ERIC ED570446: From Statehouse to Schoolhouse: Anti-Bullying Policy Efforts in U.S. States and School Districts

2015·3.8 MB·English

by  ERIC

From Statehouse
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Anti-Bullying Policy Efforts in U.S. States and School Districts

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A Report from the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network
www.glsen.org

From Statehouse
to Schoolhouse
Anti-Bullying Policy Efforts in U.S. States and School Districts
By: Ryan M. Kull, Ph.D.
Joseph G. Kosciw, Ph.D.
Emily A. Greytak, Ph.D.
A Report from the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network
www.glsen.org
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www.glsen.org
© 2015 GLSEN
ISBN: 978-1-934092-14-9
When referencing this document, we recommend the following citation:
Kull, R.M., Kosciw, J.G., & Greytak, E.A. (2015). From Statehouse to Schoolhouse: Anti-Bullying Policy Efforts in
U.S. States and School Districts. New York: GLSEN.
GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) is the leading national education organization focused on
ensuring safe schools for all students. Established in 1990, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect
and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. GLSEN seeks to develop school
climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes to creating a more vibrant and diverse community.
For more information on our educator resources, research, public policy agenda, student leadership programs, or
development initiatives, visit www.glsen.org.
Graphic design: Ace Creative
Electronic versions of this report and all other GLSEN research reports are available at www.glsen.org/research.
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From StatehouSe to SchoolhouSe iii
Table of
Contents
Preface .....................................................vi Conclusion ....................................................55
Acknowledgments .....................................vii Part Three: Anti-Bullying Policies and
School Climate for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Executive Summary ....................................1
and Transgender (LGBT) Youth ...................59
Introduction .............................................11
Overview .......................................................61
Overview of the Study Aims and Methods ....17
Methods .......................................................62
Part One: School District
Coding Procedure for District Policies .....62
Anti-Bullying Policies ................................21
Overview .......................................................23 Terminology ............................................63
Methods .......................................................24 Findings ........................................................63
Data Collection ......................................24 P revalence and Content of
Students’ Policies ..................................63
Coding Procedure ..................................25
S tudent Awareness of
Findings ........................................................26
Anti-Bullying Policies .............................64
Prevalence of Anti-Bullying Policies .........26
T he Relationship between
Key Elements of Anti-Bullying Anti-Bullying Policies and
Policies ...................................................27 Feelings of Safety ..................................65
Co-occurrence of Key Elements A nti-Bullying Policies and
in District Policies ...................................31 LGBT Students’ Experiences
of Victimization ......................................66
Differences in Policies by Region,
Locale, and District Characteristics ..........32 A nti-Bullying Policies and
LGBT Students’ Experiences with
Conclusion ....................................................35
Reporting Incidents ...............................68
Part Two: Implementation of State Laws,
T he Relationship between
Regulations, and Policy Guidance ..............39
Anti-Bullying Policies and
Overview .......................................................41
LGBT Students’ Feelings
Methods .......................................................42 about their Schools ................................71
Data Collection .......................................42 Conclusion ....................................................72
Coding Procedure ...................................42 Discussion ...............................................75
Terminology ............................................43 Limitations ....................................................77
Findings ........................................................43 Conclusions and Implications ........................78
Current Status of Anti-Bullying Laws .......43 District Anti-Bullying Policies .................78
Prevalence and Characteristics of District Implementation of State
State Anti-Bullying Laws, Regulations, Level Anti-Bullying Measures ................81
and Policy Guidance (as of 2008) ..........44
Recommendations ........................................82
