Responding to Racist Incidents

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Responding to Racist Incidents

• Bernie Dunne
• Race Equality Consultant

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Aims

• To understand the schools responsibilities if a
  racist incident occurs
• To consider how to recognise racist incidents in
  order to develop a consistent approach across the
  school
• To understand what to do when a racist incident
  occurs

Slide 1
3
Legislation and requirements

• Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000
• DfEE 10/99 Social Inclusion Pupil Support
• Home Office Code of Practice 2000
• Criminal Law
• Protection from Harassment Act (1997)
• Crime Disorder Act (1998)
• Anti-Terrorism Crime Security Act
  (2001)

Slide 2
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Requirements for racist incidents

• All schools must have a policy for dealing with
  racist incidents
• All staff need to understand their
  responsibilities under the school policy
• All racist incidents must be recorded, including
  the action taken to deal with them
• Schools must use the required definition of a
  racist incident
• Schools must review the effectiveness of their
  policy and practice (annual impact assessment)
• Data on incidents must be monitored and reported
  to CSF

Slide 3
5
Range of incidents

• Out of 1597 (1313) recorded incidents in
  Hertfordshire schools 2006/07 (2005/06)
• 876 (923) Verbal abuse, racist language,
  racist name calling
• 280 (198) Expression of prejudice/stereotyp
  ing
• 158 (164) Teasing
• 149 (81) Feeling Harassed
• Physical assault 25 (48), threats 34 (44),
  isolation/ignoring 28 (50), racist
  literature/insignia/graffiti, texting or written
  racism 47 (28)

Slide 4
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What is a racist incident?

• A racist incident is
• any incident which is perceived to be racist by
  the victim or any other person

Slide 5
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What the definition means

• any perception of racism requires the recording
  of that incident as a racist incident
• this should trigger an investigation
• staff would be expected to raise concerns
  themselves
• policy should cover staff, parents, pupils,
  governors, visitors as victims and perpetrators

Slide 6
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Asking myself if it is a racist incident

• Was anyone offended/hurt/upset in relation to
  colour, culture, ethnicity, religion?
• (Distress on these grounds makes it a racist
  incident)
• Might a representative of the community concerned
  have been offended?
• (You can say it would be offensive to some people
  and designate it a racist incident yourself)
• Was the way a remark was formulated or delivered
  derogatory, mocking or negative about the
  group/individual concerned?
• (Put downs, mockery and negativity targeted at an
  ethnic group, culture, etc. would constitute a
  racist incident)

Slide 7
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Some examples

• A school photographer in a Primary school placed
  black children symmetrically in photographs to
  make the photographs look neater
• At an open evening some parents were offended
  when they saw pupils history work of
  advertisements promoting the German Nazi Party of
  1930s being displayed without prominent
  counter-balancing information
• A pupil was happy to allow friends to call him
  Bourbon, a nick-name referring to his colour

Slide 8
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Recording monitoring

• Centrally kept racist incidents book (race
  relations log)
• Not about labelling individuals as racists
• With change of policy and procedures view an
  initial increase in number of incidents
  positively
• Monitor in order to be alert to pattern
• Work with individuals
• Whole school response
• Preventative strategies

Slide 9
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Principles for response

• All in the school community have the right not to
  experience racism, whether or not directed at
  them
• All incidents receive immediate response
• All incidents treated as serious matters
• Staff respond consistently
• Victims (and parents/carers) kept fully informed
  at each stage of the process
• All incidents recorded, including the date, names
  and ethnicity, nature of incident, action taken.

Slide 10
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Dealing with incidentsClear, detailed
procedures ensure

• opposition to the behaviour is demonstrated
• reasons are explained
• sanctions and/or counselling for offenders
• victims are supported (including parents/carers)
• nature of incidents communicated through agreed
  channels to staff/governors
• response in the wider school community
• MECSS involved for serious incidents
• Police involved if necessary

Slide 11
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Prevention Strategy

• Clear ethos communicated across school, including
  reporting concerns
• Whole school involvement in policy development
• Pupil involvement in anti-bullying, conflict
  resolution, etc.
• Curriculum teaching value of diversity
• Regular sampling of relationships and attitudes

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thank you