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Date: April 25, 2024 Thu
Time: 10:18 pm
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Results for harassment
22 results foundAuthor: Markow, Dana Title: The Principal's Perspective: School Safety, Bullying, and Harassment: A Survey of Public School Principals Summary: This national study of public school principals examined principals' attitudes and experiences regarding school safety, bullying and harassment. 1,580 K-12 public school principals completed the online survey between June 15 and August 3, 2007. The findings reveal although half of principals view bullying as serious problem at their schools, the appear to underestimate the extent of harassment that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students experience. Although principals report their schools engage in anti-bullying/harassment efforts, most do not specifically address school safety for LGBT students. Results also indicate that compared to other issues of school safety or inclusion, principals lack adequate preparation and information to ensure a safe environment for LGBT students and families. Details: New York: GLSEN, 2008 Source: Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 114589 Keywords: BullyingHarassmentHomosexualitySchool Crime |
Author: National Union of Students (UK) Title: Hidden Marks: A Study of Women Students' Experiences of Harassment, Stalking, Violence and Sexual Assault Summary: This report outlines findings from a survey exploring the prevalence and nature of harassment, stalking, financial control, control over course and institution choice, and physical and sexual violence faced by female students. The UK-wide study provides a snapshot of the experiences of women students today. Details: London: National Union of Students, 2010. 38p. Source: Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 117831 Keywords: Female VictimsHarassmentSexual AssaultStalking |
Author: National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA, UK) Title: Practice Advice on Investigating Stalking and Harassment Summary: Investigations relating to harassment can be linked to some of the most serious crimes that the police deal with including murder, sexual offences and domestic abuse. Effective police responses to crimes related to harassment can have a direct impact on improving public satisfaction and confidence in the criminal justice system and bringing offenders to justice. This document provides strategic and operational advice for reporting, responding to and investigating harassment. (Excerpts from Document) Details: Wyboston, UK: Association of Chief Police Officers and the National Policing Improvement Agency, 2009. 78p. Source: Interet Resource; Accessed August 14, 2010 at: http://www.npia.police.uk/en/docs/Stalking_and_Harassment.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.npia.police.uk/en/docs/Stalking_and_Harassment.pdf Shelf Number: 117751 Keywords: Criminal InvestigationsDomestic AbuseHarassmentSex CrimesSex OffendersSexual AssaultSexual ViolenceStalking |
Author: Spears, Barbara Title: Behind the Scenes: Insights into the Human Dimension of Covert Bullying Summary: The emergence of new technologies has led to covert and cyber bullying becoming an issue for many schools. The Australian Government has commissioned two research projects to better understand these issues and the impact on Australian schools. This second study, Behind the Scenes: Insights into the Human Dimension of Covert Bullying explored real life experiences of individuals exposed to covert bullying (victim/ perpetrator/ bystander/ teacher/ parent). Details: Adelaide: South Australia Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, 2008. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2011 at: http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/NationalSafeSchools/Documents/covertBullyReports/Behind%20the%20Scenes%20-%20Insights%20into%20the%20Human%20Dimension%20of%20Covert%20Bullying%20-%20Final%20Short%20Report.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Australia URL: http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/NationalSafeSchools/Documents/covertBullyReports/Behind%20the%20Scenes%20-%20Insights%20into%20the%20Human%20Dimension%20of%20Covert%20Bullying%20-%20Final%20Short%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 120856 Keywords: CyberbullyingHarassmentSchool Bullying (Australia)School Violence |
Author: Milligan, Shelly Title: Criminal Harassment in Canada, 2009 Summary: Criminal harassment, commonly referred to as stalking, refers to repeated conduct that is carried out over a period of time that causes victims to reasonably fear for their safety (Department of Justice, 2004). Examples of criminal harassment include repeatedly following or communicating with another person; repeatedly watching someone’s house or workplace; or directly threatening another person or member of their family causing a person to fear for their safety or for the safety of someone known to them. While criminal harassment legislation was introduced in 1993 in response to violence against women, the law applies equally to all victims. The goal of the legislation is to identify and respond to criminal harassment before it escalates into serious physical harm to victims and to prohibit deliberate conduct that is psychologically harmful to others in causing them to fear for their safety (Department of Justice, 2004). Using data from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey and the Adult Criminal Court Survey, this Juristat Bulletin presents the most up-to-date information on police-reported incidents and court cases involving criminal harassment. Unless otherwise noted, data from the UCR Survey reflect all incidents of criminal harassment reported to police. It is important to note, however, that these data likely under-estimate the true extent of criminal harassment in Canada as not all incidents come to the attention of legal authorities. For example, self-reported data from 2009 indicate that about 3 in 10 Canadians (29%) who had been violently victimized in the previous year contacted police to report the incident. Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2011. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Juristat Bulletin: Accessed April 14, 2011 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/af-fdr.cgi?l=eng&teng=Criminal%20harassment%20in%20Canada,%202009&tfra=Le%20harcèlement%20criminel%20au%20Canada,%202009&loc=/pub/85-005-x/2011001/article/11407-eng.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Canada URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/af-fdr.cgi?l=eng&teng=Criminal%20harassment%20in%20Canada,%202009&tfra=Le%20harcèlement%20criminel%20au%20Canada,%202009&loc=/pub/85-005-x/2011001/article/11407-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 121348 Keywords: HarassmentStalking (Canada) |
