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September 1, 1997
At the invitation of local principals, UCSC's Title IX/Sexual Harassment Officer, Rita E. Walker, is spending several weeks presenting workshops on sexual harassment at junior high and middle schools in Santa Cruz County.
Walker is being assisted by three undergraduate peer educators: Oakes College student Faye Flores and Porter College students Maria Hollowell-Fuentes and Sabin Ousey. This project is part of a countywide effort to make schools more safe for all students.
"Research shows that by the time students reach eighth grade, 65 percent of girls and 55 percent of boys have had at least one experience with sexual harassment," said Walker. "There is a real need to share this information with students at the middle school and junior high level."
Walker and her assistants are presenting a 50-minute interactive and theatrical workshop in individual classes at each of 10 participating schools. Walker surveyed local school principals to identify the most prevalent types of unwelcome conduct and developed five skits that demonstrate those behaviors. The interactive skits deal with name-calling, unwanted touching, rumors, rating body parts, and coercion. The workshops also include an interactive values clarification exercise. Each student receives a brochure, available in English and Spanish, for future reference and to share with family members.
Walker's presentations are a collaborative effort between the university and the schools. Funds to support the undergraduate assistants were provided by a grant for School Violence Reduction awarded by the California Department of Education to the Santa Cruz County Middle School Partnership, facilitated by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education. The workshops are cosponsored by the Monterey Bay Educational Consortium.