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Responding to Racist Incidents

Bernie DunneRace Equality Consultant

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Aims

• To understand the school’s 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

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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

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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/stereotyping

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