ENC Survey: Most NC Students Lack Effective Protection From Bullying

Research has shown that the most effective policies on bullying protect all students while specifically enumerating the categories that are most often the basis of harassment, including race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and others.

The survey, conducted by Equality NC, found that 24 of North Carolina’s 115 public school systems have implemented anti-bullying or anti-harassment policies that include sexual orientation within their enumerated categories.  Eight of them also protect students against harassment and bullying on the basis of their gender identity or expression. 

"These policies demonstrate that educators across the state, in both urban and rural districts, have recognized the need for clear policies that include enumeration of the most vulnerable students," said Ian Palmquist, Executive Director.  "We call on the General Assembly to follow their example and pass HB 1366, the School Violence Prevention Act to ensure that all North Carolina students have the strong protection available in these districts."
 
These school systems have recognized that bullying and harassment is a serious problem in schools, rather than harmless “child’s-play,” and they have taken actions to ensure that all students have a safe and affirming learning environment when they attend school. 

Anti-Gay Bullying Pervasive in NC Schools

Two recent studies focused on North Carolina schools have shown a high level of bullying, verbal harassment and assault against students based on their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.

In 2003, a study by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) of students in North Carolina schools found that many students were frequently bullied, called names, or harassed in school based on their perceived or real sexual orientation or gender expression. 

Four out of 10 students reported feeling unsafe at school because of a personal characteristic, such as their gender expression or physical appearance.  When asked how much of a problem bullying, name-calling and harassment was a their school, nearly half (48%) reported this to be a somewhat serious or very serious problem.

In 2004, Safe Schools NC conducted another study of high school students in Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties.  The study found that 64% of students hear homophobic remarks such as “faggot,” “dyke,” or “queer” frequently or often in school. 

Research Supports Enumeration

The Safe Schools NC Study found that schools that explicitly included sexual orientation in their anti-harassment policy had a significantly lower percentage of students who heard this type of derogatory language frequently or often than students in schools with anti-harassment policies that did not include sexual orientation. 

The study’s most significant finding is that in schools whose anti-harassment policies did not include sexual orientation, 38% of students reported that teachers rarely or never intervened when hearing derogatory and demeaning remarks. When an inclusive policy with enumerated categories is in place, a faculty or staff member is more likely to intervene when seeing derogatory, harassing behavior, and students are less likely to make derogatory or harassing actions towards their peers.

Not only do vulnerable students need a comprehensive, inclusive anti-bullying / anti-harassment policy in order to have a safer learning environment, but it is essential that teachers have a policy that gives them the guidance and support they need to step in and take action when they see bullying, harassment, and verbal abuse taking place against any student, even those that belong to unpopular categories. 

Bullying Prevention is Violence Prevention

A study by the U.S. Secret Service indicated that in nearly three out of four fatal school shootings in recent years, the perpetrators had a history of being bullied. Often, the bullying went unaddressed by school officials. North Carolina does not want to be the setting of the next school shooting or violent episode, simply because it failed to protect all students from being bullied and abused.

Twenty-Four North Carolina school systems have done the right thing by effectively protecting all students from bullying and harassment. Now is the time for the North Carolina General Assembly to ensure that every student in North Carolina has a learning environment safe from verbal and physical violence by passing the HB 1366, the School Violence Prevention Act.

---

School Districts with Anti-Bullying Policies That Include Sexual Orientation

Alexander County Schools
Asheville City Schools
Buncombe County Schools
Charlotte–Mecklenburg Schools
Chapel Hill–Carrboro Schools
Chatham County Schools
Edgecombe County Schools
Guilford County Schools
Hickory City Schools
Iredell–Statesville Schools
Lexington City Schools
Orange County Schools
Onslow County Schools
Perquimans County Schools
Pitt County Schools
Robeson County Schools
Surry County Schools
Thomasville City Schools
Vance County School
Wilkes County Schools
Yadkin County Schools
Yancey County Schools

School Districts with Anti-Bullying Policies That Include Gender Identity

Guilford County Schools
Iredell–Statesville Schools
Lexington City Schools
Perquimans County Schools

Surry County Schools
Stokes County Schools
Vance County School
Wilkes County Schools

Equality NC thanks our intern Josh Wynne for researching district policies.