Author: Kercher, Glen Title: Stalking in Texas Summary: Stalking is not new behavior, but it has only been in the last sixteen years that every state and the federal government have passed laws making it a crime. This crime involves deliberate, repeated, unwanted, and fear-inducing acts on the part of one person toward another, usually in a relationship context of some kind. Stalking is not an easy crime to investigate. To those unfamiliar with the dynamics of this behavior, many stalking incidents may be seen merely as disagreements between intimates. Even before legislation was enacted to address this behavior, public awareness of this crime had increased as a result of news accounts of persons who had been so victimized. It has been estimated that one in 12 women and one in 45 men in this country will be stalked at least once in their lifetimes. This report presents information on stalking victimization among Texas residents. The data for this report came from a telephone survey of a random sample of Texas residents. Over 700 adult residents were queried about their experiences with stalking. They were asked if in the last 24 months they had experienced any of 19 stalking behaviors. Surprisingly, 18.26% of the respondents (n=128) reported being stalked during that time period. The significant findings from this study are summarized. • 128 victims reported 453 stalking incidents in the past 24 months. • The 2 most frequently reported stalking acts were receiving repeated phone calls, and having things stolen from the victim. • Stalking victims are most likely to be under 35 years of age. • Asian residents showed the highest rate of victimization, followed by Hispanics. • Stalking victims are most likely to be single/never married, but separated/divorced residents were the second most likely to be stalked. • Men (16%) and women (19.9%) were about equally likely to be stalked, which is contrary to what has been reported elsewhere. • The average number of stalking incidents per victim was 3.5. This number did not differ by gender of victim. • Over 75% of stalking victims reported at least one adverse emotional effect. The most common effect was anger, followed by loss of sleep. • Stalking victims are likely to be acquainted with the offender (57%). The most commonly reported relationship with the offender was a male acquaintance (26%). This was true for both men and women. • Stalking is often preceded by violence between the victim and offender. Of those who previously knew the offender, 61.6% reported prior violence by the offender. This suggests that stalkers are often motivated by possessiveness and control issues. • Among the victims who had some idea why they were targeted (75%), the most common reason given was jealousy on the part of the offender. • Only 43% of victims reported the incidents to the police. Based on these findings, recommendations were made about the need for continuing educational efforts for the public and for people who work with victims of this crime. The importance of victim input in investigating this crime was underscored, as were suggestions for thoroughly investigating reports of stalking and the provision of support services for victims. Details: Huntsville, TX: Crime Victim's Institute, Criminal Justice Center, Sam Houston State University, 2007. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 4, 2011 at: http://www.crimevictimsinstitute.org/documents/Stalking_Report.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.crimevictimsinstitute.org/documents/Stalking_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 121608 Keywords: HarassmentStalking (Texas)VictimizationVictims of Crimes |
Author: Reyns, Bradford W. Title: Being Pursued Online: Extent and Nature of Cyberstalking Victimization from a Lifestyle/Routine Activities Perspective Summary: The field of stalking has experienced a great deal of growth and refinement over the last decade, but its online counterpart is still little understood. The study of cyberstalking has been challenged by conceptual issues (e.g., defining cyberstalking), a lack of data, and other methodological concerns (e.g., small sample sizes, obtaining sampling frames). The extent of cyberstalking victimization is not currently known, but estimates range from 3.7% to 31% of study participants in the few studies that have attempted to estimate its scope. However, because of definitional inconsistencies and methodological deficiencies in past work, comparisons across studies are difficult. The issue is further complicated by studies that have measured cyberstalking as method of pursuit for spatial stalkers. The current study is an attempt to build upon and overcome the shortcomings of past work in the area. Accordingly, the purpose of this dissertation is threefold: (1) to estimate the extent of cyberstalking among a sample of undergraduate students at a large urban university in the Midwest, using a definition of cyberstalking based on legal statutes and previous research; (2) to utilize the lifestyle/routine activities theory perspective to better understand correlates of victimization; and (3) to determine whether this theoretical framework can be used to explain victimization in cyberspace. Findings indicate that the number of online social networks an individual owns, the number of daily updates to those networks, use of AOL Instant Messenger (AOL IM), allowing strangers to access personal information online (e.g., adding strangers as friends to social networking sites), using online services designed to monitor online network activity (i.e., profile trackers), engaging in online deviance, and low self-control are significant predictors of cyberstalking victimization, suggesting moderate support for lifestyle/routine activities theory in explaining cyberstalking. Possible methods for preventing cyberstalking are discussed. Details: Cincinnati, OH: University of Cincinnati, School of Criminal Justice, 2010. 186p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed July 1, 2011 at: http://www.cech.uc.edu/criminaljustice/files/2010/05/reyns_dissertation.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.cech.uc.edu/criminaljustice/files/2010/05/reyns_dissertation.pdf Shelf Number: 121932 Keywords: Computer CrimesCyberstalkingHarassmentInternet CrimesStalkingVictimization |
