Year One Evaluation of the New York City Department of Education Respect for All Training Program

The GLSEN Research Department conducted an evaluation of the New York City Department of Education's (NYC DOE) Respect for All training program for secondary school educators. The two-day training program, which was one component of the NYC DOE's Respect for All initiative, was implemented so that every secondary school in the district had at least one staff member who could support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) students and combat all forms of bias-based bullying and harassment, particularly bias based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.In order to evaluate Year One of the training program, GLSEN surveyed 813 educators who participated in the training at three times -- before the training, six weeks after, and six months after. Training participants were also compared to educators who had not yet completed the training. Focus groups were conducted in order to gain a greater, in-depth understanding of participants' experiences in the training. Key findings are listed below.Compared to before the training, after the training educators demonstrated increased:Knowledge of appropriate terms;Access to LGBTQ-related resources;Awareness of how their own practices might have been harmful to LGBTQ students;Empathy for LGBTQ students;Belief in the importance of intervening in anti-LGBTQ remarks;Communication with students and staff about LGBTQ issues;Engagement in activities to create safer schools for LGBTQ students (i.e., supporting Gay-Straight Alliances, including LGBTQ content in curriculum); andFrequency of intervention in anti-LGBTQ name-calling, bullying, and harassment.In addition, compared to educators who had not yet participated in the training, those who had participated in the training indicated higher levels of:Communication with students and staff about LGBTQ issues; andEngagement in activities to create safer schools for LGBTQ students.Findings from the Year One evaluation demonstrate that this training program is an effective means for developing the competency of educators to address bias-based bullying and harassment, and to create safer school environments for LGBTQ students. The findings suggest that providing such training to all school staff, including administrators, would result in an even stronger effect on the school environment. Furthermore, ensuring sufficient opportunities for developing educators' skills in intervening in anti-LGBTQ behaviors could enhance the effectiveness of trainings. To maintain the benefits of training, staff should receive continued and advanced professional development opportunities related to supporting LGBTQ students and combating bias-based bullying and harassment

Are Teachers Prepared? Predictors of Teachers’ Readiness to Serve as Mandated Reporters of Child Abuse

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (1974) requires that states receiving U.S. federal funds directed at child abuse implement mandated reporting laws. As a result, all states have adopted legislation requiring teachers and other professionals who deal with children to report suspicions of child abuse. The federal mandate for such reporting laws assumes that teachers will have the capability to fulfill their role as mandated reporters. However, prior research suggests that educators do not always report their suspicions of child abuse to child protective services. Using survey data from a sample of teachers trained by the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, this study investigated whether teachers are currently prepared for their role as mandated reporters. Prior research had found that mandated reporters vary in the level to which they comply with reporting policies. This study assessed the potential factors accounting for variations in teachers’ reporting behaviors. Results from this study based on linear regression analysis and structural equation models confirmed that teachers do not always report their suspicions of child abuse and do not feel well prepared for their role as mandated reporters. Neither the factors articulated in the Integrated Model of Behavior (attitudes toward reporting abuse, self-efficacy beliefs, and social norms) nor the common elements addressed by education and training programs (knowledge of mandated reporting law, indicators of abuse, and reporting procedure) predicted teachers’ likelihood of reporting abuse. Exposure to information on mandated reporting or child abuse was related to increased knowledge of mandated reporting law and reporting procedures, but was not predictive of reporting of suspicions of child abuse. Having a school procedure for reporting abuse was predictive of likelihood of reporting physical and sexual abuse. Findings from this study suggest that many teachers are not equipped for their role as mandated reporters. Yet, the findings also suggest that providing information about mandated reporting or child abuse is not sufficient for ensuring compliance with mandated reporting laws. Further experimentation in practice and additional research is needed to identify factors that promote the reporting of educators’ suspicions of child abuse to child protective services

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

In 2011, 29.5 percent of U.S. public school districts didn't have anti-bullying policies, including many districts in states that require them, according to a report published by GLSEN. In states with such mandates, 26.3 percent of districts didn't have local policies. The report shows the gap that can emerge between the intentions of a law and the effectiveness of its implementation via policy and regulations

The 2007 National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in Our Nation's Schools

GLSEN's National School Climate Survey is the only national survey to document the experiences of students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) in America's secondary schools. Conducted biennially since 1999, the National School Climate Survey (NSCS) fills a crucial void in our collective understanding of the contemporary high school experience. The results of this survey are intended to inform educators, policymakers and the public at large, as part of GLSEN's ongoing effort to ensure that all schools are places where students are free to learn, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. The 2007 survey includes responses from 6,209 LGBT students between the ages of 13 and 21 from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data collection was conducted through community-based groups, online outreach, and targeted advertising on the social networking site MySpace.The 2007 NSCS results continue to track the endemic problem of name-calling, harassment and violence directed at LGBT students, while offering information about the impact of these experiences on academic performance and the effect of interventions designed to address the underlying problem. The 2007 NSCS paints a disturbing picture of the school experiences of LGBT students. However, it also provides further insight into the solutions for creating safer schools for all students

Harsh Realities: The Experiences of Transgender Youth in Our Nation's Schools

Using data from GLSEN's fifth National School Climate Survey, this report documents the school experiences of 295 transgender middle and high school students and finds that these students face extremely high levels of victimization, even more so than their non-transgender lesbian, gay and bisexual peers

The 2011 National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in Our Nation's Schools

