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An End to Bullying & Equal Opportunities for All StudentsOctober 31st, 2012 Posted byTracy Russo

The following post appears courtesy of the Civil Rights Division.

This October, in honor of National Bullying Prevention Month, communities across the country

have come together to increase awareness about bullying prevention. The Department of

Justices Civil Rights Division stands firmly behind these efforts, and will continue to make themost of our resources and authority to help stop bullying in schools. We will continue to work to

ensure equal educational opportunity for all students.

Bullying is not a rite of passage; the impact of bullying extends far beyond the schoolhousedoors. Bullying can lead to violence, anxiety, depression and even suicide. School bullies

become tomorrows hate crimes defendants, while victims of bullying are more likely to drop outof school, struggle in class, engage in illegal drug use or become involved in the criminal justice

system. It is simply unacceptable, moreover, that any child should fear going to school because

of harassment.

The Civil Rights Division is responsible for enforcing federal civil rights laws that protect young

people who are targeted because of their race, national origin, religion, sex or disability. This

includes students who are harassed because they do not conform to gender norms of how a boy

or girl is supposed to act. We hold school systems accountable when they fail to take the

proper steps to address harassment within their schools.

In response to incidents of harassment, the division investigates written complaints, helps to

amend school policies and requires school districts to implement a host of other remedies,

including providing training to teachers and administrators on how to better promote positive

school climates and rid their schools of harassment. In the past few years, we have reached

comprehensive and groundbreaking settlement agreements with numerous school districts across

the country, including in Philadelphia, where Asian students were regularly harassed at a local

high school, and in Mohawk County, N.Y., where a gay teen was physically and verbally abused

for failing to conform to gender stereotypes.

We also reached an agreement with the school district in Anoka-Hennepin, Minn. The schooldistrict had failed to adequately address the harassment of students who did not conform to

gender stereotypes in their schools. But students in Anoka-Hennepin were brave and spoke out.

They brought the problems they were facing to the Civil Rights Division, and we worked with

the school district to reach a blueprint for sustainable reform that we hope will be a model for

schools across the nation.

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In 2010, Attorney General Eric Holder launched theDefending Childhood Initiative to address

the problem of childrens exposure to violence and to promote evidence-based practices. As part

of the Defending Childhood Initiative, the department provided grants to eight jurisdictions to

develop strategic plans for comprehensive community-based anti-violence efforts, including anti-

bullying programs. In Boston, Mass., for example, we are supporting the implementation of

state-wide bullying intervention and prevention legislation.

The Obama Administration has made clear that bullying prevention is an issue of national

priority. Last year, the White House organized a summit on bullying and harassment in schools.

Recently, the White House also announced its support for both the Student Non-Discrimination

Act and the Safe Schools Improvement Act. These bills would help ensure that school

environments are free from discrimination, bullying, and harassment.

Ending bullying is a common mission rooted in common experience. Many of us can recall being

bullied during childhood, or have seen the effects of bullying on loved ones. National Bullying

Prevention Month is a reminder that bullying in schools remains a serious and unacceptable

problem. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce the nations civil rightslaws to support the common goal to end bullying and harassment. The work of our Civil Rights

Division, as well as of our nationwide partners on this issue, is absolutely crucial to protect the

safety and wellbeing of our students.

Students, teachers, administrators, advocates and community members can find extensive

resources to help in the fight against bullying atstopbullying.gov

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