Bullying can negatively impact the learning environment for all children.  Children who are in a bullying situation are more likely to perform poorly academically, withdraw from activities, skip school and drop out of school.  Eliminating bullying is about creating a safe, nurturing learning environment where every child can succeed.

The facts:

• Bullying amongst students increased by 60% nationally between 1999 and 2001 (The 2003 National Center for Education Statistics: Report on School Violence).
• 30% of all students in grades 6 to 10 are involved in moderate to frequent bullying, as perpetrator, victim, or both (Journal of the American Medical Association, 2001).
• Young people who bully are more likely than those who don't bully to skip school and drop out of school. They are also more likely to smoke, drink alcohol and get into fights (Nansel et al, 2003; Olweus, 1993).
• Children who bully are more likely to get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school. And 60% of boys who were bullies in middle school had at least one criminal conviction by the age of 24 (Olweus, 1993).
• As many as 160,000 students may stay home on any given day because they're afraid of being bullied (Pollack, 1998).
• Over one-third (36%) of Texas youth reported bullying, name calling and harassment to be somewhat or very serious problems, and less than half (42%) reported feeling very safe at school (GLSEN, 2005).
• Four out of ten Texas youth reported feeling unsafe at school because of a personal characteristic, such as physical appearance, race/ethnicity or sexual orientation (GLSEN, 2005).
• Even though only a small number (7%) of respondents identified as lesbian, gay, bisexualor transgender (LGBT), bullying, name calling and harassment because of the way in which students expressed their gender or because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation were common in Texas schools (GLSEN, 2005).
• 97% of students in public high schools report regularly hearing homophobic remarks from their peers (Report of Mass. Governor’s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, 1993).
• 53% of students report hearing homophobic comments made by school staff (Report of Mass. Governor’s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, 1993).
• 28% of gay students will drop out of school.  This is more than three times the national average for heterosexual students (Bart, 1998).
• Gay and lesbian youth are two to three times move likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youth.  30% of the completed youth suicides are committed by lesbian and gay youth annually and suicide is their leading cause of death (US Dept. of Health and Human Services, 1989).

One of the top causes of bullying is perceived identity.  All students are affected when in an environment where bullying and harassment remains unchallenged.   

HOW can I help?

When schools develop and implement programs that confront bullying and create an environment where bullying is not tolerated, children perform better in school.  It is essential that policies are put into place to prohibit and prevent bullying and harassment by training staff and demonstrating to students the correct way to handle intense situations.

BY SIGNING THE ELIMINATE BULLYING PETITION, you are taking a stand against bullying in schools.  You are taking a stand that you want all Texas children to have a safe learning environment and opportunity to succeed.