Ensuring safe schools for all students

NEA Human and Civil Rights' "Safe Zone" poster shows students that their schools are taking a stand against racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, ableism, ageism, religious bias, and other forms of bias and discrimination.

In our classrooms, playgrounds, restrooms, offices, libraries, buses, and elsewhere, students, their parents and school staff can be proactive in raising awareness of those instances when differences are mocked, devalued, or simply silenced, and in challenging all forms of bullying and harassment.

This requires courage and more "homework" to learn about bias and how to address it with kids. NEA and its affiliates provide training, handbooks, and other forms of support for creating safe environments for all students.

Glossary

Students in our schools are dealing with the following:

Racism:
The systematic subordination of members of targeted racial groups who have relatively little social power in the United States (Blacks, Latino/as, Native Americans, and Asians), by the members of the agent racial group who have relatively more social power (Whites). This subordination is supported by the actions of individuals, cultural norms and values, and the institutional structures and practices of society.

Sexism:
The cultural, institutional, and individual set of beliefs and practices that privilege men, subordinate women, and denigrate values and practices associated with women.

Heterosexism:
The individual, institutional, and societal/cultural beliefs and practices based on the belief that heterosexuality is the only normal and acceptable sexual orientation.

Anti-Semitism:
The systematic discrimination against, denigration, or oppression of Jews, Judaism, and the cultural, intellectual, and religious heritage of the Jewish people.

Ableism:
The pervasive system of discrimination and exclusion that oppresses people who have mental, emotional, and physical disabilities.

Here are some definitions, taken from _Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice: A Sourcebook_, edited by M. Adams, L.A. Bell, and P. Griffin, NY: Routledge, 1997.

Bullying Resources

However it is defined, bullying can be as direct as teasing, hitting, or threatening, or as indirect as in exclusion, rumors, or manipulation. It systematically causes physical or psychological distress that can prevent children from achieving fully.

Share the following NEA resources in your school community.

• Parents' Role in Bullying Prevention and Intervention
• What Can Parents Do When a Child Complains of Being Bullied
• Advice to Pupils about Being Bullied