Estimates of the national prevalence of bullying ranged from  approximately 20 to 28 percent of youth reporting they had been bullied  during the survey periods, which ranged from a couple of months to a  year. However, differences in definitions and survey methods make it  difficult to draw definitive conclusions regarding trends and affected  demographic groups. While it is clear that bullying is a serious problem, it is unclear from the  surveys the extent to which bullying affects certain groups of youths  relative to other groups. For  example, none of the surveys collected demographic information for  youths by sexual orientation or gender identity. To better understand the  prevalence of bullying, and given the different definitions used by bullying  research instruments, CDC is leading an interdepartmental project to  develop a uniform definition of bullying for research purposes. Selected State Legislatures and Educational Agencies Are Taking Various Approaches to Reduce Bullying

		State Laws Vary in How They Address Bullying

According to Education, 49 states had school bullying laws as of April  2012, including the 8 states that we reviewed. These 8 states’ laws vary  in several ways, including who is covered and the requirements placed on  state agencies and school districts. Some states also prohibit bullying of  other protected classes. Virginia and Massachusetts do  not include protected classes in their state bullying laws. Table 2  provides information about commonly required school district provisions  in state bullying laws. Among other components of the  bullying policies and rules, each prohibits bullying and describes potential  consequences for the behavior. School district officials explained that they have developed several  approaches to prevent and respond to bullying. According to Education’s Office of Special Education  Programs, PBIS steps to addressing bullying behavior at school include the following:  examining discipline data to determine, for example, the frequency, location, and  timing of specific bullying behaviors;  examining the extent to which staff members have, for example, actively and  positively supervised all students across all school settings, had high rates of  positive interactions and contact with all students, and arranged their instruction so  all students are actively engaged, successful, and challenged ; and  teaching students and staff common strategies for preventing and responding to  bullying behavior, such as intervening and responding early and quickly to interrupt  bullying behavior, removing what triggers and maintains bullying behavior, and  reporting and recording when a bullying behavior incident occurs. State and Local Officials Cited Concerns That Hinder Antibullying Efforts

Both state and local officials expressed concerns about various issues  associated with implementing state bullying laws, regulations, and local  policies and codes of conduct. For  example, federal agencies lack authority to pursue discrimination cases  based solely on sexual orientation. State Civil Rights Protections

We found that some states’ civil rights laws extend beyond the  protections afforded at the federal level, but information about the  possibility of pursuing claims at the state level was not always provided to  federal complainants. Coordinated Federal Antibullying Efforts Are Under Way, but Assessment of Legal Remedies Is Incomplete

		Federal Coordination Efforts

Education, HHS, and Justice have established coordinated efforts to carry  out research and broadly disseminate information on bullying. Education  has also provided key information about how federal civil rights laws can  be used to address bullying and is conducting a study of state bullying  laws and how selected school districts are addressing bullying. No Assessment of State Civil Rights Laws and Procedures Has Been Performed

While Education, HHS, and Justice have initiated several efforts to better  inform the public about how to utilize federal, state, and other resources  to better address bullying, none of these efforts include an assessment of  state civil rights laws and procedures for filing complaints. Many of the states’ civil rights laws we reviewed extend  protections to classes of individuals beyond the groups protected at the  federal level, but states vary in the groups that are explicitly protected;  therefore, whether bullying victims have any recourse through civil rights  laws can depend on the state in which they live or go to school. To address gaps in knowledge about targets of bullying and  discrimination, we recommend that the Secretaries of Education and HHS  and the Attorney General work together to develop information in their  future surveys of youths’ health and safety issues on the extent to which  youths in various vulnerable demographic groups are bullied. Such an assessment, to be comprehensive, should  make use of information federal agencies have already compiled on state  bullying laws and federal civil rights laws together with information from  our recommendations above to compile information on state civil rights  laws and collect more information on demographic groups in federal  surveys of youth health and safety issues. Justice chose not to provide a written response. Education disagreed with our recommendation that it compile information  about state civil rights laws and procedures as they pertain to bullying. Regarding our second recommendation, Education indicated that they are  considering whether to develop procedures that would inform  complainants whose complaints are dismissed for lack of jurisdiction that  they may have possible recourse under state or local laws. Both HHS and Education agreed with our recommendation that they  develop additional information in their surveys about youths in various  vulnerable groups who are bullied. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