Author: Seeley, Ken Title: Peer Victimization in Schools: A Set of Quantitative and Qualitative Studies of the Connections Among Peer Victimization, School Engagement, Truancy, School Achievement, and Other Outcomes Summary: The authors designed and completed three studies to explore the connections among the variables of bullying/peer victimization, school engagement and the school outcomes of attendance and achievement. They also addressed some of the limitations in previous research efforts dealing with these topics. Study 1 was a quantitative study whose purpose was to develop a predictive/causal model that would explain the relationships among peer victimization, school attendance, school engagement and school achievement. This study used direct measures of school attendance and achievement and a previously validated measure of school engagement. Study 2 was a qualitative study of the school experiences of bullied children. From this study we planned to gain insight into school instructional, interpersonal, and structural factors that affect the victimization-attendance connection. Study 3 was also a qualitative study of teachers’ experiences with efforts to ameliorate the impact of school victimization. The underlying premise of the quantitative study was that school truancy serves as a gateway to numerous negative outcomes for today’s youth: dropping out of school, onset of drug use, engaging in criminal activity, and the like. Our conversations with youth in a truancy diversion program (see Appendix B) posited some connection between students being truant, and their experiencing victimization or bullying from their peers in school. The existing research literature suggested that such a connection may be less than direct – it could be difficult to establish that bullying somehow directly “causes” truancy – but that an indirect connection, mediated by one or more other factors, might be shown to exist. A short-term longitudinal study was undertaken, in which 1000 students were surveyed in the fall and the spring of their 6th grade year. Two sets of questions were asked: one set pertaining to whether the students were engaged in school (behaviorally, cognitively, and emotionally), and a second set pertaining to whether students were subject to actions by their peers that fall within the definition of bullying. Using structural equation modeling, the data collected were analyzed to determine the connections, if any, between being victimized, being engaged in school, and the outcomes reflected in school records of attendance and achievement (measured by grade point average). What was learned from this analyzed data set was this: while bullying does not directly relate to truancy or to school achievement, a statistically significant relationship can be shown where the effects of bullying; victimization; can be mediated by the factor of school enga gement. In other words, being bullied may not be a direct cause of truancy or low school achievement. If, however, bullying results in the victim becoming less engaged in school, that victim is more likely to cease attending and achieving; if the victim can remain or become engaged in school, his or her attendance and achievement are less likely to be effected. If, as the quantitative study appears to show, school engagement acts as a protective factor between being bullied and being truant, what has to happen for that engagement to occur? What does school engagement actually mean, under these circumstances? Why do some students manage to be engaged in school, and then thrive after bullying, while others cannot seem to connect to school? Details: Denver, CO: National Center for School Engagement, 2009. 291p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 1, 2011 at: http://www.schoolengagement.org/TruancypreventionRegistry/Admin/Resources/Resources/PeerVictimizationinSchoolsAsetofQualitativeandQuantitativeStudies.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.schoolengagement.org/TruancypreventionRegistry/Admin/Resources/Resources/PeerVictimizationinSchoolsAsetofQualitativeandQuantitativeStudies.pdf Shelf Number: 121949 Keywords: HarassmentSchool Bullying (U.S.)School CrimeSchool DisciplineStudents, Crimes AgainstTruancy |
Author: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Title: Peer-to-Peer Violence and Bullying: Examining the Federal Response Summary: This report focuses on the government‘s efforts to enforce federal civil rights laws with respect to peer-to-peer violence based on race, national origin, sex, disability, religion, and sexual orientation or gender identity. The Commission examined the nature and incidence of peer-to-peer violence in public K-12 schools and studied the types of peer-to-peer violence faced by students, as well as the effects of such violence. The Commission further reviewed the policies and procedures employed by the United States Departments of Education and Justice in enforcing prohibitions against peer-to-peer violence. The Commission, by majority vote, concluded that bullying and harassment, including bullying and harassment based on sex, race, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or religion, are harmful to American youth, and developed findings and recommendations to address the problem, including the following recommendations: The U.S. Departments of Education and Justice should track their complaints/inquiries regarding sexual harassment or gender-based harassment by creating a category that explicitly encompasses LGBT youth. The U.S. Departments of Education and Justice should track complaints that they receive regarding harassment based solely on sexual orientation that are closed for lack of jurisdiction. The U.S. Department of Education should track complaints that it receives regarding harassment based solely on religion that are closed for lack of jurisdiction. The U.S. Department of Education should consider issuing a new Dear Colleague Letter regarding the First Amendment implications of anti-bullying policies. The new Letter should provide concrete examples to clarify the guidance that the Department of Education previously provided in its Dear Colleague Letter on the First Amendment dated July 28, 2003. