School Climate & Safety Report Roundup

Principals’ Views on Bullying

By Lesli A. Maxwell — May 20, 2008 1 min read
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“The Principal’s Perspective: School Safety, Bullying and Harassment”

Half of public school principals in a recent survey say bullying is a serious problem in their schools, ranking it above such other issues as peer pressure to use drugs and alcohol and ethnic and racial differences among students, according to a new report.

Using an online survey of 1,580 K-12 public school principals, the report also reveals that fewer than half the principals, whether at the elementary or secondary level, believe that a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender student would feel very safe at their school. Principals in middle and junior high schools were most likely to report that students are bullied or harassed for how masculine or feminine they are, or because they are gay, lesbian, or bisexual, or perceived to be so.

The 116-page report was released by the New York City-based Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, in collaboration with the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

See Also

For background, previous stories, and Web links read Violence and Safety.

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A version of this article appeared in the May 21, 2008 edition of Education Week

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