The Beginning:
The Making Right Choices (MRC) online training, “Preventing Sexual Misconduct,” took shape in July 2008 when acting counsel for the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD), Dan Shinoff, and Superintendent Robert Collins invited Dr. Glenn S. Lipson to GUHSD to discuss with school administrators the epidemic of sexual misconduct taking place in high schools nationwide.
Dr. Lipson is known for his expertise in dealing with sexual harassment and misconduct cases in various settings, including schools, private companies, religious institutions, and youth organizations. The questions that arose during the meeting were both broad and specific: “Why is sexual misconduct occurring?” “What can be done to prevent these types of incidents?” “How should GUHSD respond to this growing epidemic?”
During the meeting, Dr. Lipson and others discussed the concept of vulnerability factors—key traits, behaviors, and life situations that make educators and students more susceptible and to inappropriate behavior. The group concluded that a training program addressing vulnerability and protective factors could create a culture of change in the district that would be pivotal in confronting the problem of educator sexual misconduct.
However, no existing training course addressed the key issue of vulnerability factors. Subsequently, GUHSD commissioned Dr. Lipson to produce an online training course that would teach educators about vulnerability factors and how to recognize and respond to them. The plan garnered broad support and the approach was unanimously approved by the GUHSD School Board
Collaboration with Experts
GUHSD knew that without the support of their community, no training program would be successful. And so, over the next eighteen months, Dr. Lipson and his team worked with school resource officers, PTA representatives, students, clergy, and other concerned members of the community. School administrators and volunteer district union representatives also provided input. This community coalition became the foundation upon which GUHSD would build its culture of change.
In addition, Dr. Lipson knew he needed an online training developer familiar with the issues of sexual misconduct who could process and implement the suggestions of the community coalition. For that, he turned to Jason Franklin, a developer with a master’s degree in psychology with an industrial/organizational emphasis. MR. Franklin has been trained at one of the country’s top instructional design firms and has experience in both qualitative and quantitative research methodology in the areas of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, organizational change, decision making, and pedagogy. Mr. Franklin assisted in orchestrating, both in person and behind the scenes, the development of a collaborative and fully vetted, engaging, research-based training course that stands alone in the industry.
A Group Effort
Everyone knows the impact that sexual misconduct has on those involved. There are immeasurable costs to the victim, the perpetrator, and the community at large. Many members of the coalition volunteered their time to the project because they understood how important this training would be. At MRC, we are indebted to the hundreds of people who shared their insights, feelings, and years of experience in order to make this program as effective as possible. We are committed to constantly improving this training and finding new and more effective ways of preventing the injury and suffering that arise from educator sexual misconduct. In the end, our goal is to help create nurturing, healthy educational environments that protect personal boundaries, deepen awareness and foster resiliency.
To read the full story of MRC’s involvement with GUHSD, see the GUHSD Case Study.
