Partnership Calls on Congress to Help Prevent Bullying

NEA is among nearly 30 leading education, health, civil rights, law enforcement, youth development, and other groups calling on Congress to take action to prevent bullying and harassment in schools.

NEA and the other groups are members of the National Safe Schools Partnership, an informal coalition committed to ensuring that America's schools are safe for all children, which has released a statement spelling out the partnership's recommendations and citing the supporting research.

According to the partnership, "Bridging the Gap in Federal Law: Promoting Safe Schools and Improved Student Achievement By Preventing Bullying and Harassment in Our Schools (PDF, 95KB, 8 pages)" calls for changes in federal law that will assure that schools and districts maintain sensible anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies, which will have a dramatic impact in improving school safety, and correspondingly, student achievement for all students."

Specifically, Partnership members recommend that Congress amend federal law to ensure that:

• Schools and districts have comprehensive and effective student conduct policies that include clear prohibitions regarding bullying and harassment;
• Schools and districts focus on effective prevention strategies and professional development designed to help school personnel meaningfully address issues associated with bullying and harassment; and
• States and districts maintain and report data regarding incidents of bullying and harassment in order to inform the development of effective federal, state, and local policies that address these issues.

According to the policy brief:

Despite abundant research and experience that confirms the power of prevention in addressing the short and long-term consequences of bullying and harassment, and despite the American public's clear and primary concern about school safety, federal law does not comprehensively address the issue. In order for federal law to address the well-established factors that have a direct bearing on student achievement and the success of our schools, Congress must act to help eliminate the safety and achievement problems associated with bullying and harassment.

The Partnership members have proposed federal legislation that would effectively implement the recommendations contained in its policy paper through amendments to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Congress is currently considering reauthorization of NCLB.

July 2007

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Students

NEA believes that a great public school is a fundamental right of every child—free from intimidation and harassment, and safe for all students, including those who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered.

Focus On: Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, and Transgendered Persons ( 124 KB, 2pp) Teaching Tolerance or Attacking Religion: How far can schools go in teaching tolerance for gays and lesbians? Safe Schools for Everyone: An interview with Kevin Jennings, founder of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) School Employee's Guide to GLBT Issues The Safe Zone: Links to bullying resources, a brief glossary of bias terms, and a downloadable poster Bridging the Gap in Federal Law: Promoting Safe Schools and Improved Student Achievement By Preventing Bullying and Harassment in Our Schools (Statement to Congress by NEA and members of the National Safe Schools Partnership, an informal coalition committed to ensuring that America's schools are safe for all children)

There is only one real issue for educators: We are responsible for our students' safety and education. We must ensure that everyone is given the opportunity to achieve and thrive.

Measurable Damage

We know that students are more likely to learn and succeed in safe, supportive environments. Unfortunately, safety can be an issue for children and teens who are seen as different because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. From the earliest grades, students routinely use homophobic language, and verbal taunts often escalate to physical confrontations.

The effects of bullying, harassment, and discrimination are clear. Students who are subjected to frequent harassment do less well academically, and are much more likely to be truant or drop out of school, be depressed or suicidal, consume drugs or alcohol, or carry a weapon to school.

Alarming Statistics

According to the 2005 National School Climate Survey, taken by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN):

• More than a third (37.8%) of students experienced physical harassment at school on the basis of sexual orientation;
• More than a quarter (26.1%) of students experienced physical harassment at school on the basis of their gender expression;
• Nearly one-fifth (17.6%) of students had been physically assaulted because of their sexual orientation;
• Over one-tenth (11.8%) of students had been physically assaulted because of their gender expression.

NEA is committed to reversing these trends and addressing the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered students. That's why we provide information and resources for educators to create great schools for every child.

Other Resources

Southern Poverty Law Center

Tolerance.org, a Web project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, offers resources for teaching and learning about tolerance for teachers, parents, teens, and younger students. Teaching Tolerance Magazine, published twice a year, showcases innvoative tolerance initiatives in schools around the country. In the fall 2005 issue, for example, "Bully on the Bus" offers ideas and examples to make sure schools' anti-bullying policies extend beyond the confines of the school property.

Educators for Social Responsibility

The non-profit Educators for Social Responsibility has developed an Online Teacher Center that provides teaching resources on a range of issues related to international security, conflict resolution, peacemaking, violence prevention, and social responsibility.

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory

The Safetyzone is a clearinghouse for information and material related to school safety. It is a project of the Comprehensive Center, Region X of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. This was formerly known as the National Resouce Center for Safe Schools.

Partnerships Against Violence Network

This resource is a virtual library of information about violence and youth-at-risk, representing data from seven different Federal agencies.

IKEEPSAFE Campaign

NEA and many of its state affiliates have joined the IKEEPSAFE campaign, a public education effort designed to teach basic rules of Internet safety to children and parents, reaching them online and in school. Governors' spouses formed this coalition in partnership with other concerned organizations. Visit the ikeepsafe.org Web site and click on your state for more information.

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Take a look at ASCD's resources on school safety.

American Bar Association

See the ABA's Gun Violence in Schools policy, background, and facts.

Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence

This center, which is housed at the University of Colorado at Boulder, offers Blueprints for Violence Prevention.

More Tips and Resources on School Safety

You can find more Web resources on school safety in the Members and Educators area of NEA's Web site. Look here for links to lesson plans, resources on conflict resolution, tips on playground safety, and much more.