SAFE SCHOOLS
Supporting Organizations
Equality Advocates Pennsylvania
American Civil Liberties Union PA
The Anti-Defamation League
The Trans-health Information Project
PA Council of Churches
Equality Forum
PFLAG Pottsville-Schuylkill County
Support Center For Child Advocacy
Philadelphia Coalition of Labor Union Women
Jewish Social Policy Action Network (JSPAN)
PA Diversity Network
Sources
1: From Teasing to Torment: A Report on School Climate in PA – GLSEN http://www.glsen.org/binary-data/GLSEN_ATTACHMENTS/file/000/000/689-1.pdf
2 FttT p. 14
3 FttT p. v
4 GLSEN Research Brief p. 1
ttp://www.glsen.org/binary-data/GLSEN_ATTACHMENTS/file/000/001/1388-1.PDF
6 FttT p. 12
7 Coming Out in Middle School, The New York Times Magazine http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/magazine/27out-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
GLSEN Research Brief p. 2
8 FttT p. v
9 FttT p. v
10 FttT p. 13 |
Is bullying a problem in Pennsylvania schools?
Bullying is an issue that affects the quality of the academic and social experience for everyone. Children who are bullied are more likely to feel anxious, insecure, have low self esteem and experience depression.
- 62 % of Pennsylvania students said they have been verbally abused within the last year1
- In the U.S. over 10% of bullying victims skipped school to avoid being verbally bullied last year2
- About 20% of Pennsylvania students have been the victim of physical violence3
Is anti-gay or sexist bullying a problem in Pennsylvania schools?
Bullying based upon actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity is a huge problem in Pennsylvania schools. Students that experienced high levels of harassment related to their sexual orientation were nearly twice as likely to skip school as those that hadn’t been harassed.
- 88% of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered (LGBT) students report having been victims of verbal abuse4
- 19% of all students report having been harrassed because of perceived sexual orientation5
- In one month, 39% of LGBT students had skipped class at least once because they felt unsafe6
Also, according to a 2007 survey of 626 LGBT students all across America7
- 81% reported being harassed on campus because of their sexual orientation
- 39% reported being physically assaulted
- While only 29% said that reporting such assault to administrators resulted in effective intervention
Students don’t always perceive the administration or faculty as a source of support.
- Over 33% of Pennsylvania students reported that faculty and staff never or rarely intervened when fellow students used homophobic or sexist remarks8
- When they did intervene, less than 50% of students said it was done in a timely manner9
- About 11% of students do not report incidents to administration because they feel doing so is hopeless10
We recently passed an Anti-bullying bill. Why do we need yet another bill?
The law that went into effect on July 4, 2008 is weak and ineffective. Because it has no provisions to
- Ensure reports are handled systematically
- Guarantee students will be informed of their policy
- Standardize the way to handle reports
- Guarantee that reports that are submitted will be investigated punctually
What should be done?
Strengthening Pennsylvania's anti-bullying laws will go a long way toward ensuring that schools have clearly defined anti-bullying policies. Passing this bill will create a better and safer learning environment for all students because it will
- Require schools to have clear procedures for reporting and investigating bullying
- Ensure that the school personnel are trained in bullying prevention and response
- Require parents of both the victim and the bully to be notified in cases of verified bullying
As well as, outline the appropriate responses
