Information

When people from marginalized social groups learn about the root causes, forms and effects of abuse and discrimination they are most likely to experience, their vulnerability is decreased. When they gain access to accurate information about the history, culture and achievements – individual and collective – of the social group (or groups) with which they identify, they gain an important source of strength.

We can provide realistic, concrete and age-appropriate information about individual and systemic abuse and discrimination to students from all grade levels. Students with greater vulnerability to specific forms of inequity will benefit from having an increased ability to identify and resist it. Students who identify with more dominant social groups can increase their awareness and begin the lifelong process of taking responsibility and contributing to positive change.

• Dima

  	Dima Dima is a Grade 12 student who is being pressured by her boyfriend to have sex. She has expressed her reluctance but he continues to insist. Dima participated in a workshop about sexual abuse prevention offered separately to the girls and boys in her class by a local anti-violence community organization. The facilitators talked about sexual assault against women and helped the students to form and agree upon a definition that included both subtle and explicit ways of forcing someone into having sexual contact against their will. They talked about sexual assault by a known aggressor, stressing that this kind of assault is most common. Until then, she had thought that sexual assault had to do with physical violence and a stranger; she had not realized that most sexual assault is perpetrated by a known assailant. Dima is beginning to realize that she is being pressured into non-consensual sexual relations with her boyfriend. She feels more confident about saying no to him, and voicing her own needs more clearly. His pressure lets up as a result.

  participated in a workshop about sexual abuse prevention offered separately to the girls and boys in her class. The facilitators talked about sexual assault against women and helped the students to form and agree upon a definition that included both subtle and explicit ways of forcing someone into having sexual contact against their will. They talked about sexual assault by a known aggressor, stressing that this kind of assault is most common. Dima is beginning to realize that she is being forced into non-consensual sexual relations with her boyfriend.
• In
  Michael's

  	Michael Michael, a boy in Grade 9 has two mothers. In sociology class they are talking about the social history of families, learning about different forms and examples among animals and in human society. So far, no one has mentioned any examples of same sex parents in human society. Recently, Michael has been bullied by some of the other boys in his class. They have been making fun of him, saying his moms are weird. He feels ashamed, embarrassed and confused. In Michael’s class, the teacher started a new lesson about different kinds of family organization and models among humans. He initiated a classroom activity to raise the issue of diversity in human society and to encourage students to question their assumptions. He brought in a collection of photos of different adults and children together. Among them was a picture of two women with a baby and the class talked about who the people might be. Together, the class discussed the prevalent assumption that the two women could not be the baby’s mothers. The teacher also asked the class to work on their family tree, but the model was a different one, which allowed for different kinds of families. Michael is feeling excited now and starting to feel stronger about the fact that his family is different and he is the only student with two moms. He is beginning to believe that the boys who are making fun of him are the ones with a problem, not him and his family.

  class, the teacher started a new lesson about different kinds of family organization and models among humans. He initiated a classroom activity to raise the issue of diversity in human society and to encourage students to question their assumptions. He brought in a collection of photos of different adults and children together. Among them was a picture of two women with a baby and the class talked about who the people might be. Together, the class discussed the prevalent assumption that the two women could not be the baby’s mothers. Michael is starting to feel stronger about the fact that his family is different and he is the only student with two moms. He is beginning to believe that the boys who are making fun of him are the ones with a problem, not him and his family.
• Janine's

  	Janine Janine, a girl in Grade 11 who is black, has not learned about any successful, black, female leaders in her world history class. She has learned in her school books that the people who have played an important role in creating history are white men of European origin. Her friends keep telling her studying is “for white kids”. She is beginning to lose interest in school and is thinking of dropping out. Janine’s teacher has just finished a section about the American civil rights movement in the 60’s. She spent a whole class talking about the different black leaders who played a key role in bringing about change during this period of American history. She then asked all the students in their class to do a project about black Canadian leaders in the movement for human rights in Canada. Janine has devoted hours to her project and read everything she could find on the internet. She is fascinated by what she is reading about black women who were leaders in Canada. She has never felt so excited about a school project. She is beginning to think about taking an elective class on international politics next term.

  teacher has just finished a section about the American civil rights movement in the 60’s. She spent a whole class talking about the different black leaders who played a key role in bringing about change during this period of American history. She then asked all the students in their class to do a project about black Canadian leaders in the movement for human rights in Canada. Janine has devoted hours to her project and read everything she could find on the internet. She is fascinated by what she is reading about black women who were leaders in Canada. She has never felt so excited about a school project. She is beginning to think about taking an elective class on international politics next term.