Efficacy of the student-related sexual harassment policy of a large, urban school district in the Southwest

This study was an effort to obtain information regarding administrators', staffs' parents', and students' perceptions of the efficacy of the student portion of the sexual harassment policy of a large, urban school district in the southwestern United States. Education law inquiry and a case-study format involving interpretive inquiry were utilized. The results of this research explicate concepts, construct arguments, raise questions for practice and for further research, and suggest future scenarios. This is a qualitative study by nature in which perceptions of the student-related portions of the sexual harassment policy of a district were analyzed. In this case study, the policy is the instrument evaluated. Surveys and interviews were the main techniques used with this case study. Representative students from grades 5--12, parents, teachers, and administrators were surveyed and/or interviewed in this case study.; Tabulated data from the surveys facilitated the analysis of this study along with survey results being compared to information gathered from the interviews. Triangulation of the data collected was used for checking the validity and reliability of individual and group responses. Utilization of these research techniques enabled the researcher to determine the appropriateness, meaningfulness, and usefulness of the inferences made in this study.; The major contribution of this study was an understanding of school communities' perceptions of the efficacy of student-related sexual harassment policy issues. Administrators had a perception that the policy was very effective. Other stakeholder groups were aware of the policy but did not feel it was effective as it might be. The other stakeholder groups reported that acts of harassment still occur frequently, that discipline or other measures to reduce this were not effective. Policy-makers, curriculum designers, community members, and teachers may use the findings of this study to develop policy, curriculum, programs, and as a form of communication regarding the areas of student-to-student sexual harassment.