	Analysis of Surveys and Literature Review

To obtain information on the prevalence of school bullying of victims in  the United States, we primarily compared estimates and methodologies of  available data on being bullied in four nationally representative surveys by  federal statistical agencies conducted from 2005 to 2009. Review of Laws and Discrimination Complaint Processes

To identify legal options that federal and selected state governments have  in place when bullying leads to allegations of discrimination, we reviewed  relevant federal and state anti-discrimination laws and regulations,  selected federal court decisions, as well as guidance and other  documents of the federal government and the eight states selected for  review. Interviews with Federal Officials and Document Review

To address how key federal agencies are coordinating their efforts to  combat school bullying, we interviewed officials from Education, HHS,  and Justice and reviewed relevant documents.
Why GAO Did This Study

Millions of youths are estimated to be subject to bullying in U.S. schools. GAO was asked to address (1) what is known about the prevalence of school bullying and its effects on victims, (2) approaches selected states and local school districts are taking to combat school bullying, (3) legal options federal and selected state governments have in place when bullying leads to allegations of discrimination, and (4) key federal agencies coordination efforts to combat school bullying. GAO reviewed research on the prevalence and effects on victims; analyzed state bullying laws, and school district bullying policies; and interviewed officials in 8 states and 6 school districts. States were selected based on various characteristics, including student enrollment, and their definitions of bullying. Also, GAO reviewed selected relevant federal and state civil rights laws, and interviewed officials from Education, HHS, and Justice.

What GAO Found

School bullying is a serious problem, and research shows that it can have detrimental outcomes for victims, including adverse psychological and behavioral outcomes. According to four nationally representative surveys conducted from 2005 to 2009, an estimated 20 to 28 percent of youth, primarily middle and high school-aged youths, reported they had been bullied during the survey periods. However, differences in definitions and questions posed to youth respondents make it difficult to discern trends and affected groups. For example, the surveys did not collect demographic information by sexual orientation or gender identity. The Departments of Education (Education) and Health and Human Services (HHS) are partially addressing the issue of inconsistent definitions by collaborating with other federal departments and subject matter experts to develop a uniform definition of bullying that can be used for research purposes. However, gaps in knowledge about the extent of bullying of youths in key demographic groups remain.
According to Education, as of April 2012, 49 states have adopted school bullying laws. The laws in the 8 states that GAO reviewed vary in who is covered and the requirements placed on state agencies and school districts. For example, 6 of the states cover a mix of different demographic groups, referred to as protected classes, such as race and sex or gender, in their bullying laws, while 2 states do not include any protected classes. With respect to school districts, each of the 6 districts GAO studied adopted policies that, among other things, prohibit bullying and describe the potential consequences for engaging in the behavior. Also, school district officials told GAO that they developed approaches to prevent and respond to bullying. For example, several school officials said they implemented a prevention-oriented framework to promote positive school cultures. Both state and local officials expressed concerns about various issues, including how best to address incidents that occur outside of school.
Federal civil rights laws can be used to provide protections against bullying in certain circumstances, but certain vulnerable groups are not covered and therefore have no recourse at the federal level. For example, federal agencies lack jurisdiction under civil rights statutes to pursue discrimination cases based solely on socioeconomic status or sexual orientation. While some state civil rights laws provide protections to victims of bullying that go beyond federal law, federal complainants whose cases are dismissed for lack of jurisdiction are not always informed about the possibility of pursuing claims at the state level.
Three federal departmentsEducation, HHS, and the Department of Justice (Justice)have established coordinated efforts to carry out research and broadly disseminate information on bullying to the public, including establishment of a central website and an informational campaign to raise awareness about bullying. In addition to these efforts, Education has issued information about how federal civil rights laws can be used to address bullying of protected classes of youths and is conducting a comprehensive study of state bullying laws and how selected school districts are implementing them. However, no similar information is being gathered on state civil rights laws and procedures that could be helpful in assessing the adequacy of legal protections against school bullying.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that Education compile information about state civil rights laws and procedures that relate to bullying, and inform complainants about state legal options; Education, HHS, and Justice develop information about bullied demographic groups in their surveys; and assess whether legal protections are adequate for these groups. Education disagreed with our first recommendation and we clarified it to address some of their concerns. Education is considering our second recommendation, agreed with our third, and provided information on efforts related to the last. HHS agreed with our recommendations. Justice did not provide a written response.