Wide-Ranging Anti-Bullying Effort Underway At NYC Schools
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Following a week-long anti-bullying effort, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Schools Chancellor Cathie Black are unveiling a series of new education initiatives Friday.
The new, pro-tolerance initiatives will be implemented during the 2011-2012 school year.
The announcement comes at the conclusion of "Respect For All Week," which ran from Feb. 14-18.
The "Respect For All" curriculum focuses on promoting diversity and tolerance in all 1,700 New York City public schools.
"We're going to be expanding our school safety team," says Quinn. "Every school in the city has a school safety team, but up until now, that safety team was never charged with the issue of fighting bullying and harassment."
A so-called "Respect For All liaison" has been added to to the unit responsible for keeping the schools safe.
Quinn and the Department of Education unveiled the program back in 2007.
Podcast
Christine Quinn explains the importance of the curriculum to WCBS 880's Rich Lamb
The Respect For All Week website says, "Each student, faculty and staff member of the NYC public schools brings to our school community the richness of our city's cultural diversity and the desire for respect."
According to the New York City Department of Education, these are some examples of banned behaviors.
- Threatening or harassing, intimidating or physically assaulting another student because of her/his race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation or disability;
- Using derogatory language in reference to another student's race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, or disability;
- Teasing or taunting another student Making derogatory jokes or name calling or slurs directed at others because of their race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation or disability;
- Written or graphic material, including graffiti, containing comments or stereotypes that are either posted, circulated or are written or printed on clothing or circulated on the Internet (cyber-bullying) that are derogatory of others because of their race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation or disability;
- Negative stereotypes or hostile acts which are derogatory to others because of their race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation or disability.
