Undoing The Wrongs

For the last 4 years there was a pogrom against us instituted by highest levels of government and that is slowly being unraveled by the current administration.

K-12 EDUCATION: Students’ Experiences with Bullying, Hate Speech, Hate Crimes, and Victimization in Schools
GAO


What GAO Found

Students experience a range of hostile behaviors at schools nationwide, according to GAO’s analysis of nationally generalizable surveys of students and schools. About one in five students aged 12 to 18 were bullied annually in school years 2014-15, 2016-17, and 2018-19. Of students who were bullied in school year 2018-19, about one in four students experienced bullying related to their race, national origin, religion, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. About one in four of all students aged 12 to 18 saw hate words or symbols written in their schools, such as homophobic slurs and references to lynching. Most hostile behaviors also increased in school year 2017-18, according to our analysis of the school survey. Hate crimes—which most commonly targeted students because of their race and national origin—and physical attacks with a weapon nearly doubled (see figure). Sexual assaults also increased during the same period.

[…]

 Hostile behaviors, including bullying, harassment, hate speech and hate crimes, or other types of victimization like sexual assault and rape, in schools can negatively affect K-12 students' short- and long-term mental health, education, income, and overall well-being. According to Education's guidance, incidents of harassment or hate, when motivated by race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), or disability status can impede access to an equal education. In certain circumstances, these kinds of incidents may violate certain federal civil rights laws, which Education's OCR is tasked with enforcing in K-12 schools.

I was on the CT Department of Education's Safe School Climate Coalition where we looked at bullying, one thing that amazed me some towns in Connecticut reported 0% bullying in their schools. We didn’t believe it then and I don’t believe now, what I think they are doing is under reporting bullying to make their school system look good.

What the GAO study found was,

Effects of Hostile Behaviors on K-12 Students

Students who experience hostile behaviors are more likely to experience:

•  Depression and anxiety
•  Interrupted sleep and eating disorders
•  Loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy
•  Physical health complaints
•  Decreased academic achievement and school participation

Students who bully others are more likely to:

•  Abuse alcohol and other drugs in adolescence and as adults
•  Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school
•  Engage in early sexual activity
•  Have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults
•  Be abusive toward their romantic partners, spouses, or children as adults

Students who witness bullying are more likely to:

•  Have increased use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs
•  Have increased mental health problems, including depression and anxiety
•  Miss or skip school

It is not good for the targets of bullying, it is not good for the students who witness the bullying, and it is not good for the bullies.

When I was an intern in 2010 I was working towards my MSW, I did a research paper on bullying and drew the same conclusions as the GAO study.

This review focuses upon studies that show a linkage between school bullying and harassment and how it effect school and student achievement.

It takes a village to end bullying.