ABSTRACT
Issues of gender, gender orientation, race/ethnicity, and disability discrimination are prevalent throughout society. Few, if any, institutions are protected from these difficult interpersonal challenges. Incidences of harassment, whether covert or overt, reported or ignored, unfortunately take place with great frequency. It becomes particularly difficult to deal with these issues in settings that are presumed to be enlightened, liberal, and progressive. It was not that long ago that women were called “Baby,” “Sweetie,” and “Honey,” and were expected to flirt and laugh irrespective of how uncomfortable they felt in those situations. It is sometimes presumed that this no longer happens. Sexual harassment is not the only form of abuse that takes place in public settings, particularly our educational institutions. Gender, disability, race, and ethnicity discrimination and harassment, along with peer harassment, are also critical areas to consider. Although the main focus of this chapter is sexual harassment, other relevant areas are discussed; prevention and intervention in all of these areas share common approaches and methodology. We also detail how to teach school psychology students to prepare for the difficult dialogues that may need to occur as part of the business of working in public settings. Finally, a case example and resources are included.
