A 2020 study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health analysing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data in the U.S. found that “24% of 12- to 14-year-olds who died by suicide during 2013–2015 […] were LGBTQ+. This is substantially higher than the proportion of the general population” who identified as LGBTQ+, which was about 3%–4% at the time.

The authors attributed this disproportionate statistic to factors such as “family/peer rejection and bullying”—factors which tend compound in school-age populations. This study highlights not just the psychological burden LGBTQ+ youth experience, but also, to me, the deeper issue of inadequate societal and institutional support for marginalised identities.

Similar psychological effects can be observed amongst other groups, such as ethnic minorities. It’s safe to say that schools must care about their students’ wellbeing with regards to their growing identities.

I’ve attended AISB from the first grade all the way through to senior year. I’ve seen its flaws and strengths. I hope to hold up a magnifying glass to both the progress made in recent years and the work still needed, and provide resources for current and future students to advocate for themselves.

Our school is ever-changing. Accordingly, the conversation around student safeguarding must be perpetual. We need to maintain an environment where inclusivity and respect are not just buzzwords but our lived experience.

Let’s take a look to the past and future of inclusivity in AISB.

New Policy on Identity-Based Harm

After several years in development, our school is currently rolling out a new policy titled “Protection from Identity-Based Harm” (read the full policy here). I recently spoke with Secondary English & Humanities teacher Christine Calderon, one of the CEESA Belonging and Inclusion Faculty Representatives who is spearheading the roll out of the new policy during SEL Time and assemblies. She told me that the policy is essentially an acknowledgement that targeting a person based on some aspect of their identity constitutes an example of harm and abuse. Identity-based harm can be, but is not limited to, microaggressions, hate speech, and cyberbullying.

Do you think that discrimination and harassment are a big problem in AISB?
“Yes.”

—Grade 9 student

All Secondary students will be involved in 3 to 4 sessions to discuss and learn about identity-based harm. At this point, we are well accustomed to advisory sessions wherein we have to talk about social problems, and some students find it boring.

I asked a grade 12 student about their thoughts, hoping to see perspectives other than mine. They told me, “I’ve noticed that in my advisory we don’t respond well to these lessons. It doesn’t really captivate us. If it doesn’t work for our grade, it’s definitely not gonna work for the grades below.” A grade 11 student adds that it can feel “rather forced and impersonal. Our teachers can be very easy to talk to, but it really depends on your relationship with your advisors.”

So why are these sessions necessary? I think that while it may seem ineffective at times, in most cases you can’t have ‘too much‘ social awareness. Yes, the sessions should be as engaging and age-appropriate as possible, but Secondary school students are more than capable of engaging meaningfully with worldly problems. Discrimination based on identity is a real issue in the real world and the more we are exposed to these topics, the more we will understand where others are coming from when we enter adult life.

Academic success alone doesn’t define a person’s impact on the world, and school is where we spend most of our time. Calderon says, “as a school, we’re not just about educating kids academically, [we’re also] about educating them to be good people and treat one another respectfully.”

Calderon acknowledges that not all students will fully understand the purpose of this policy at first, explaining that what might be tricky is that “there are varying beliefs in the community about what we perceive as a valid part of someone’s identity.”

I think this is perfectly put. People come from different cultural, religious, and personal perspectives, so it’s impossible to get everyone to agree. One thing I like about this school is we try to stay compassionate and open-minded. However, due to our differences, students may not always feel validated.

Now, this policy, by recognising that people whose identities are marginalised are at a higher risk for identity-based harm, signifies what Calderon describes as “a cultural shift that’s not just happening here, it’s happening everywhere.” If teachers can connect with their students and find out the reasons behind discriminatory behaviour, they can better assess how to help them grow.

I’ve often thought about a policy like this, and it’s reassuring to see the school actually listening to the concerns and complaints from students over the years. In Calderon’s words, “it’s a long time coming.” She feels honoured to be a part of this change. “The more united the stance we take as a school,” she continues, “the more successful we will be at not just rolling out, but embodying, this policy.”

The “Why” for the New Policy

The fact of the matter is, bullying and harassment of all sorts can occur both within and outside of the school, by teenagers who are supposed to be “Creative, Courageous, and Compassionate.” About three years ago, The Bite sent out a survey to secondary school students, which received nearly 100 student respondents. Ten percent of respondents said they noticed discrimination and harassment around them “most days”.

I also spoke to members of the community to include their voices. When asked about harassment, one grade 10 female student says, “There have been instances where I have felt objectified by boys in my class.” How can students feel comfortable in class when they are aware that peers are evaluating them based on their appearance or body?

Only about 25% of respondents said that they have never noticed discrimination or harassment around them. This shows how deeply discrimination is embedded in everyday life.

Scientists are only beginning to comprehend hate speech’s impact on our brain circuitry, and so we should know that the wellbeing of our community can be severely harmed by un-checked discrimination. When someone goes through their life constantly being reminded that something is different about them—whether it’s their race, gender, sexuality, anything—it affects them.

One grade 9 student confided, “Every time I walk down the hallways, some classmates or even people from my grade call me a [F-slur].” Worst part is, I am not surprised at all. But does it matter? Is it just a word? No, it is used to dehumanise and mock people about their real or perceived sexual orientation.

I most of the time just laugh them off because I know that the person who gives me such remarks is insecure.