In 1999, GLSEN identified the need for national data on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and launched the first National School Climate Survey (NSCS). At the time, the school experiences of LGBT youth were under-documented and nearly absent from national studies of adolescents. For more than a decade, the biennial NSCS has documented the unique challenges LGBT students face and identified interventions that can improve school climate. The survey explores the prevalence of anti-LGBT language and victimization, the effect that these experiences have on LGBT students' achievement and well-being, and the utility of interventions in lessening the negative effects of a hostile school climate and promoting a positive educational experience. The survey also examines demographic and community-level differences in LGBT students' experiences.The NSCS remains one of the few studies to examine the school experiences of LGBT students nationally, and its results have been vital to GLSEN's understanding of the issues that LGBT students face, thereby informing our ongoing work to ensure safe and affirming schools for all.In our 2011 survey, we examine the experiences of LGBT students with regard to indicators of negative school climate:hearing biased remarks, including homophobic remarks, in school;feeling unsafe in school because of personal characteristics, such as sexual orientation, gender expression, or race/ethnicity;missing classes or days of school because of safety reasons; andexperiencing harassment and assault in school.We also examine:the possible negative effects of a hostile school climate on LGBT students' academic achievement, educational aspirations, and psychological well-being;whether or not students report experiences of victimization to school officials or to family members and how these adults address the problem; andhow the school experiences of LGBT students differ by personal and community characteristics.In addition, we demonstrate the degree to which LGBT students have access to supportive resources in school, and we explore the possible benefits of these resources, including:Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) or similar clubs;anti-bullying/harassment school policies and laws;supportive school staff; andcurricula that are inclusive of LGBT-related topics.Given that GLSEN has more than a decade of data, we examine changes over the time on indicators of negative school climate and levels of access to LGBT-related resources in schools

From Teasing to Torment: School Climate Revisited - A Survey of U.S. Secondary School Students and Teachers

From Teasing to Torment: School Climate Revisited, A Survey of U.S. Secondary School Students and Teachers provides an in-depth look at the current landscape of bias and peer victimization as reported by students and teachers from across the nation. In addition to examining various types of bias, including those based on race/ethnicity, religion, body size, and ability, this report provides a focused look at LGBTQ issues in secondary schools. Comparing findings to a similar survey we conducted in 2005, the report discusses the progress that has been made over the past ten years, as well as highlights the challenges that remain. It also offers recommendations and strategies to improve school climate for all students.Specifically, the research report addresses:Student and teacher perceptions of school climate; Student experiences of safety, bullying, and harassment, including biased incidents based on race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, body size, gender, religion, ability, economic status, and gender expression;Teacher intervention in bullying and incidents of bias; LGBT-supportive teacher practices, such as advising GSA or including LGBT content in teaching;Teacher professional development (pre-service and in-service) in bullying, diversity, and LGBT issues; andDifferences in students' school experiences based on race/ethnicity, LGBTQ status, gender nonconformity, and geography (i.e., urbanicity, region), among others

From Teasing to Torment: School Climate Revisited - A Survey of U.S. Secondary School Students and Teachers, Executive Summary

From Teasing to Torment: School Climate Revisited, A Survey of U.S. Secondary School Students and Teachers affords us the opportunity to document the current state of safety, bias, and bullying in schools and assess potential disparities based not only on LGBTQ status, but also on race/ethnicity, sex, gender expression, and socioeconomic status. As school climate is determined not only by the existence or absence of victimization, we also explore students' experiences with school disciplinary actions and extracurricular activities, seeking to develop a more complete picture of the student experience. In addition, we again document students' access to resources that may improve school climate, such as student clubs that address LGBTQ student issues, inclusive curriculum, and anti-bullying/harassment policies. Moreover, in this report, secondary school teachers offer their perceptions on bias, bullying, and LGBTQ students' safety, and provide valuable information about the preparation they may have received to address these issues. We also document teachers' practices in regards to combating bias and supporting LGBTQ students specifically, including the potential barriers to doing so. Lastly, we offer recommendations for both further research and specific programmatic and policy strategies that may help schools reduce the risk of peer victimization, counter the damaging effects of bias, and provide safe and supportive learning environments for all LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ students alike

The 2009 National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in Our Nation's Schools

National survey of the school experiences of 7,261 lesbian, gay, bisexual and trasngender secondary school students.In our 2009 survey, we examine the experiences of LGBT students with regard to indicators of negative school climate:hearing biased remarks, including homophobic remarks, in school;feeling unsafe in school because of personal characteristics, such as sexual orientation, gender expression, or race/ethnicity;missing classes or days of school because of safety reasons; andexperiences of harassment and assault in school. We also examine the possible negative effects of a hostile school climate on LGBT students' academic achievement, educational aspirations, and psychological well-being. We explore the diverse nature of LGBT students' experiences by reporting on how these differ by students' personal and community characteristics. We also examine whether or not students report experiences of victimization to school officials or to family members and how these adults address the problem. In addition, we demonstrate the degree to which LGBT students have access to supportive resources in school, and we explore the possible benefits of these resources, including Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs), school harassment/assault policies, supportive school staff, and curriculum that is inclusive of LGBT-related topics.Given that we now have 10 years of data, we examine changes over the past decade on both indicators of negative school climate and levels of access to LGBT-related resources in schools

Out Online: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth on the Internet

This report examines the online experiences of LGBT students in 6-12th grade. LGBT youth experience nearly three times as much bullying and harassment online as non-LGBT youth, but also find greater peer support, access to health information and opportunities to be civically engaged