Bullying and Harassment

NEA supports state, district, and school policies created to prevent and respond effectively to bullying and harassment. 

The following statistics show the far-reaching consequences of these problems:

• Six out of 10 American teenagers witness bullying in school once a day.
• Bullying affects nearly one in three American schoolchildren in grades six through 10. Eighty-three percent of girls and 79 percent of boys report experiencing harassment.
• Students who are targets of repeated bullying behavior experience extreme fear and stress:
  • Fear of going to school
  • Fear of using the bathroom
  • Fear of the bus ride to and from school
  • Physical symptoms of illness
  • Diminished ability to learn
• Bullying can escalate into more serious behavior. Boys identified as bullies in grades six throughnine had one criminal conviction by age 24. Forty percent of those identified had three or more arrests by age 30. Bullies are at even greater risk of suicide than their targets. Bullies often grow up to perpetuate family violence.

As a matter of sound education policy, no student should be subjected to bullying or harassment that interferes with the student's ability to learn. No student should be subjected to safety problems that can result from bullying and harassment.