The Influence of State Laws,
Appendix .................................................85
Regulations, and Policy Guidance
Notes and References ...............................87
on District Anti-Bullying Policies .............46
iv
List of Tables
and Figures
Table 1.1 N umber and Percentage of Figure 2.4 Percentage of Districts with
Districts with Anti-Bullying Anti-Bullying Policies by w
Policies by State (as of 2011) ....26 the Presence of Anti-Bullying
Figure 1.1 F requency of Enumerated Laws, Regulations, and/or
Categories in District Policy Guidance ........................47
Anti-Bullying Policies ................27 Figure 2.5 Percentage of District
Figure 1.2 P ercentage of U.S. Districts Policies Enumerating Sexual
Providing Bullying Orientation in States with
Protections to Students .............28 Laws, Regulations, and/or
Policy Guidance Enumerating
Figure 1.3 P ercentage of Districts
Sexual Orientation .....................48
Enumerating LGBT Protections
by State ....................................29 Figure 2.6 Percentage of District Policies
Enumerating Gender Identity/
Table 1.2 N umber and Percentage of
Expression in States with Laws,
Policies and Districts Requiring
Regulations, and/or Policy
Professional Development
Guidance Enumerating
and Accountability ....................30
Gender Identity/Expression ........49
Table 1.3 P ortion of all Anti-Bullying
Figure 2.7 Percentage of District Policies
Policies Including
Enumerating Sexual Orientation
Accountability and/or
or Gender Identity/Expression
Professional Development
by the Presence of Laws,
Requirements by Enumeration
Regulations, and/or Policy
Status of Policies .......................31
Guidance Enumerating
Figure 1.4 P ercentage of Districts with Sexual Orientation or Gender
Anti-Bullying Policies by Identity/Expression ....................49
Region and Locale ....................32
Figure 2.8 Percentage of LGBT-Inclusive
Figure 1.5 P ercentage of Districts District Policies in States with
Enumerating Protections and without Non-LGBT
for LGBT Students by Region Inclusive Laws, Regulations,
and Locale ................................32 or Policy Guidance ....................50
Figure 1.6 P ercentage of Districts Requiring Figure 2.9 Percentage of District Policies
Professional Development by Including Professional
Region and Locale .....................33 Development (PD)
Figure 1.7 P ercentage of Districts Requiring Requirements in States with
Accountability for Bullying Laws, Regulations, and/or
Incidents by Region and Locale ...33 Policy Guidance Including
PD Requirements .....................52
Table 1.4 P resence and Content of Anti-
Bullying Policies by District and Figure 2.10 Percentage of District Policies
Community Characteristics ........34 Requiring Professional
Development (PD) by the
Figure 2.1 S tatus of State Anti-Bullying/
Presence of State Laws,
Harassment Laws 1992–2014 ...43
Regulations, and/or Policy
Figure 2.2 I nclusion of Key Elements in
Guidance Requiring PD ............53
State Laws, Regulations, and
Figure 2.11 Percentage of District Policies
Policy Guidance (as of 2008) ....44
Requiring Accountability
Figure 2.3 P ercentage of Districts with Anti-
for Bullying Incidents in States
Bullying Policies in States with
with Laws, Regulations, and/or
Anti-Bullying Laws, Regulations,
Policy Guidance Requiring
and/or Policy Guidance .............46
Accountability ...........................53
From StatehouSe to SchoolhouSe v
Figure 2.12 P ercentage of District Policies Figure 3.8 LGBT Students’ Frequency of
Requiring Accountability in Reporting Bullying/Harassment
States by the Presence of Incidents by Awareness of
State Laws, Regulations, and LGBT Protections in their
Policy Guidance Requiring Anti-Bullying Policies ................70
Accountability ...........................54
Figure 3.9 Effectiveness of Staff Response
Table 3.1 C haracteristics of 2011 NSCS to LGBT Students’ Reports of
Participants with Matched Bullying/Harassment by Anti-
School District Information ........62 Bullying Policy Type ..................70
Table 3.2 C haracteristics of the Figure 3.10 Number of Teachers and Other
Participants’ Schools .................62 School Staff who are Supportive
Figure 3.1 P ercentage of LGBT Students of LGBT Students by Anti-
with General and LGBT-Inclusive Bullying Policy Type ..................71
District Anti-Bullying Policies .....64 Figure 3.11 Levels of Perceived Support for
Table 3.3 L GBT Students’ Perceptions of LGBT Students from School
the Presence and Content of Administrators by Anti-Bullying
Anti-Bullying Policies in their Policy Type ...............................71
Schools.....................................64 Figure 3.12 Percentage of LGBT Students
Figure 3.2 L GBT Students’ Feelings of Feeling Comfortable in Talking
Safety by Anti-Bullying with Staff about LGBT Issues
Policy Type ...............................66 by Anti-Bullying Policy Type ......72
Figure 3.3 L GBT Students’ Feelings of Table A.1 Number of States with Policy
Safety by Professional Guidance from State
Development and Departments of Education (DOE)
Accountability Requirements and School Boards Associations
