Bullying & Safe Schools

Part of guaranteeing children a good education is guaranteeing them a safe learning environment. We cannot expect students to excel in an atmosphere of fear, and yet that is exactly the challenge that thousands of boys face everyday.

Boys are more likely to have carried a weapon on school property than girls, and are also more likely to report having been threatened with or injured by a weapon while on school property.
Boys are more than twice as likely to be in a fight while on school property as girls.
On average, approximately 6% of high school students nationwide report having not gone to school because of fears for their safety there (or in transit to or from school). However, in some areas, the number of students missing school due to fears for their personal safety can reach as high as 20%.
Approximately 31% of male high school students report having their property damaged or stolen on school property.
About 15-20% of students report being bullied "with some frequency" at school.
Boys are more likely to be physically bullied by their peers (generally identified as other boys).
More boys identify themselves as bullies than girls.
The stresses related to being bullied can result in missed school days, lower engagement in school (and lower grades), and feelings of depression, isolation, low self-esteem, illness, and thoughts of suicide.
Bullying can create a climate of "fear and disrespect" in schools that can seriously impede learning.
While surveys of teachers found that the great majority of teachers believed that they "almost always" intervened in bullying situations, only 25% of students agreed with that estimate. Not surprisingly, students tend to believe that adult involvement in bullying situations will be unhelpful or may even aggravate the problem.