| Sign up and Download our Safe Schools Toolkit Basic Rights Oregon is proud to have led a broad coalition of over 40 community groups who worked to pass the Oregon Safe Schools Act of 2009. This legislation is a critical first step to ensuring that Oregon youth have a safe environment in which to learn and grow.
Understanding that legislation is just the first step, we have created this tool kit to support you in ensuring that the promise of the Oregon Safe School Act can be fully realized in your own community.
Fill out the form below to download our Safe Schools Toolkit to help you make sure that the best policy is adopted in your school district, along with resources for training and prevention programs.
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How will the Oregon Safe Schools Act change bullying policies?Effective anti‐bullying programs can cut bullying in half.1 The Safe Schools 2009
campaign will strengthen Oregon’s anti‐bullying law, ensure consistent enforcement,
and help keep all children safe. This proposal will:
- Ensure wider adoption of anti‐bullying and anti‐harassment policies
- Create clear notice and complaint procedures
- Establish a comprehensive approach to address bullying
Who needs anti‐bullying protections?
In any given month, 31% of 11th graders and 41% of 8th graders in Oregon report being harassed at school2. Bullying has also been linked to depression and other long‐term mental health concerns 3 and to likelihood of committing crime4. The number one reason given for bullying students is that they “don’t fit in.”5 That’s why so many marginalized students are disproportionately impacted by bullying.
Students of color – Bullying and harassment is a daily experience for students of color. Among 8th grade students in Oregon, 43% of Latinos and 50% of African Americans report being harassed in the past 30 days6.
Rural students – Rural students are 26% more likely to experience bullying than their urban counterparts.7
Students with disabilities – Students with developmental, psychological and physical disabilities are at substantially higher risk of being bullied.8
Gay and transgender students – Gay youth are three times more likely than straight students to drop out of school, to find themselves homeless, and to attempt suicide—and those numbers are even higher for transgender youth and gay and transgender youth of color. Currently, only 15% of Oregon school districts advertise bullying policies protecting gay youth from bullying.
How do school policies work now?
- Oregon law requires all school districts to adopt policies prohibiting harassment, intimidation or bullying. Though the law encourages adopting a long list of provisions, none are required. This leaves parents and students confused about how to respond to bullying.
- Even the most basic requirements to post policies and identify staff to take bullying complaints are not mandated in the current law.
How can I help end bullying and harassment in Oregon schools?
To learn how to implement Oregon’s new Anti-bullying and harassment law download our toolkit today.
- National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, http://www.safeyouth.org/scripts/faq/bullying.asp
- Oregon Healthy Teens Survey (2008). Department of Human Services Center for Health Statistics.
- “Social Form of Bullying Linked to Depression, Anxiety in Adults.” http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/104987.php
- Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.
- Hoover, J.H., Oliver, R., Hazler, R.J. (1992). “Bullying: perceptions of adolescent victims in the Midwestern USA.” School Psychology International.
- Oregon Healthy Teens Survey (2006). Department of Human Services Center for Health Statistics.
- US Department of Justice – survey of students ages 12‐18.
- Rigby, K. (2001). Health consequences of bullying and its prevention in schools. In J. Juvonen & S. Graham, Eds., Peer Harassment in School. New York: Guilford.
A campaign to end bullying in Oregon schools
For more information on joining the Safe Schools for All Kids Campaign, contact Jessica Lee at 503‐222‐6151 x108 |
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How will the Oregon Safe Schools Act change bullying policies?
Who needs anti-bullying protections?
How do school policies work now?
How can I help end bullying and harassment in Oregon schools?
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May 13th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
[...] Visit our Safe Schools Campaign Page [...]
May 13th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
[...] For more information on the Oregon Safe Schools Act, click here. [...]
May 21st, 2009 at 3:09 pm
[...] Let’s make sure HB 2599 passes when all 30 Senators get to cast their vote — click here to donate $25.99 to ensure the success of this critical bill. And be sure to click here to write your Senator today! For more information on the Oregon Safe Schools Act, click here. [...]
June 9th, 2009 at 12:11 am
[...] us. We appreciate any help you can give. 4. Safe Schools Act Signed by Governor Kulongoski The Safe Schools Coalition, led by Basic Rights Oregon, which APANO participated in this year, won a major piece of [...]