Matt, Worm, Havox and Muse - SO MUCH LOVE! A really genuine thank you for the feedback and general advice =)
A warning / apology for this lengthy reply, I don't imagine I could say all of this in the given time... I opted for a little more depth (mainly in Q!) because I thought in an interview situation it's better to go into a lot of depth to demonstrate your reasoning, even if that means the interviewer doesn't have time to ask all of their follow-up questions... to a certain extent,
I want to be the one who directs the interview! (but obviously not to the degree of being obnoxious / over-bearing / unnecessary rambling)
OK...Follow up questions for Scenario 1:
How would you establish the facts?
It is possible that either party instigated some sort of verbal, cyber or physical abuse, and I would establish this by character analysis and an IT-based investigation (social networking accounts, interactions on public online forums, affiliation with anti-social societies or websites).
With regards to the video itself, I would view it personally. An investigation, presumably by qualified IT professionals, would be conducted with the objectives of identifying who posted the video online, when the posting occurred, and the general context - that is, was it on some sort of social media outlet bragging to school colleagues? (implies possible peer pressure or need to establish social dominance)
Was it on a public viewing forum to gain national/international attention? (may be a hoax, or part of a broader campaign against specific social minorities)
Was it sent via a personal messaging services? (potentially related to intimidation or blackmailing, may indicate much more targeted abuse rather than simply discrimination against general victim characteristics)
As I alluded to earlier, I would develop character profiles of the key individuals involved - both the supposed bullies and the disabled person. Interviewing parents, teachers, school staff, community figures, and the school chaplaincy / counsellors with questions related to the following topics:
- Has a similar incident occurred previously? (with respect to the victim)
If so, it is possible that the victim
a) is provoking the situation
b) has poor social interaction and coping strategies
c) is making a conscious effort to alienate themselves from social circles
d) has an obvious physical or mental characteristic that distinguishes them from the senior students / "bullies"
e) is being targeted for a reason not actually relating to their disability - for example, sexuality or religion
If not, perhaps there was a specific incident or trigger which caused the harassment to occur. Which leads me to my next question:
- Has the victim had previous dealings with the senior student "bullies"? If so, what was the nature of the encounters, and is there a relationship (positive or negative) between the students?
- Has a similar incident occurred previously? (with respect to the bullies)
If so, it is possible that the students have intrinsic beliefs that conflict with some characteristic of the disabled youth.
- What are the differences in culture, religion, sexuality and social backgrounds of the "bullies" and "victim"?
If not, what was the influence of
- current home situation? Perhaps the bullies require assistance in dealing with other life stressors, so that they don't unleash their frustrations or powerlessness onto others.
- peer pressure
Aside from personal accounts, it's difficult to obtain much more accurate information. Security footage of the incident provides an unbiased view of the situation, but doesn't provide context external to the incident like interviewing can. Similarly, IT investigations will establish raw facts but doesn't provide information on tone or intent like a character assessment can.
What's the impact on the disabled young person?
- Public attention - established as a media figure, may make it to the news. No longer anonymous, may be recognised by others and met with either support or further taunting
- Further abuse by "outed" bullies, or others in close allegiance with the bullies
- Outpouring of support and rallying of social minority and advocate groups
- From the event itself, provided it was a legitimate attack, it is likely that anxiety and lowered self-esteem will plague the young person. A sense of alienation and accented feelings of being "different" or "abnormal" would also likely arise
Why do you think this merits a suspension?
I DON'T think this merits a suspension - unless the senior students are posing a direct threat to students at the school (that is, if the disabled young person were also a student at the school), in which case a short-term suspension may be necessary to prevent direct harm to others
It is better off keeping the senior students busy with school, than left idly out of school where they can cause further problems in the community. At school, it is possible to employ a variety of "life education" techniques - mandatory participation in school counselling and values evaluation will enable personal growth within the senior students and possibly prevent re-offending by the students.
Personally, I attended a school where personal values were continually encouraged within all students. I felt that through attending school, my personal development was strengthened - ethical discussions in class, conflict resolution skills and appreciation of diversity were just a few of the things that I gained from my high school experience.
How could you address any potential school culture that promotes this sort of behaviour? What would you do?
As I just described above, a school that focusses on both academic and personal development is vital during teenage years. Some activities the school could introduce include:
- Regular mandatory community service - I believe empathy can be taught, and frequently (say, weekly) exposure/education of students to diversity and hardship within the community can establish a strong moral compass from a young age
- A Mentoring program to ensure students develop a mature and well-balanced outlook on life, influenced by more than simply other students and the media
- School counselling and chaplaincy to help all students deal with life issues, so that frustrations are released onto others
- High level supervision of social interactions, to ensure there is little chance of bullying activities occurring unnoticed on school grounds
- Praise and support for students demonstrating selflessness, thoughtfulness, friendliness, and other qualities of excellence
- Continual class discussions about non-academic issues, creating an environment where opinions commonly expressed without judgement or criticism
- "Military style" boot camp for repeat offenders, to wear down arrogance, promoting discipline and self-reflection
- A healthy social events calendar with group activities, promoting interactions of students and formation of solid friendships / support networks, preventing isolation by creating a general atmosphere of fellowship without exclusivity