Strong anti-harassment policies can improve the school climate
10/25/05 -- Bullying and harassment are common in U.S. schools, but strong school board policies can go a long way toward the creation of a safe school climate, reports a survey released Oct. 11 by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
Sixty-five percent of teenagers surveyed report that they have been verbally or physically harassed or assaulted during the past year because of their perceived or actual appearance, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, race/ethnicity, disability, or religion, says From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America.
The report is based on a survey of more than 3,400 students age 13 to 18 and more than 1,000 secondary school teachers.
The most commonly cited reason for being harassed is a student’s appearance. Thirty-nine percent of those surveyed report that students are frequently harassed for the way they look or their body size.
The second most often cited reason is sexual orientation. One third of teens said students are frequently harassed because they are or perceived to be gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
According to the report, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) students are three times as likely as non-LGBT students to say they do not feel safe at school. Ninety percent of LGBT students say they have been harassed or assaulted during the past year, compared to 62 percent of non-LGBT students.
While 68 percent of students say their school has some type of antiharassment policy, only 48 percent of students say their school has a policy that specifies sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
The majority (57 percent) of students who experience harassment in school, regardless of demographics or reasons for the harassment, never report these incidents to teachers or other school personnel.
Eighty-five percent of secondary school teachers believe they have an obligation to ensure a safe learning environment for LGBT students.
Most teachers say they would feel comfortable intervening if they observed harassment -- and many say they have done so.
But 10 percent of students who did not report an incident didn’t do so because they didn’t think teachers or staff would do anything.
At a panel discussion on the report, convened by GLSEN, Kevin Jennings, founder and executive director of GLSEN, said there are academic consequences of harassment. “If you’re worried about being bullied, you are not going to be focused on your homework.”
“When you have comprehensive policies, the rate of kids who skip school is much, much lower,” Jennings says. “Schools can make a difference. When you have a good policy, the school climate does change.”
NSBA Executive Director Anne L. Bryant, a panelist at the discussion, says most school boards do have anti-harassment policies, “but many may not be complete enough.” Having a strong policy “gives teachers and students the ammunition to act when they see an incident of harassment,” she says.
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