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 2011. 225p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 23, 2011 at: http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/2011statutory.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/2011statutory.pdf Shelf Number: 123448 Keywords: HarassmentSchool Bullying (U.S.)School CrimeSchool Violence |
Author: Poynton, Suzanne Title: Apprehended Personal Violence Orders - A Survey of NSW Magistrates and Registrars Summary: Under Section 18 of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act a person(s) who is in need of protection from someone with whom they do not have a domestic relationship can personally apply for an APVO through the Local Court or the police can apply for an APVO on their behalf. For an APVO to be granted, the court must be satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the person(s) in need of protection has reasonable grounds to fear and in fact fears that the defendant will engage in violence, stalking or intimidation against them. If an APVO is granted, the court can prohibit or restrict the defendant from approaching the protected person; prohibit or restrict the defendant’s access to the protected person’s home or place of work; and prohibit or restrict the possession of firearms or other weapons by the defendant. If a defendant knowingly breaches conditions of an APVO order then he or she can be imprisoned for up to two years. In order to assess the frequency with which APVOs are sought for frivolous or vexatious reasons, the Bureau conducted an online survey of 210 NSW magistrates and registrars. Of the 207 respondents who dealt with APVOs in the last 12 months, 121 (58.5%) indicated that they occasionally or sometimes dealt with frivolous or vexatious APVOs. Nearly 30 per cent indicated that they rarely dealt with frivolous or vexatious APVOs and five respondents reported they never dealt with these types of matters. Only 21 respondents (10.1%) reported that more than half of the APVOs that they deal with are frivolous or vexatious in nature. Magistrates and registrars reported that frivolous or vexatious APVO applications typically involve trivial/insignificant matters or a single act of harassment. Neighbours and acquaintances/former friends are most often the parties involved in frivolous or vexatious APVOs, with 64 per cent of respondents reporting that neighbours are frequently, usually or almost always involved in these types of matters, and 42 per cent reporting that acquaintances/former friends are frequently, usually or almost always the disputing parties. Disputes between public housing authorities/tenants were the next most frequent category of response, with nearly one-third of respondents stating that frivolous or vexatious APVOs frequently, usually or almost always involve disputes between these parties. Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2012. 13p. Source: Internet Resoruce: Contemporary Issues in Crime and Justice, No. 161: Accessed May 9, 2012 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/CJB161.pdf/$file/CJB161.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/CJB161.pdf/$file/CJB161.pdf Shelf Number: 125221 Keywords: Domestic Violence (Australia)HarassmentPersonal ViolenceProtection OrdersStalking |
Author: Catalano, Shannan Title: Stalking Victims in the United States - Revised Summary: Presents findings on victims of nonfatal stalking in the U.S., based on the largest data collection of such behavior to date. Data were collected in a supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and sponsored by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). Topics covered in the report include stalking and harassment prevalence by demographic characteristics, duration of stalking and harassment, and the nature of behaviors experienced by victims. Details: Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2012. 10p. Source: Special Report NCJ224527: Internet Resource: Accessed October 7, 2012 at http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/svus_rev.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/svus_rev.pdf Shelf Number: 126579 Keywords: HarassmentStalkingVictimization SurveysVictims of Crime |
Author: Birdsey, Emma M. Title: Temporal Trends and Characteristics of Intimidation Summary: Aim: The current study has two aims. The first is to investigate whether there has been any change in the characteristics of intimidation in recent years that might inform which types of offences are becoming more common. The second aim is to investigate whether the characteristics of intimidation related to domestic violence (DV) have changed over time. Method: Characteristics of intimidation incidents across 2006-2011 were collated from the NSW Police database. Additional information was coded from 600 free-text event narratives for intimidation incidents across 3 years (2006, 2008, 2010). Analyses tested whether characteristics of intimidation incidents changed over this period. Analyses were carried out for intimidation and for intimidation related to DV separately. Results: Intimidation related to DV increased over time. Intimidation and intimidation related to DV involving injured victims also increased. In intimidation related to DV, male POIs decreased and female POIs increased, and male victims increased and female victims decreased over time. The relationship of unknown POI differed over time, however there was no change in other relationship types. The type of intimidation and the location did not change. Additionally, there was no change over time in intimidation and intimidation related to DV with a weapon, face to face contact, AVO issued/applied for, or prior AVO. Conclusion: Intimidation related to DV is driving the overall increase in intimidation observed in NSW over recent years. Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2013. 14p. Source: Internet Resource: Issue Paper no. 83: Accessed May 13, 2013 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/BB83.pdf/$file/BB83.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/BB83.pdf/$file/BB83.pdf Shelf Number: 128719 Keywords: Crime StatisticsDomestic AbuseDomestic ViolenceHarassmentIntimidation (Australia)Stalking |
