incident reporting form, University Ombudsperson, toll-free helpline to access/speak to counselors.

● Be a part of the movement and share your story.

Works Cited Ali, R. (2011). Dear colleague letter: Sexual violence. Washington, DC: Office for Civil Rights, U.S.

Department of Education.Dilmac, B. (2009). Psychological needs as a predictor of cyber bullying among college students.

Kuram ve Uygulamada Egitim Bilimleri, 9(3), 1307-1325.Pritchard, E. (2013). For colored kids who committed suicide, our outrage isn't enough: Queer youth of

color, bullying, and the discursive limits of identity and safety. Harvard Educational Review, 83(2), 321-321.

Rendón, L. I. (2009). Sentipensante (sensing/thinking) pedagogy: Educating for wholeness, social justice, and liberation. Sterling, VA: Stylus.

Schenk, A. & Fremouw, W. (2012). Prevalence, psychological impact, and coping of cyberbully victims

among college students. Journal of School Violence, 11(1), 21-37. Sulkowski, M.L. (2011). An investigation of students’ willingness to report threats of violence in

campus communities. Psychology of Violence, 1, 53-65. What is bullying? Young adults and college students (n.d.). Retrieved from: http://www.stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/related-topics/young-adults/index.html