Being Inclusive

What is it

Being inclusive and embracing diversity means creating an environment where all people feel welcome, valued and respected. This contributes to an individual’s sense of belonging, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, abilities, sexual orientation, religion, life experiences or socio-economic background. Being inclusive in a school setting encourages empathy and understanding of differences.

Everyone working together helps reduce misunderstandings, which in turn decreases bullying based on personal characteristics such as race, gender, disability or sexual orientation. Being an upstander helps create an inclusive environment that values diversity and challenges unacceptable behaviour. Call it out when you see it and encourage others to do the same.

Being inclusive does not mean that you always need to agree with the views of others or be friends with everyone. It does mean that you need to respect that differences exist and learn to get along with others.

What to do

Speak up if you can. If you see something wrong and you feel safe to do so, say something. You should try not to do anything that might endanger any of the people involved in the incident, including yourself.

Some things you can do include:

1 Listen and learn about the views of others. Take time to get to know others and their unique perspectives before reacting.

2 Be careful with your choice of words. Avoid using gender or race stereotypes to describe people. For example, don’t judge people for their choice of sport, friends or appearance.

3 Be an upstander, not a bystander. Speak up if you see or hear someone being bullied, mocked, or excluded. Respectfully but firmly challenge the behaviour, or get a trusted adult involved. You might say something like “Stop doing that” or “Leave them alone”.