Author: Marwick, Alice Title: Online Harassment, Defamation, and Hateful Speech: A Primer of the Legal Landscape Summary: Although online harassment and hateful speech is a significant problem, there are few legal remedies for victims. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act provides internet service providers (including social media sites, blog hosting companies, etc.) with broad immunity from liability for user-generated content. Given limited resources, law enforcement personnel prioritize other cases over prosecuting internet-related issues. Similarly, there are often state jurisdictional issues which make successful prosecution difficult, as victim and perpetrator are often in different states, if not different countries. Internet speech is protected under the First Amendment. Thus, state laws regarding online speech are written to comply with First Amendment protections, requiring fighting words, true threats, or obscene speech (which are not protected). This generally means that most offensive or obnoxious online comments are protected speech. For an online statement to be defamatory, it must be provably false rather than a matter of opinion. This means that the specifics of language used in the case are extremely important. While there are state laws for harassment and defamation, few cases have resulted in successful prosecution. The most successful legal tactic from a practical standpoint has been using a defamation or harassment lawsuit to reveal the identities of anonymous perpetrators through a subpoena to ISPs then settling. During the course of our research, we were unable to find many published opinions in which perpetrators have faced criminal penalties, which suggests that the cases are not prosecuted, they are not appealed when they are prosecuted, or that the victim settles out of court with the perpetrator and stops pressing charges. As such, our case law research was effectively limited to civil cases. In offline contexts, hate speech laws seem to only be applied by courts as penalty enhancements; we could locate no online-specific hate speech laws. Given this landscape, the problem of online harassment and hateful speech is unlikely to be solved solely by victims using existing laws; law should be utilized in combination with other practical solutions. Details: New York: Center on Law and Information Policy, Fordham Law School, 2014. 75p. Source: Internet Resource: CLIP Report: Accessed June 19, 2014 at: http://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=clip Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=clip Shelf Number: 132508 Keywords: Bias-Motivated CrimesFirst AmendmentHarassmentHate CrimeInternet CrimesOnline Victimization |
Author: Pew Research Center Title: Online Harassment Summary: Harassment-from garden-variety name calling to more threatening behavior- is a common part of online life that colors the experiences of many web users. Fully 73% of adult internet users have seen someone be harassed in some way online and 40% have personally experienced it, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center. Pew Research asked respondents about six different forms of online harassment. Those who witnessed harassment said they had seen at least one of the following occur to others online: - 60% of internet users said they had witnessed someone being called offensive names - 53% had seen efforts to purposefully embarrass someone - 25% had seen someone being physically threatened - 24% witnessed someone being harassed for a sustained period of time - 19% said they witnessed someone being sexually harassed - 18% said they had seen someone be stalked Those who have personally experienced online harassment said they were the target of at least one of the following online: - 27% of internet users have been called offensive names - 22% have had someone try to purposefully embarrass them - 8% have been physically threatened - 8% have been stalked - 7% have been harassed for a sustained period - 6% have been sexually harassed In Pew Research Center's first survey devoted to the subject, two distinct but overlapping categories of online harassment occur to internet users. The first set of experiences is somewhat less severe: it includes name-calling and embarrassment. It is a layer of annoyance so common that those who see or experience it say they often ignore it. The second category of harassment targets a smaller segment of the online public, but involves more severe experiences such as being the target of physical threats, harassment over a sustained period of time, stalking, and sexual harassment. Of those who have been harassed online, 55% (or 22% of all internet users) have exclusively experienced the "less severe" kinds of harassment while 45% (or 18% of all internet users) have fallen victim to any of the "more severe" kinds of harassment Details: Washington, DC: Pew Research Center, 2014. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 23, 2014 at: http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2014/10/PI_OnlineHarassment_102214_pdf.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2014/10/PI_OnlineHarassment_102214_pdf.pdf Shelf Number: 133808 Keywords: HarassmentInternet CrimesOnline VictimizationSexual HarassmentStalking |