Anonymous survey respondent

One student tells me, “most just make jokes about it because it’s what they’re used to and what they’ve done up until now. So I think it’s the teachers responsibility to be, like, ‘Hey, that’s not something that should be joked about.’” We’ve all seen it—the jokes that aren’t funny anymore, and maybe never were.

Calderon echoes a similar idea: “We have some students who might make inappropriate remarks who are not used to being called out.” Everyone teases their friends and makes jokes, but sometimes students can take things too far in an attempt to be controversial or feel respected.

A recent AISB graduate explained to me, “People will be discriminatory to my gender around me, but it won’t be directed at me. And I just get to sit there like, ‘Well, you didn’t technically say that to me, but that did hurt.’” Even in moments when they’re minding their own business and enjoying their day, they constantly feel that, to some, they will always be an outsider. This is the danger; that student won’t even feel comfortable to speak up and defend their gender identity. “Otherness,” “us versus them,” and “herd mentality” are phrases that come to mind.

Safeguarding Handbook and Sexual Harassment 

I have been invested for years in how the school handles such problems, and keep track of how the Student Safeguarding Handbook changes over the years. It has most recently been updated in fall of 2024, adding specificity to sections that were vague in the past. A thorough read-through finds it comprehensive, expressing compassionate ideals and prioritising the goal of “providing a safe and inclusive school community for all of [the school’s] members.” 

A close look at what’s written, however, reveals that decisions regarding consequences for bullying and harassment could be left to individuals. The handbook states that “additional consequences and restoration will be decided on a case by case basis” … if the case is even determined to be severe and frequent enough to warrant it. 

But how might this work in practice? One student told me that several years ago her sister, an AISB student at the time, was “sexually harassed when she was at a party.” Yet when she brought it forward to counsellors at the time, she alleges that they reported they could do nothing. After hearing about this case from my reporting, the recent counselling team reached out to express their regret and concern about this alleged past incident, stating that “any one of the current counselors would welcome a conversation to learn more about this incident, in confidentiality.”

Their response demonstrates a willingness to reflect in order to best support students, which is a positive step. I appreciate all the supporting staff I have met here. But how often do these incidents fall through the cracks? The stakes are too high for anything less than utmost consistency. As the Employee Safeguarding code of conduct states, “There may be occasions in which (…) no guidance exists. When this takes place, transparency should be the default approach.”

Sexual harassment can have significant psychological, physical, academic, and behavioural effects on victims, such as anxiety, depression, and poor self-esteem.

AISB Safeguarding Handbook

Perhaps the staff just isn’t knowledgeable enough about the problems the student body faces. In the past, students may have believed that the subject of discrimination was yet to gain priority in the agenda of our school’s leadership. As one teacher asserted, in an interview conducted in 2022, not only is management “separated from classroom activity,” but there might not be enough trusted adults to report to.

In the past, the school had no official sexual harassment prevention handbook, but one was created by the former service group FILIA. According to the groups’ former student leader and alumna Ingrid Z., administrators were open to the idea of its creation and inclusion in the general handbook. Unfortunately, it remained unavailable for a while. I monitored this problem because I find it very significant.

Recently, however, I am pleased to announce that it has been added to the handbook and is available for all to read! This is a huge step. I think it’s crucial that people always know their rights, so that if something goes wrong, they can point to the handbook and ask for the support they deserve.

Ingrid reported that despite the school’s willingness to adopt FILIA’s policy, she found it “disappointing and worrying” that it had to be a student initiative in the first place. “Drafting the handbook was a long and difficult process, due to our lack of experience in writing administrative documents.”

According to the The Bite survey, in 2022 around a quarter of AISB students claimed to have experienced sexual harassment at some point, be it “occasionally” or “rarely”. One interviewee says, “It’s something that’s common here, some people just don’t speak out about it…”

I believe that the biggest problem may be a fear of reporting. Many affected by harassment can be scared of social repercussions or being seen differently. When students stay silent, they must handle the distress on their own, completely isolated. Underreporting can lead to unwelcome conduct and objectification going unchecked. Anyone can be the victim of gender-based violence or sexual harassment. It’s time to eradicate the stigma around reporting.

“They say I can’t have feelings cause I’m a man.”

Anonymous survey respondent, about their friends and peers

Final Words and Next Steps

It’s important to acknowledge how the evolving leadership at the school may be influencing the way we approach these issues. In recent years, it seems there is a swing towards more female leadership. This highlights the importance of diverse perspectives and hopefully signifies a cultural shift that matches the times.

One faculty member reported to me, back in 2022, “every teacher should be taking care of [cases of discrimination] in the classroom, through restorative practices. But we’re not a restorative practices school.”

Restorative practices are proactive practices that teach students to be respectful and supportive, especially after a conflict or when harm has occurred. You’ll be surprised and pleased to know that steps are being taken to address this. Since that conversation, a restorative practices workshop, held during a professional development day in January 2025, has actually been implemented within AISB staff! This provides a promising outlook for the future.

High school occupies a unique space in society and in one’s life; we are no longer children but not yet seen as adults. And when we are all stuck together in one building, there’s a delicate balance to uphold. Students should make their own choices and have their own voice, but this should never come at the expense of others’ rights. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

If someone has harassed you because of your identity, you have every right to tell a trusted adult. Review the policy that will be carried out so you can follow up, if needed. If you don’t know who to turn to, report it anonymously to the Safe@AISB Reporting form.