GCSE PSHE: Sexual harassment - Part 1 The Bar

Contains some adult themes. Teacher review recommended prior to use in class.

Video summary

The first of three films telling the story of a professional relationship between a man and woman at work, which ends with an accusation of sexual harassment and an employment tribunal hearing.

The film shows how the two main characters meet and introduces the scenario where they both work as duty managers in a bar.

The film is accompanied by a discussion piece with 20 people aged 18 to 30 talking about their perceptions of what happens in this film.

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Teacher Notes

This film is suitable for 14-16 year olds, however we advise making yourself familiar with the content and considering carefully whether it will be appropriate and of use for your specific cohort.

Check your school policies to make sure you follow school guidelines and talk to a member of the SLT if in doubt about anything.

Check to see if any of your class have any child protection issues – e.g. abuse or sexual harassment.

Once you are confident it is the right resource for your pupils, watch it through alone and jot down your thoughts, questions and reactions to the drama as it unfolds.

You may decide not to tell your class that this is a film about sexual harassment until the end. By doing this you will enable them to approach it with an open mind and really explore and debate their views without having any pre-judgement.

During the lesson/watching the film

Set up a working agreement with the class and create a list of ground rules for the session so everyone feels safe and able to talk and join in discussions without being judged. (Remember to include a reminder to talk to a trusted adult if anything in the film makes them feel uncomfortable).

You could start the lesson by exploring the nature of relationships - e.g. friendships, work colleagues, family members and romantic/sexual relationships. Look at similarities and differences and encourage lots of discussion - paired, group and/or as whole class - write up their ideas on a flip chart or smartboard so you can use or refer to these in future lessons.

Before showing the film you could ask them questions - pre-prepared or generated in response to the discussions on relationships - and these can be put up so they can be seen and referred to throughout the lesson. The questions can then be used for debating and discussing as you go through the film and/or at the end of this or the series. E.g. what do you think of the different relationships between the people in this drama? (Cat and Ryan plus their relationships with the other staff). Are they clear cut? What are the different perspectives with each of the characters? What did you think when ______ did that? How was __________ feeling at that point?

Timing: This film is 7.37 minutes long.The first section is called ‘Monday’. It stops at 1.26 minutes.The second section is called ‘Friday’ and stops at 3.05 minutes.The third section is called ‘Friday night, 2 weeks later’ and stops at 5.02 minutes.The fourth and final section is called ‘A week later’ and stops at 7.37 minutes.(The closing shot is of a group of young people who were filmed watching and discussing the film).

At the end of your session look back at your earlier questions and allow time for discussion and to pull everything together and for some quiet reflection at the end.

Always check in with the group and remind them to talk to someone if anything they have seen or discussed has made them feel uncomfortable and always signpost where they can get further support or information both within and outside of school. E.g. ChildLine will talk to people right up to the age of 19 for support and the Equality Advisory and Support Service is available to give advice, information or guidance on equality, discrimination or human rights issues. (Both are free to use).

Following on

There is an additional resource called ‘Discussion on Part 1’ which is part of a set of three separate films showing young people in discussion about each film. These can be viewed to inspire, support or use as an extension for your pupils’ debates. (E.g. If they are a lively bunch this could show them other perspectives or if they are a quieter group it could be good launch pad to get discussion going). Nb. Be sure to watch this ahead of the session so you are happy and aware of the content before showing it.

There are two other films in this drama series which show how the story unfolds (each also has a discussion film available to view). You could continue exploring this across a few lessons/weeks if timetabling allows and see how the story unfolds and how the law sees it at the end.

Continued debate and discussion is recommended and if you can resist not telling your pupils it is about sexual harassment until the end of the series, this will create a really interesting learning journey, building skills in empathy, discussion, listening and debating. This lesson could be followed up with further exploration on topics such as work etiquette, laws, protected characteristics/discrimination or more specifically the laws surrounding sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment is unlawful under The Equality Act 2010 in England, Scotland and Wales and The Sex Discrimination Order, 1976 in Northern Ireland.

Group discussion with their perceptions of the film

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These lessons will fit within:

Citizenship and PSHE in England.

The Curriculum for Excellence (Health & Wellbeing Education) in Scotland.

Learning for Life and Work in Northern Ireland.

Personal and Social Education (PSE) in Wales.

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The working relationship changes and leads to an employment tribunal.

Part 2 - Two Weeks Later

The employment tribunal hears evidence from the bar manager.

Part 3 - The Prosecution

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