Author: Victorian (Australia) Auditor General Title: Bullying and Harassment in the Health Sector Summary: Workplace bullying is repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed toward a worker or a group of workers that creates a risk to health and safety. Harassment is treating someone less favourably than another person or group because of a particular characteristicsuch as ethnic origin, gender, age, disability or religion. Bullying and harassment have been shown to have significant negative outcomes for individuals. They can cause serious physical, psychological and financial harm to both those experiencing such treatment and to witnesses. Bullying and harassment can affect self-esteem, mental and physical wellbeing, work performance and relationships with colleagues, friends and family. Significant financial impacts may also result from work absences, medical costs, loss of job promotion opportunities and the risk of permanent disability. In 2010, the Productivity Commission estimated the total cost of workplace bullying to the Australian economy at between $6 billion and $36 billion annually. The impacts of bullying and harassment on the health sector are also significant. Research shows that these impacts include high staff turnover and associated recruitment and training costs, reduced productivity through poor morale and demands on management time, difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff, and the potential for significant legal costs and reputational damage. The prevalence of bullying and harassment in the health sector is not conclusively known, however, recent research suggests it is widespread: - In 2013, the Victorian Public Sector Commissions (VPSC) People Matter survey found that 25 per cent of health agency employees reported experiencing bullying, the highest of all Victorian public sector agencies. - In 2014, Monash University's report Leading Indicators of Occupational Health and Safety: A report on a survey of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation found that 40 per cent of nursing professionals who responded to a survey reported experiencing bullying or harassment within the previous 12 months. - In 2015, a prevalence survey conducted by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons' Expert Advisory Group found that 39 per cent of surgeons who responded to the survey reported experiencing bullying and 19 per cent reported having experienced harassment. Occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation places duties on employers to eliminate or minimise health and safety risks in the workplace. Workplace bullying and harassment is best dealt with by taking steps to prevent it from occurring and responding quickly if it does occur. Fundamental to this is the need to create a positive workplace culture where everyone treats each other with respect. This is because bullying exists on a continuum of inappropriate workplace behaviours. Evidence indicates that workplace conflicts or minor inappropriate behaviours can easily escalate into bullying or harassment. Early intervention can prevent this. In addition, minor inappropriate behaviours can cause harm and distress and pose a risk to health and safety and need to be appropriately resolved. The audit focuses on the continuum of inappropriate workplace behaviour which includes bullying and harassment. Key steps in effectively addressing inappropriate behaviour to reduce the risk of bullying and harassment are: - identifying the potential for workplace bullying through data and identifying organisational risk factors - implementing control measures to prevent, minimise and respond to these risks, such as through building a positive, respectful culture and having good management practices and systems including policies, procedures and training - monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of these control measures. This audit focused on whether public health services and Ambulance Victoria (AV) are effectively managing the risk of bullying and harassment in the workplace. This audit included AV and four public health services - two tertiary metropolitan health services, one large regional health service and one small rural health service. These were selected on the basis of information contained in VPSC's People Matter survey and stakeholder consultations. The audit also included the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), WorkSafe Victoria and VPSC. As part of the audit, we undertook extensive interviews, conducted focus groups with managers and staff across the selected health services and AV, and analysed 82 public submissions. Details: Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer, 2016. 74p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 26, 2016 at: http://www.audit.vic.gov.au/publications/20160323-Bullying/20160323-Bullying.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://www.audit.vic.gov.au/publications/20160323-Bullying/20160323-Bullying.pdf Shelf Number: 138818 Keywords: HarassmentHealthcareWorkplace BullyingWorkplace Crime |
Author: Coleman, Nick Title: Crime and disabled people: Measures of disability-related harassment. 2016 update Summary: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (the Commission) is a statutory body established under the Equality Act 2006. It operates independently to encourage equality and diversity, eliminate unlawful discrimination, and promote and protect human rights. The Commission enforces equality legislation on age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. It encourages compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998 and is accredited by the UN as an 'A status' National Human Rights Institution. An inquiry into disability-related harassment by the Commission in 2010/11 led to the report 'Hidden in Plain Sight' (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2011). This report found that many people who experience such harassment see it as a commonplace part of everyday life, rather than as 'hate crime'. Police records provide information about the number of such crimes that are reported. However, the number of people who experience disability-related harassment may be considerably higher. The 2012 report 'Out in the open - tackling disability-related harassment: a manifesto for change,' (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2012) which followed the initial inquiry, noted that, while data currently available do not give a full picture of disability-related harassment, national crime surveys - specifically the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) (formerly