Social Justice and Advocacy: A School Counselor Perspective on Respecting Differences in an Elementary School Setting

Social Justice regarding counseling and psychotherapy is based on the idea that society gives individuals and groups fair treatment and an equal share of benefits, resources and opportunities (Chung & Bemak 2012). The goal of social justice is to ensure that all individuals have an opportunity to achieve their academic, career, and personal, social potential in society. Advocacy is the act of speaking out and advocating with or on behalf of an individual or group (Ratts, Toporek & Lewis, 2010 p. 6) How can an elementary school counselor do this? By teaching students how to respect differences.  Respecting differences at the elementary school level could be a school wide initiative for respecting individual differences.  All students have a right to a safe and welcoming learning environment where students feel safe being who they are and thus gaining the most out of their academia. It is my belief that children must be taught to respect differences, even if they do not agree. I would hypothesize, that if children were taught to respect differences there would be a decrease in teasing, picking, and bullying, and children would feel more welcome at school. 

Pre and Post test data collected from third graders in October 2017 at a local elementary school in Columbus, Georgia showed that one hundred percent of the third-grade students being examined believed it was okay to be different. However, thirty percent of that very same group of students stated you do not have to respect other differences. Thus, these third-grade students believe it is okay to be different, however that does not mean people have to respect each other’s differences. The pretest data was collected prior to conducting a three part series of classroom guidance on respecting differences. The post test data was completed after the series on respecting differences was complete. The data revealed to me an issue, people are not being taught that you do not have to agree with someone else differences, but you must respect them. 

  Ratts, Toporek and Lewis open chapter four of their text book with the quote from a mother who lost her son over violence dealing with the hate toward her gay son. Hate that was more than likely birth out of lack of respect for people’s differences. As an elementary school counselor, the best way for me to advocate for these students is to offer individual counseling. At the elementary school level there may or may not be many or any students having issues dealing with their sexuality, but there are students who live in households with two mothers or fathers that are in gay or lesbian relationships. It is my job to ensure that these students have a safe place to discuss their feelings. As a school counselor I can create climate surveys to gain more information on the issues that are facing student’s dealing with queer issues.

When discussing poverty, Ratts, Toporek, and Lewis give the example of Maria, a single parent that moved from Colombia to the United States. She works as a clerk at a local grocery store but makes it her mission to purchase her son “name brand” clothes so that he can “fit in”. This mother is concerned about the way her son is perceived. In addition, occasionally children can be cruel. They make fun of people because of the way they dress and look. They bully others and try to make them feel less than because of what they have and what they do not. Thus, there is a lack for respecting differences.

Advocacy can be done here, again by using climate surveys to gain a better understanding of what children are dealing with. As counselor, I can offer a list of resources to the parent. For the student I can offer individual and/or small group counseling to discuss the feelings that the student may have. School Counselors have to change the culture and the way things are perceived. However, they cannot do it alone. 

References 

Chung, R. C., & Bemak, F. (2012). Social justice counseling: the next steps beyond multiculturalism. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Ratts, M. J., Toporek, R., & Lewis, J. A. (2010).ACA advocacy competencies: a social justice framework for counselors. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.