Human Sexuality Program Social Work Services, Toronto District School Board

Current Research Activities

Since October 2005 i've been working as a research assistant with Professors Faye Mishna & Rob MacFadden here at the Faculty of Social Work, U of T. It is a Bell Canada Funded Research Project investigating Cyber Abuse and Cyber Bullying. For the latter, we recently completed 13 focus groups with students (10-17 years old), teachers, parents and administrators from both the Toronto District School Board and the UJA Board of Jewish Education. At this point we are awaiting TDSB ethics approval for a wide scale survey informed by the information and themes from the focus groups.

Since January 2005 i've been working with Professors Faye Mishna & Peter Newman and FSW Doctoral Candidate Andrea Daley on a project addressing LGBT youth and bullying.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone doing similar research in the area of anti-homophobia. My email address is:

steven.solomon@tdsb.on..ca

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Me & Shealyn

 

Bio

I began my doctoral studies in September 2005.  I hold a BSW from Ryerson and an MSW from U of T.   My practice over the last 10 years has been in the area of individual, family and group counseling/ support to queer students, teachers, parents and their families.  Alongside counseling I also conducted anti-homophobia workshops in classrooms across the TDSB kindergarten to grade 12.  As well I provided social work support to the Triangle Program of Oasis Alternative S.S., Canada’s only high school classroom for queer students.

 My research interest lies with the anti-homophobia group work I’ve conducted with elementary students.  Specifically I seek to explore and investigate the prevalence and manifestation of homophobic discourse and language in the elementary grades, grades 4-6 specifically.  I’m curious to find out how much exposure kids have to homophobic language, in what contexts and their efforts to resist it.  I’m currently working as a research assistant on the Cyber Bullying Project here at the FSW as well as being a co-investigator on a project investigating bullying and LGBT youth.

I’m currently into my 8th year of part-time teaching at the Ryerson School of Social Work.  Over the years I  have taught Anti-Oppression & Human Diversity, Practice Approaches with Sexual Minorities, Social Work Theories of Practice and Queer Theories & Identities. Beginnng in the Fall 2006 I will be teaching in the MSW program here at U of T, specifically the Elements of Social Work Practice and the companion course on Communication Skills.

Useful Links

COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere) www.colage.org

GLSEN (Gay Lesbian Straight Educators Network) www.glsen.org

PFLAG (Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays) www.pflag.ca

Toronto District School Board Equity Department www.tdsbequity.ca