the British Crime Survey) and the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) - provide information on disabled people's experiences of crime, disability hate crime, and the extent to which disabled people report crime that they have experienced. The report identified a set of six measures from these surveys that can help to gauge progress over time. In 2013, research was undertaken to analyse the statistics for these measures. The findings were published in a Commission research report on 'Crime and disabled people' (Coleman, Sykes and Walker, 2013), and used to inform the Manifesto for Change Progress Report, published in the same year (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2013). The statistical analysis has now been updated, by Independent Social Research who carried out the 2013 analysis, and the findings are reported here for five of the original measures for which data are still collected. They, in turn, form part of 'Tackling disability-related harassment: progress report 2016' (EHRC, 2016). Details: Manchester, UK: Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2016. 120p. Source: Internet Resource: Research report 103: Accessed October 14, 2016 at: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/research-report-103-crime-and-disabled-people.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/research-report-103-crime-and-disabled-people.pdf Shelf Number: 144940 Keywords: DisabilitiesDisabled PeopleHarassmentHate Crimes |
Author: Southern Poverty Law Center Title: The Trump Effect: The Impact of The 2016 Presidential Election on Our Nation's Schools Summary: In the first days after the 2016 presidential election, the Southern Poverty Law Center's Teaching Tolerance project administered an online survey to K-12 educators from across the country. Over 10,000 teachers, counselors, administrators and others who work in schools have responded. The survey data indicate that the results of the election are having a profoundly negative impact on schools and students. Ninety percent of educators report that school climate has been negatively affected, and most of them believe it will have a long-lasting impact. A full 80 percent describe heightened anxiety and concern on the part of students worried about the impact of the election on themselves and their families. Also on the upswing: verbal harassment, the use of slurs and derogatory language, and disturbing incidents involving swastikas, Nazi salutes and Confederate flags. Details: Montgomery, AL: SPLC, 2016. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 7, 2016 at: https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/splc_the_trump_effect.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/splc_the_trump_effect.pdf Shelf Number: 140329 Keywords: Bias-related CrimesHarassmentHate CrimesSchool BullyingSchool Crimes |
Author: Mitchell, Kimberly J. Title: The Role of Technology in Youth Harassment Victimization Summary: This bulletin summarizes the findings of the NIJ-sponsored Technology Harassment Victimization study, which is a follow-up study to the second National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence sponsored by OJJDP. The study examined technology-involved harassment within the context of other types of youth victimization and risk factors. The data reveal that mixed-peer harassment-involving both in-person and technology-based elements - is the most traumatic for victims, especially those who have been victimized in multiple ways in the past and are facing numerous stressors in their present lives. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2016. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 10, 2016 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/250079.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/250079.pdf Shelf Number: 146043 Keywords: BullyingHarassmentInternet CrimesInternet SafetySocial Media |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: "Like Walking Through a Hailstorm": Discrimination against LGBT Youth in US Schools Summary: In 2001, Human Rights Watch published Hatred in the Hallways, a report that documented widespread bullying and harassment of LGBT students in the United States. Fifteen years later, research in Alabama, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Utah demonstrates that many LGBT youth across the country remain unsafe and unwelcome in their schools. Drawing from interviews with over 500 students, teachers, administrators, parents, and service providers, "Like Walking Through a Hailstorm" documents how bullying and harassment, exclusion from school curricula and resources, restrictions on LGBT student groups, and discrimination and bigotry jeopardize the rights and well-being of LGBT youth. It urges federal, state, and local officials to take meaningful steps to curb bullying and discrimination, recognize and affirm LGBT youth, and foster environments where all students are able to participate and learn. Details: New York: HRW, 2016. 115p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 27, 2017 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/uslgbt1216web_2.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/uslgbt1216web_2.pdf Shelf Number: 144919 Keywords: BullyingDiscriminationHarassmentHate CrimesLGBTSchool Bullying |
Author: Great Britain. HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate Title: Living in fear - the police and CPS response to harassment and stalking Summary: Harassment and stalking are crimes of persistence. It is the unrelenting repeat behaviour by the perpetrator experienced in its totality, which seems inescapable and inevitable, that has such a detrimental effect on the victim. The actions in themselves may seem unremarkable, and this may partly explain why some victims suffer repeat behaviour over a prolonged period before reporting it to police, or do not report it at all. Harassment and stalking can often also be crimes of control. This is particularly the case when the victimisation is associated with a current or previous controlling and coercive relationship. A report by Dr Lorraine Sheridan and the Network for Surviving Stalking, in which 829 victims of stalking were surveyed, found that the victims were aged