Photograph by Lena Ostroy-Harp
Berkeley High School Stop Harassing (BHS SH) hosted an assembly about different ways to address campus sexual harassment on Wednesday, November 8.
Event speakers included a nonprofit advocate, a UC San Francisco psychology professor, BHS SH members, and BHS Dean of Students Kiernan Rok.
BHS SH is a student-led organization whose mission is to end the culture of sexual harassment at BHS and in Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD).
According to Noah Ball-Burack, a BHS SH member who organized the assembly, “The main idea [of the assembly] was to educate students about why sexual harassment is an issue and what we can do about it.” Speakers discussed how to be an ally, how to get help, and how to improve school culture related to sexual violence.
The assembly began with a presentation by Eleanor Davis, a Program Specialist with Futures Without Violence (FUTURES), a nonprofit dedicated to combating violence against women and children.
In particular, Davis spoke about Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM), a FUTURES program that helps high school sports coaches teach male athletes to be respectful and stand against sexual harassment. She discussed implementing a school culture shift through engaging the entire student body.
Davis also presented statistics about the prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse. She said that forty percent of women experience street harassment and one in five women are victims of rape in their lifetime. BHS SH members aim to support and advocate for students who have experienced sexual violence, and prevent future incidents.
Following Davis’s presentation, UCSF psychologist Joyce Dorado spoke. Dorado is the Founder and Co-President of UCSF’s Healthy Environments and Response to Trauma in School (HEARTS), an intervention program that supports students who have experienced trauma.
She began her speech by telling the audience about her experience with sexual harassment. As a child, she was sexually abused by a family member, and later in life, she was sexually harassed by a colleague.
“But I am a survivor,” Dorado said, “and I healed.” Her main message to students was that it’s possible for people can heal from sexual violence and even flourish. “We deserve to walk without fear,” she closed.
According to the sexual harm survey conducted at BHS in March 2016, 520 students experienced unwelcome sexual comments, jokes or gestures last year. To those survivors of sexual harassment and assault, Dorado hoped to provide a message of encouragement and empathy. Ball-Burack said, “Joyce Dorado offered a more personal story, which suggested some ways that survivors of sexual harassment and assault could find healing or closure.”
The assembly sought to disrupt the culture of BHS from the bottom up through student activism.
From the assembly, Ball-Burack hoped students could learn ways to be allies to sexual harm survivors, get help if they need help, and improve school climate.
In addition to Davis, Dorado, and Rok, a panel discussion at the end of the assembly included BHS SH members Justice Paraiso-Caceres, Emily Levenson, and Daniela Vieira.
Panelists answered some prepared questions about the purpose of the assembly and the guest speakers’ work, and fielded questions from the audience. The fielded questions included what students can do if one of their friends perpetrates sexual harassment, and what students can expect after reporting sexual harm.
Reflecting on the assembly’s message, Berkeley International High School (BIHS) sophomore Ian Fung said, “I took away [that] there is always help for anyone who needs it, whether you are the victim or the perpetrator.” He added, “Now I feel more comfortable knowing I can get help and be able to say what needs to be said without being afraid of what might happen.”
Following the assembly, Ball-Burack said BHS SH plans to give more in-class presentations related to what students can do to end rape culture. The organization will also continue to be active at school as they have in the past, including engaging in policy advocacy.
Rok said about the assembly, “The goal of this kind of event is to continue to raise awareness and educate students about a critical issue on our campus: sexual harm. I believe the assembly is just one of many important steps we must take to address this issue within our community.”