Behavior Profile: School Management Teams Protect Learners
Democracy and Governance Goal: Reduce school-related gender-based violence
School Management Teams protect learners, teachers, and other staff from GBV and related actions without recrimination, discrimination, or apprehension
% of GBV incident reports at each school in the past [timeframe] with documentation of appropriate and timely action taken

Behavior Analysis

Strategy

BEHAVIOR AND STEPS

What steps are needed to practice this behavior?

School Management Teams protect learners, teachers and other staff from SRGBV and related actions without recrimination, discrimination or apprehension

  1. Seek and use input from learners, teachers and other staff about what will make them feel protected
  2. Effectively guide learners, teachers, and other staff to adhere to aligned school codes of conduct
  3. Intervene if safe to do so
  4. Respond immediately, guided by school policy and procedures
  5. Document all complaints of SRGBV
  6. Protect confidentiality and privacy of both victim and accused
  7. Link learners, teachers, and other staff with the support services they need
  8. Follow up to ensure effective uptake of services and wellbeing of survivors and reporters

FACTORS

What factors may prevent or support practice of this behavior?
Structural
Accessibility: School Management Teams cannot protect learners, etc. because their schools do not have access to needed support services
Service Experience: School Management Teams can protect learners, teachers and other staff because they are in a position of authority that affords them the opportunity to put in place protection measures
Service Experience: School Management Teams cannot protect learners, teachers and other staff because reports are not documented and there is no follow through or follow up on documentation
Social
Gender: School Management Teams do not protect learners, teachers and other staff because they reinforce negative gender norms, e.g. believe girls provoke boys and enjoy attention, believe that “boys will always be boys”, etc. and do not intervene, respond or document incidents
Norms: School administrators do not protect learners, teachers or other staff because they practice a culture of silence and do not act on SRGBV
Internal
Attitudes and Beliefs: School Management Teams believe that learners, teachers and other staff should be engaged as collaborators in inclusive and customized SRGBV activities that meet the unique needs and ethos of schools
Attitudes and Beliefs: School Management Teams do not protect learners, teachers or other staff because, even though sexual activity between an adult and a child between twelve and sixteen years of age constitutes statutory harassment, they believe that if a teacher’s conduct is ‘welcome’ or ‘wanted’, it does not constitute sexual harassment
Knowledge: School Management Teams cannot protect learners, teachers and other staff because, they are unfamiliar with the codes and guidelines and cannot interpret them well
Skills: School Management Teams cannot protect learners, teachers and other staff because they lack the skills needed to improve the dysfunctional school management system that can increase SRGBV

SUPPORTING ACTORS AND ACTIONS

Who must support the practice of this behavior, and what actions must they take?
Institutional
District Education Department: Orient school governing bodies on national policies, Codes of Conduct, Disciplinary Procedures and relevant laws related to SRGBV.
Circuit Manager: Ensure responsiveness and follow-up to cases reported.
District Psychosocial Support Services: Provide guidance to schools on procedures, protocols and processes involved in alleged SRGBV cases.
District Psychosocial Support Services: Respond, monitor and follow-up on reports of SRGBV.
Police Services: Respond, investigate and report back on SRGBV complaints in a timely and confidential manner.
Police Services: Educate the school community on SRGBV services and pathways to justice.
Council of Educators: Deregister convicted educators from Council and from practicing as a form of discipline.
Council of Educators: Monitor and discipline educators accused of SRGBV.
Registered NGOs: Provide psycho-social services, referrals, follow-up, monitoring or capacity building in schools.
Community
Community-Based Organizations (CBOs): Complement School Based Support Team activities with broader GBV activities to use and distribute support and referral site cards and linkage to SRGBV support services for teachers, learners and support staff.

POSSIBLE PROGRAM STRATEGIES

What strategies will best focus our efforts based on this analysis?

Strategy requires Communication Support

Enabling Environment
Partnerships and Networks: Hold bi-annual multi-sectoral meetings to discuss SRGBV prevention and response in schools.
Partnerships and Networks: Engage schools to conduct and active stakeholder participation in SRGBV information sharing.
Partnerships and Networks: Monitor service delivery, implementation, gaps, challenges from learners, teachers and school administrators.
Partnerships and Networks: Develop and distribute support and referral site cards to link learners to SRGBV support services provided by registered NGOs and relevant CBOs.
Partnerships and Networks: Monitor implementation, gaps, challenges and feedback from learners, teachers and school management teams and feedback to Education Department and other relevant departments.
Policies and Governance: Advocate for enforcement of disciplinary measures against educators who perpetrate SRGBV.
Policies and Governance: Assist school governing bodies to review and align school codes of conduct with national policies and guidelines.
Demand and Use
Advocacy: Advocate for ongoing refresher courses on diversity, human rights, classroom management, inclusivity, etc. for educators.