Linda Ryan’s Post

"Consent education can and should feature across the university footprint, be related to all kinds of relationship interactions, and be dosed out on more than one occasion." https://lnkd.in/g3PAZYD9 While written for a UK audience, this article applies to the Australian context too - and is particularly timely given that the development of the Australian government's Action Plan Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Higher Education is well underway. Now is the time for institutions to start looking at their prevention education, and to remember that response is also prevention! While response and prevention require two different sets of expertise and practice, they do overlap. How institutions respond to sexual violence can also prevent further violence. If your responses to reports don't include support for victim-survivors and genuine accountability for perpetrators of sexual assault and harassment, you're not really doing the work of prevention.

Last week, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) released an update on the Federal Unsafe School Choice Option applicable to states, including Texas, that receive Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA ) funds. Under the ESSA, a student who is the victim of a violent crime on campus, or who attends a school identified as "persistently dangerous" must be given the option to attend a safe school within the district or a public charter school. Using PEIMS disciplinary data submitted by schools, TEA will identify a campus as a "persistently dangerous school" if it is a regular instructional campus (not DAEP, etc.) and: (a) for schools with fewer than 200 students, has had 2 or more mandatory expulsion incidents in each of the 3 most recent consecutive years; or (b) for schools with more than 200 students, has had mandatory expulsion incidents each year equal to 1% of the school's enrollment in each of the 3 most recent consecutive years. Under the Texas Education Code, mandatory expulsion incidents include serious conduct such as carrying firearms and other weapons, committing violent and other select felony offenses specified in Section 37.009 of the Texas Education Code. Of note, conduct involving the possession, sale or delivery of marijuana/THC products (e.g. THC dab/vape pens) and felony level drugs was a mandatory expellable offense in Section 37.009 until this last legislative session. Effective September 1, 2023, House Bill 114 downgrades in-school conduct involving felony possession, sale or delivery of drugs from a "mandatory expulsion incident" to a "mandatory DAEP placement". According to the TEA, there are currently no schools within Texas' 1200 or so school districts that are on the Year 1 or Year 2 Watch Lists, nor have any schools been identified (per the criteria above) as "Persistently Dangerous".

Sharing to my network. Every day seems to offer examples of the importance of balancing the right to protest with the right of others to go about their lawful activities without intimidation or threat. This seminar will look at the role security can contribute to getting this balance right. Although aimed at Higher Education and security professionals, many of the lessons and practical guidance on what can be done can be applied to many other sectors facing protest activity. To register for the free webinar taking place on 1st February, click on the link below! https://lnkd.in/dErh3DHi #securityconsulting #securitysolutions #protest #activism #webinar #securityindustry #securitymanagement #securityprofessionals

The Menace of Ragging: Understanding its Impact on Students Ragging is a major problem in schools and colleges, which is a form of abuse or harassment. It has been there for many years and still increases despite the numerous efforts put to stop it. Ragging can result in severe physical, emotional and psychological injuries among learners. In fact, it often causes them to become depressed, anxious or even commit suicide. Reporting and complaint mechanisms have a significant role in fighting against university hazing. Therefore, it is important to develop effective channels for victims, witnesses or any other people who might want to report ragging activities without a fear of being punished. This ensures that an environment that is safe and supportive for all students. In order to enhance the reporting process, confidentiality and anonymity of the informants are critical issues to consider. Consequently, students should be able to freely share information regarding incidents knowing very well that their names shall be kept strictly private. Also, academic institutions should set up specific helplines or even online platforms where one may anonymously file his/her grievance. Building a safe and inclusive campus environment is not just a legal obligation but also a moral responsibility.The issue of ragging has plagued educational institutions for far too long, causing immense physical and psychological harm to students. Educational institutions must take proactive measures to create a safe environment for students by raising awareness about ragging consequences, conducting sensitization programs, and providing clear reporting guidelines. Fostering a culture of respect, empathy, and zero tolerance can create a secure and valued environment for students. Establishing strong anti-ragging committees and working with local authorities, law enforcement agencies, and support systems can ensure comprehensive support for victims and appropriate punishment for offenders.

Another article portraying unregistered provision poorly. I have visited lots of unregistered provisions across the country this year. I haven’t found one without safeguarding policies or safer recruitment checks. I haven’t found one trying to run with low standards as it’s ‘under the radar’. They do an incredibly valuable job for struggling children. Their weakness is that they can’t fit in a prescriptive OFSTED framework and specialise in the way they want to. I don’t think there’s one setting I’ve visited that wouldn’t welcome some registration and regulation to remove the negative connotations that ‘unregistered’ brings. Quite a bit of the work I do is QAing or doing safeguarding reviews for unregistered provisions who are trying to improve their practice and demonstrate their rigour to the commissioners they work with (do let me know if I can help you with this!). It’s sad that a lack of government regulation and a few bad examples give the whole sector such negative press. As I’ve said before, there are so many examples of AP providing life-changing support for struggling young people - it would be nice to see that celebrated too. #alternativeprovision #schoolsweek #AP

Psychological Punishments of Children & Zero Tolerance!? "In Alabama, educators have "56 categories" to choose from as justification for student punishment; a full third in our sample were assigned for one of four vague violations." Mmmm, the question is "WHY" have they not been enabled to participate in learning in, a SAFE place in, the first place? Perhaps the 30% effectively excluded from participation in learning may find this challenging and stressful suffering a high level of approval deprivation and anxiety leading to simple fight or flight responses perceived as disruptive. https://lnkd.in/eskCgSde  The Hechinger Report’s investigative team recently took a deep dive into these punishments, based on 20 states for which we were able to obtain data. Our analysis revealed more than 2.8 million suspensions and expulsions from 2017-18 to 2021-22 under these ambiguous categories. https://lnkd.in/efnJn2wb

Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009 is a landmark regulation by the UGC to tackle the issue of Ragging in Educational Institutions.    Basic Provision:- The regulations clearly define ragging as any act, practice, or tradition that causes physical or psychological harm, or creates an atmosphere that could cause humiliation or fear for a student. This includes verbal abuse, forced participation in activities, and physical violence. Composition:- Every institution must establish an Anti-Ragging Committee consisting of faculty members, student representatives, and an external member (like an NGO representative). This committee plays a crucial role in preventing ragging and addressing reported incidents. Inquiry:- When a ragging incident is reported, the Anti-Ragging Committee conducts a fair and prompt inquiry. Students are encouraged to report ragging without fear of retaliation, and the committee must ensure confidentiality throughout the process. Punishment:- The regulations lay out a range of punishments for offenders, depending on the severity of the ragging incident. Penalties can include expulsion from the institution, police filing of an FIR (First Information Report), and hefty fines. In some cases, legal action can also be taken.   Login to www.Eduinquiry.com to know more. Eduinquiry offers expert advisory in such inquiries and conducts training for faculty and staff in the procedures of conducting anti ragging inquiries Mail us to know more : - [email protected] #AntiRagging  #Education  #higher education

One school district made the switch to restorative practices, and is now seeing a huge difference in how they handle student misconduct! Read the full article here! https://bit.ly/3tIfZKB #IIRP #restorativepractices #restorativejustice #education