Statistics
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Facts about School Violence and Bullying
- In spring 2016, physical conflicts among students and student bullying were two of the most commonly reported problems in schools.
- Based on school administrator reports, 24% of students attended schools where student bullying occurred at least once a month.
- In 2018, there were about 836,100 total victimizations among students ages 12-18.
- About 20% of students ages 12-18 experienced bullying in the US.
- Among students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, 15% reported being bullied online or by text.
- During the 2017-2018 school year, 80% of public schools recorded that one or more incidents of theft, violence, and other crimes had taken place, amounting to 1.4 million incidents.
- 47% of schools reported one or more incidents to the police, amounting to 422,800 incidents, in the same year.
- The percentage of public schools reporting the use of security cameras to monitor the school increased from 19% in 1999-2000 to 83% in 2017-2018.
- An estimated 14.9% of high school students were electronically bullied 12 months before the survey.
- 71% of youth have witnessed bullying at school.
- 70% of school staff have reported being a witness to bullying.
- Among these, 70.1% of students reported being verbally harassed.
- 34.8% of students missed at least a whole day at school every month.
Facts about Bullying and Harassment of LGBTQ Youth
(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Youth)
- 59.1% of LGBTQ students felt unsafe because of their sexual orientation.
- 32.7% missed at least 1 entire day of school in the last month because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable.
- 8.6% missed 4 or more days in the last month.
- 42.5% avoided bathrooms, and 43.7% avoided lock rooms.
- 77.6% avoided school functions and extracurricular activities.
- Over 90% of LGBTQ students heard homophobic and negative remarks about gender identity and expression.
- 70% of LGBTQ students are bullied because of their sexuality.
- 11% were physically assaulted.
- 44.9% experienced electronic harassment in the last year.
- 59.1% experienced discriminatory policies. (i.e., using bathrooms aligned with their identity, attending dances with the same-sex partner)
- 28.9% of students were bullied just because of their sexual orientation.
- 59.5% of LGBTQ students felt safety issues at school due to their sexuality.
- LGBTQ students attending schools with a curriculum inclusive of LGBTQ people, events, and history reportedly experience a better school climate and improved academic outcomes.
Source: 2019 National Student Climate Survey and the From Teasing to Torment: School Climate Revisited Survey
Facts about Students Who Bully and are Bullied
- By age 24, 60% of bullies in grades 6-9 will have at least one criminal conviction.
- Bullied individuals tend to grow up more socially anxious with low self-esteem and require mental health services throughout life.
- 61% of individuals said students shoot others due to being victims of physical abuse at home.
- 54% of individuals stated that witnessing physical abuse at home may lead to violence in school.
- Among students, homicide perpetrators were more than twice as likely as homicide victims to have been bullied by peers.
- Each month, 282,000 students in secondary schools are physically attacked in schools.
- 100,000 students carry a gun to school each day.
- 28% of young people who take weapons to schools have witnessed violence at home (Duane Alexander, M.D., Director of NICHD).
Sources: Bureau of Justice Statistics-School Crime and Safety, Center for Disease Control and Prevention and US Departments of Education Associated Violent Deaths in the United States 1994-1999, Center of Disease Control and Prevention and US Departments of Education and Justice, 2001