between 10 and 73. Men and women from all backgrounds were affected and many were professionals (38 percent). Dr Sheridan concluded that almost anyone can become a victim of stalking. In this inspection, we used the term stalking for behaviour that constituted harassment and where the perpetrator appeared to be fixated and/or obsessed with another. There are many links between harassment and stalking, including the legislation itself. However, we found that the police and the CPS frequently struggled to separate the two offences. We found that stalking in particular was misunderstood by the police and the CPS. As a result, it often went unrecognised. The police sometimes mis-recorded stalking offences, or worse, did not record them at all. Prosecutors on occasions missed opportunities to charge stalking offences, instead preferring other offences, particularly harassment. We also found that the absence of a single accepted, consistent definition of stalking is a very significant contributory factor to the unacceptably low number of recorded crimes and prosecutions. It is also one of the main reasons that police officers, staff and prosecutors gave us varying interpretations of stalking. The result for victims was that offences were not dealt with appropriately by using stalking-specific powers (for example, the power to search premises and seize evidence). Incidents of victimisation were dealt with as isolated cases and were not treated seriously or quickly enough, and victims were left at risk. In some cases, the charges did not reflect the seriousness of the offending. Details: London: HMIC, 2017. 114p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 29, 2017 at: http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/wp-content/uploads/living-in-fear-the-police-and-cps-response-to-harassment-and-stalking.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/wp-content/uploads/living-in-fear-the-police-and-cps-response-to-harassment-and-stalking.pdf Shelf Number: 146604 Keywords: HarassmentStalkingVictims of Crime |
Author: Chakraborti, Neil Title: Public authority commitment and action to eliminate targeted harassment and violence Summary: 'How Fair is Britain?', the Equality and Human Rights Commission's (the Commission's) first Triennial Review of inequality in 2010, identified targeted harassment as one of the most important challenges to human rights, equality and good relations facing Britain today. The Commission uses the term 'targeted harassment and violence' (hereafter referred to as targeted harassment) to describe any unwanted conduct, violence, harassment, or abuse targeted at a person because of their age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, transgender status or a combination of these characteristics. The reality faced by many people across Britain is one of being targeted on a daily basis because of who they are. The Commission initiated this project in January 2010, to examine public authority action to eliminate targeted harassment. At that time, the evidence base on public authorities' responses to targeted harassment was unsystematic and underdeveloped. When the research was conducted, public authorities were expected to prevent harassment as a result of different forms of disability, gender and race equality legislation. The Equality Act 2010 introduced a new Public Sector Equality Duty from April 2011. It applies in England, Scotland and Wales. This duty covers age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief and sexual orientation and will ensure that public authorities have due regard to the need to: - eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act; - advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it; and - foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. The public authorities included in the research were those in the criminal justice system, including the Police, Probation, Crown Prosecution Services/Crown Office Prosecutor Fiscal Service, and additionally, Local Authorities, Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) and Passenger Transport Executives. Details: Manchester, UK: Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2011. 171p. Source: Internet Resource: Research report 74: Accessed September 28, 2017 at: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/rr74_targeted_harassment.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/rr74_targeted_harassment.pdf Shelf Number: 131583 Keywords: Bias-Motivated CrimeDiscriminationHarassmentHate CrimesInequality |
Author: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) Title: Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU-MIDIS II) Roma - Selected findings Summary: Highlighting persisting barriers to employment, education, housing and health services, this report also reveals that four out of 10 Roma surveyed felt discriminated against at least once in the past five years - yet only a fraction pursued the incident. While sobering, this report presents vital information that can serve as a unique resource for policymakers committed to ensuring that Roma are treated equally with respect to their fundamental rights. The report is based on a survey that collected information on almost 34,000 persons living in Roma households in nine European Union (EU) Member States, derived from nearly 8,000 face-to-face interviews with Roma. It presents a selection of results from FRA's Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU-MIDIS II), which surveyed around 26,000 people with immigrant or ethnic minority background living in the EU. The European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey is a major part of the agency's commitment to collecting and publishing data on groups not covered in general population surveys. It is the third survey of the agency to focus on Roma. Details: Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2016. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 5, 2017 at: http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2016/eumidis-ii-roma-selected-findings Year: 2016 Country: Europe URL: http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2016/eumidis-ii-roma-selected-findings Shelf Number: 147560 Keywords: Discrimination Ethnic MinoritiesHarassment Hate CrimesRoma |