Nationwide Study
Reveals Student and Teacher
Perceptions of
Bullying and Harassment in
America's Schools
From PRNewswire.com
from the Web, October 12, 2005
NEW YORK, Oct. 11 -- GLSEN, or
the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, today announced the results of
a new survey conducted on its behalf by Harris Interactive®
titled "From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America, A Survey of Students
and Teachers." The national survey of over 3,400 students aged 13-18 and
over 1,000 secondary school teachers, explores the scope and impact of bullying
and harassment in America's schools.
"This study clearly illustrates the prevalence of bullying and harassment in
America's schools and how this can impact a student's ability to learn," said
Kevin Jennings, Founder and Executive Director of GLSEN. "It also shows
how having anti-harassment policies in schools -- particularly those policies
that include sexual orientation or gender identity/expression -- can be
associated with students feeling safer."
Key findings include:
• Two-thirds (65%) of teens 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.
• The reason most commonly cited for being
harassed frequently is a student's appearance, as four in ten (39%) teens report
that students are frequently harassed for the way they look or their body size.
• The next most common reason for frequent
harassment is sexual orientation. One-third (33%) of teens report that
students are frequently harassed because they are or are perceived to be
lesbian, gay or bisexual.
The survey finds that LGBT students are three times as likely as non-LGBT
students to say that they do not feel safe at school (22% vs. 7%) and 90% of
LGBT students (vs. 62% of non-LGBT teens) have been harassed or assaulted during
the past year.
"As 'From Teasing to Torment' is the first national survey on bullying in
America's schools that includes anti-LGBT bullying and harassment, it is
particularly striking that this type of harassment is only second to physical
appearance in terms of severity and frequency for students overall, regardless
of their sexual orientation or gender expression," said Dr. Dana Markow, senior
director of the Youth and Education Research Practice at Harris Interactive.
Most (85%) secondary school teachers agree that they have an obligation to
ensure a safe learning environment for LGBT students, with nearly three-quarters
(73%) strongly endorsing this view. Among those teachers who agree with or
are neutral about this obligation, seven in 10 (71%) believe that
anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies would be helpful in ensuring a
safe learning environment for LGBT students. According to the survey, more
than two-thirds (68%) of students say their school has some type of
anti-harassment policy, however only about half (48%) of all students say their
school has a policy that specifies sexual orientation or gender identity or
expression. The survey reveals that having a harassment policy in place
that specifically mentions sexual orientation or gender identity/expression is
associated with more students feeling safe (95% vs. 83%) and reporting less
harassment or fewer negative remarks at their school.
(Abridged)
|
