NOTE: For a downloadable version of this text in Adobe Acrobat, please click here. Models Of Respecting Everyone™ is a comprehensive anti-sexual harassment and anti-hazing awareness program designed to promote positive social change in public, private and parochial schools. MORE™ empowers school personnel, students, parents and other caregivers with: Critical knowledge to recognize personal and institutional values and practices that may lead to sexual harassment and hazing activities. Skills and tools to transform the current cultural “norm” in schools from crisis intervention to harassment prevention. Leadership development to maintain a safe and respectful learning environment. Why Do MORE™ Sexual harassment remains pervasive in public, private and parochial schools throughout the United States. Eighty percent of middle and high school students report experiencing sexual harassment from their peers and 32% of students report being harassed in Grade 6 or before (American Association of University Women Educational Foundation 2001). Severe or pervasive harassment unlawfully denies a student the “advantages and privileges” of attending school and creates a hostile, humiliating, intimidating and offensive learning environment. School personnel are legally required to prevent harassment and discrimination, and respond promptly to such discrimination or harassment when they have knowledge of its occurrence. Forty-eight percent of high school students who belong to peer groups have been subjected to hazing activities and 24% of hazing victims reveal that they were first hazed before they were teenagers (Alfred University 2000). Even when members of a school community have the best of intentions, they may not recognize the factors which can lead to sexual harassment and hazing activities, or know how to respond to such incidents. The only way to stop sexual harassment and hazing activities is to train all school personnel on prevention, investigation, and reporting protocols, and to provide students, parents and other caregivers with proactive knowledge and skills to recognize and respond to inappropriate behaviors before they lead to sexual harassment and hazing activities. What MORE™ Could You Want? Models Of Respecting Everyone™ offers a variety of on-site training and consulting programs, including: First-year orientation programs. School-wide assemblies for all students and school personnel. Training sessions for sports teams, other peer groups, and parents. Faculty and staff professional development in-services. District-wide action planning. Each program is designed to address a school community’s specific needs while empowering participants to achieve the following outcomes: Recognize the personal and institutional factors that may lead to sexual harassment and hazing activities in middle and high schools. Examine the different types of physical and non-physical sexual harassment behaviors and hazing activities, and their impact on the target and other members of the school community. Identify state and federal laws and regulations on sexual harassment and hazing, and the legal implications for both individuals and educational institutions. Develop proactive anti-sexual harassment and anti-hazing assessment and management strategies. Incorporate social learning models which promote a shared commitment to respectful values and practices among all members of the school community.