National Safe Schools Partnership Releases Recommendations to Prevent Bullying in Schools

Washington, DC – Members of the National Safe Schools Partnership, representing national education, health, civil rights, law enforcement, youth development and other organizations, released recommendations today to bridge the gap in federal law to promote school safety and improve student achievement for all students, through legislation that will comprehensively address the issues of bullying and harassment.

"Bullying and harassment are major problems in schools and have significant adverse consequences that affect the safety of students, their emotional well-being and their academic achievement," said Susan Gorin, Executive Director of the National Association of School Psychologists and member of the Partnership.

The recommendations contained in the policy statement, Bridging the Gap in Federal Law: Promoting Safe Schools and Improved Student Achievement by Preventing Bullying and Harassment in Our Schools, reflect consensus based on research and long-standing experience among education, civil rights, health, youth services and law enforcement organizations. Specifically, the recommendations ask that Congress amend federal law to ensure that:

Schools and districts have comprehensive and effective student conduct policies that include clear prohibitions regarding bullying and harassment;

Schools and districts focus on effective prevention strategies and professional development designed to help school personnel meaningfully address issues associated with bullying and harassment; and

States and districts maintain and report data regarding incidents of bullying and harassment in order to inform the development of effective federal, state, and local policies that address these issues.

"This bill seeks to improve the capacity of schools to create personalized learning environments in which all students feel safe and free from bullying and harassment. Having such an environment is a prerequisite for learning to take place. The National Association of Secondary School Principals is pleased to support this effort," said Gerald N. Tirozzi, NASSP executive director.

Partnership members were joined by Representative Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA-39) at a news conference on Capitol Hill to announce the introduction of the Anti-Bullying Act of 2007 which would amend Title IV, Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act. Specifically, the legislation would require that schools and districts ensure that their codes of conduct specifically prohibit bullying and harassment, and that states include bullying and harassment data in their state-wide needs assessments reporting just as districts include such data in their plans to address school safety. Current federal law provides important federal support to promote school safety but does not comprehensively and expressly focus on issues of bullying or harassment.

About NSSP
The National Safe Schools Partnership is an informal coalition of leading national education, health, civil rights, law enforcement, youth development and other organizations committed to ensuring that America's schools are safe for all children. To that end, members of the Partnership have joined together in support of federal policy recommendations based on long-standing research and experience.