Living Academic Research
Dr. Sairah Qureshi
Perceptions of Schools Bullying and Racist Bullying in a Northern City
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Dr. Sairah Qureshi
Title: Founder and CEO of Action Against Bullying Research Topic: Perceptions of Schools Bullying and Racist Bullying in a Northern City Institution: University of Northumbria at Newcastle Committee Chair: Peter Francis Abstract: Academic research on school bullying has revealed that it is a significant and growing issue in contemporary society. Nevertheless, a problem remains in accurately measuring the extent of school bullying, in addition much less still is known about racist bullying. Current government legislation requires that all schools implement various procedures in order to handle bullying both in and out of the school vicinity. All schools employ numerous intervention mechanisms to record incidents, support victims and raise awareness about the impact of bullying, with the intention of encouraging victims to speak out. |
@DrSairahQureshi
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BioDr. Sairah Qureshi earned her PhD in Sociology and Criminology from the UK in 2011, based on exploring and examining the perceptions of bullying and racist bullying and particularly how it is manifested around the school environment. Dr. Qureshi has had over 10 years of academic experience and over 7 years as a consultant and practitioner in the field of bullying and bias-based bullying. She has advised local authorities on school bullying, participated in and evaluated school training manuals on bullying as well as delivered extensive public outreach work to children and young people on the subject of school bullying and racism.
Dr. Sairah Qureshi has presented her work at several conferences in the US, UK and Europe, she has lectured and published articles in her specialized field, underwent interviews as well as published her very first book, ‘Bullying and Racist Bullying in Schools; What ARE we missing?’. Dr. Qureshi also teaches Sociology to undergraduates at Strayer University, NJ, and lives with her husband in Montvale, NJ, USA. |
ScholarshipAs founder, creator and director of Action Against Bullying, LLC (AAB), an organization specialized in training teachers and guidance counselors, what makes Action Against Bullying more unique from other organizations is the specialized academic and practical knowledge from examining bullying, not only from an educational psychological perspective, but also from the socio-economic angle. It thus allows for a broader pro-active anti-bullying training module curriculum in schools and for educators. Additionally, AAB is officially a contract vendor for all NYC public schools and work has been conducted at schools in Brooklyn, NY.
More recently, Action Against Bullying, LLC affiliated and developed a partnership with Bullying Intervention Group, a UK Not-for-profit organization allowing for schools to achieve a special award for best bullying prevention. The BIG scheme also incorporates an online course for teachers and guidance counselors, nationally approved and accredited as college credit course, as well as developing a peer support system also approved as college credit course. BIG currently has been acknowledged as the largest anti-bullying organization in the UK. Action Against Bullying, LLC and Bullying Intervention Group are currently in the process of marketing, promoting, franchising and launching the BIG award scheme on the East Coast with intentions to allow schools to sign up and educators gaining credits towards their teaching qualifications. |
AbstractAcademic research on school bullying has revealed that it is a significant and growing issue in contemporary society. Nevertheless, a problem remains in accurately measuring the extent of school bullying, in addition much less still is known about racist bullying. Current government legislation requires that all schools implement various procedures in order to handle bullying both in and out of the school vicinity. All schools employ numerous intervention mechanisms to record incidents, support victims and raise awareness about the impact of bullying, with the intention of encouraging victims to speak out.
Much academic research is informed by quantitative research methodologies and undertaken from a broadly psycho-educational perspective. However, this approach fails to not only explore pupils‟ perceptions and experiences in depth; it fails to encompass the ongoing and cumulative nature of bullying in the lives of students. The aim of this study is to critically explore the perceptions and experiences of bullying and racist bullying in three schools in a Northern city using data collected from pupils and adults, through focus groups and semi-structured individual interviews with pupils in years 7 to 9. The field work was carried out between November 2005 and June 2006 and a total of fifty one interviews were conducted. Three themes constitute the findings of this study. Firstly, pupils identify the nature and characteristics of bullying and racist bullying to be the same, yet explanations for both acts differ markedly. Bullies are held responsible for their actions; however, victims of racist bullying are seen to be responsible for their own victimisation, due to the common conviction that they hold an unfair advantage over the indigenous white working class community. Secondly, tolerance towards victims of racist bullying differed substantially between schools, suggesting that various socio-economic factors play a substantial role, implying that the understanding of such actions is a consequence of the subject’s own life experiences. Thirdly, despite the implementation of anti-bullying procedures, victims largely prefer to remain silent and peers prefer not to intervene. Most pupils prefer a combination of sanctions and preventative measures implemented over the long term, yet desire immediate and often harsh punishment. The PhD recommends a need for an increase in school response that is informed by restorative whole school and emotional literacy approach. |
The Unexpected
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