Why READY!—Bullying, Verbal and Physical Assault, and Sexual Harassment Statistics

According to the 2007 Maryland Youth Risk Behavior Study issued in September 2008, of the Maryland youth surveyed—

• 28.7% were victims of teasing or name-calling because of their weight, size or physical appearance during the past 30 days.
  
• 17.l% were victims of teasing or name-calling due to race or ethnic background during the past 30 days.
• 25% have been harassed or bullied on school property during the past 12 months
• 13% were harassed or bullied due to perceived sexual orientation during the past 12 months.
• 7.4% did not go to school at least once in the past 30 days because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to and from school.
• 35.7% participated in a physical fight one or more times during the past 12 months.
• Overall, Maryland youth are more likely to be threatened with a weapon on school property compared to youth nationwide (9.6% v. 7.8%).

The Committee for Children: 2007 reports—

"One researcher calls sexual harassment the 'older cousin to bullying' (Stein and Sjostrom, 1994). The American Association of University Women (AAUW) conducted a landmark survey of 1,632 students in Grades 8-11. An astonishing 85% of the girls and 76% of the boys reported experiencing some kind of harassment."

A Washington Post Investigative Report: "Fixing DC's Public Schools," June 10, 2007 reports—

"Many teachers and students spend their days in an environment hostile to learning. . . Private security guards work at each school under the supervision of the Metropolitan Police Department. Guards are required to record incidents and crimes at the schools in a data base. The data obtained shows that more than one-half of teenage students attend schools that meet the District's definition of 'persistently dangerous' because of the number of violent crimes, according to an analysis of school reports. Across the city, nine violent incidents are reported on atypical day including fights and attacks with weapons."