California Observes Anti-Bullying Week
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Debra Lau-Whelan -- School Library Journal, 11/13/2007 2:10:00 PM
The California legislature recently declared November 11–17 Anti-Bullying Week—and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Close to 40 percent of seventh graders, 34 percent of ninth graders, and 31 percent of 11th graders say they’ve been harassed or bullied at least once at school during the last year, according to the California Student Survey by WestEd, a nonprofit organization that conducts research on education, families, and communities.
In fact, hate-motivated violence was the main reason for bullying in the state, with about one-quarter of students (25 percent to 28 percent) across all grades reporting being harassed or bullied for their sexual orientation, gender, race or ethnicity, religion, or physical or mental disability, the report says.
Fifteen percent to 17 percent of California’s kids say they were attacked because of their race, ethnicity, or national origin, making those factors the number-one reason for bullying. And more than half of those students who say they were harassed because of their ethnicity or sexual orientation reported two or more incidents. Moreover, one-tenth of those surveyed say they were threatened or injured with a weapon, about the same percentage of students who say they feel “unsafe or very unsafe” at school.
“Seventh graders are of particular concern because they consistently report the highest rates of bullying,” says Greg Austin, director of the survey. For example, some 28 percent of those surveyed say they fear being beaten on school property, and 42 percent say they’ve been pushed, shoved, or hit on purpose. “How can students effectively learn when they are worried about being bullied?” add Austin.
A biennial survey since 1985, the report shows that figures have been relatively consistent since 2003, “with no indication of any bullying reductions in California schools.”
Championed by California State Senator Mike Machado, many libraries, schools, and communities across the state are encouraged to participate in Bullying Awareness Week.