in Anti-Bullying Policies .............66 (SBA) and the Inclusion of
Key Characteristics ...................85
Figure 3.4 L GBT Students’ Victimization
Experiences by Anti-Bullying Table A.2 Co-Occurrence of Laws,
Policy Type ...............................67 Regulations, and Policy
Guidance in States by Key
Figure 3.5 O ther Victimization Experiences
Characteristics ..........................85
by Enumerated Protections
in Anti-Bullying Policies .............67 Table A.3 The Odds (OR) of Districts
Having a Policy or Including
Figure 3.6 F requency of LGBT Students
Key Elements Based on the
Experiencing Other Types of
Occurrence of these Factors
Harassment by Anti-Bullying
in State Laws, Regulations,
Policy Type ...............................68
or Policy Guidance ....................85
Figure 3.7 F requency of LGBT Students’
Table A.4 Coding for Presence and
Reporting of Bullying
Content of State Anti-Bullying
Incidents by the Inclusion of
Laws, Regulations, and/or
LGB/LGBT Enumeration,
Policy Guidance ........................86
Professional Development, or
Accountability in District Anti-
Bullying Policies ........................69
vi
Preface
For advocates and historians, the relationship between legislative and policy victories and social change
remains a matter of the utmost importance and some mystery. At GLSEN, our watchword has always
been that the passage of a law or adoption of a policy is not the end of the work but simply the end of the
beginning. We must then move into the next phase of our work, trying to ensure that the impact of laws
passed in statehouses is felt in schoolhouses at the local level.
This study throws the path from passage to impact into high relief. It reinforces the importance of
legislative and policy progress, with findings that strengthen our long-held conviction that LGBT-inclusive
enumerated laws and policies can lead to improvements in LGBT students’ experience. It also illustrates
the gap that can emerge between the intentions of a law and the effectiveness of its implementation via
policy and regulations. There are still many school districts in the U.S. that have failed to institute policy
protections, even in states which require them by law.
For years, we have led groups of students and advocates through statehouse hallways chanting a
mnemonic for our legislative ask for bullying prevention: “Naming! Training! Reporting! Funding!”
GLSEN’s advocacy regarding bullying-prevention law and policy has always focused on a core set
of critical provisions that we believe to be vital to bridging the gap between legislation and improved
student experience, including naming protected categories, including sexual orientation and gender
identity/expression; training provisions for educators on the issues; and reporting requirements to hold
schools accountable for progress. And, of course, funding for these stipulated mandates to facilitate
implementation. With this study, we can take a look back to see how broadly that call resounded.
Through an exhaustive survey of existing district policy at a distinct moment in the history of the Safe
Schools Movement, From Statehouse to Schoolhouse examines the presence and content of policies and
the role that state-level governance and guidance play in having districts enact such policies. Further,
the report provides additional evidence that good district-level policies can make a difference in the daily
school life of our LGBT youth.
Victories are events. Change is a process. This study is part of GLSEN’s on-going commitment to mapping
the relationship between the two. For those of us in this for the long haul, it is good to know that we
remain on the right track.
Eliza Byard, PhD
Executive Director
GLSEN
From StatehouSe to SchoolhouSe vii
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to acknowledge current and former GLSEN Research team members who helped with
this study. We are indebted to the consultants, interns, and GLSEN Chapter members who helped with
the enormous task of collecting anti-bullying policies from all U.S. school districts: Kendra Brewster,
Kathryn Conkling, JohnCarl Denkovich, Maria Garcia, Joseph Heymann, and Anne Jonas. We would
also like to thank former Senior Research Associate, Elizabeth Diaz, who helped with the development
of the study, and former Research Assistant, Mark Bartkiewicz and Research Associate, Maddy Boesen
for their assistance with data collection. We also thank Noreen Giga, GLSEN Research Associate, for her
keen proofreading and valuable feedback on the report. We would also like to acknowledge GLSEN’s
Public Policy Department for their assistance with collecting state level documents and for their technical
guidance on anti-bullying legislation and policy.
We would also like to thank the public school districts, state departments/boards of education, and
school boards associations that provided us with the necessary documents that were essential to
conducting this study.
Finally, we are indebted to Eliza Byard, GLSEN’s Executive Director, for guidance and feedback
throughout this project and for her unwavering support of GLSEN Research.