glsen- playgrounds and prejudice
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Playgrounds and Prejudice:
Elementary School Climate inthe United States
A Survey of Students and Teachers
A Report from the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
glsen.org
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PlElin t
A SuConduct
by Harris
ygrmehe
rvey o
d on behal
Interactive,
ountarnit
Teach
of GLSEN
, Inc.
dsSc
d S
ers an
(the Gay, L
ndoolate
Stud
sbian & Str
rejCli
nts
aight Educa
udiate
tion Networ
e:
k)
i
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ii
About GLSENGLSEN,theGay,Lesbian&StraightEducationNetwork,istheleadingnationaleducationorganization
focusedonensuringsafeschoolsforallstudents.Establishedin1990,GLSENenvisionsaworldinwhich
everychildlearnstorespectandacceptallpeople,regardlessofsexualorientationorgender
identity/expression.GLSENseekstodevelopschoolclimateswheredifferenceisvaluedforthepositive
contributionit
makes
to
creating
amore
vibrant
and
diverse
community.
For
information
on
GLSEN's
research,educationalresources,publicpolicyadvocacy,studentorganizingprogramsandeducator
traininginitiatives,visitwww.glsen.org.
NationalHeadquarters
90BroadStreet,SecondFloor
NewYork,NY10004
Ph:2127270135Fax:2127270254
DCPolicyOffice
101214thStreet,NW,Suite1105
Washington,DC20005
Ph:2023477780Fax:2023477781
About Harris Interactive
HarrisInteractive
is
one
of
the
worlds
leading
custom
market
research
firms,
leveraging
research,
technology,andbusinessacumentotransformrelevantinsightintoactionableforesight.Knownwidely
fortheHarrisPollandforpioneeringinnovativeresearchmethodologies,Harrisoffersexpertiseina
widerangeofindustriesincludinghealthcare,technology,publicaffairs,energy,telecommunications,
financialservices,insurance,media,retail,restaurant,andconsumerpackagegoods.Servingclientsin
over215countriesandterritoriesthroughourNorthAmericanandEuropeanofficesandanetworkof
independentmarketresearchfirms,Harrisspecializesindeliveringresearchsolutionsthathelpusand
ourclientsstayaheadofwhatsnext.Formoreinformation,pleasevisitwww.harrisinteractive.com.
HarrisInteractive,Inc.
161AvenueoftheAmericas
New
York,
NY
10013
Copyright2012,Gay,Lesbian&StraightEducationNetworkandHarrisInteractive,Inc.Allrights
reserved.
9781934092095
GLSENandHarrisInteractive(2012). PlaygroundsandPrejudice:ElementarySchoolClimateintheUnitedStates,ASurveyofStudentsandTeachers. NewYork:GLSEN.
Coverphotography:KateTerHaarunderCreativeCommonslicense
Insidephotography:pp.21,35,83and117ConradVentur;p.1HunterMcIntosh,firstplaceprimary
winnerofthe2007NoNameCallingWeekCreativeExpressionContest,p.55BartEversonunder
CreativeCommonslicense,p.103StudentsfromHeatherFountainskindergartenclass,JacksonRoad
ElementarySchool
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Table of Contents
Preface ........................................................................................................................................ xii
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... xiv
Survey Method ....................................................................................................................... xviKey Findings ........................................................................................................................... xvi
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. xxi
About the Research ................................................................................................................... xxii
Survey Methods ..................................................................................................................... xxii
A Note on Reading the Tables and Figures ........................................................................... xxii
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations Used in Report .......................................................... xxiii
Project Responsibility and Acknowledgements ..................................................................... xxiv
Public Release of Survey Findings ........................................................................................ xxiv
Chapter 1: Biased Language at School ....................................................................................... 1
Overview ................................................................................................................................... 2
Section 1. Students Reports on Biased Language at School ................................................... 2
Biased Remarks .................................................................................................................... 3
Remarks Related to Not Conforming to Traditional Gender Norms ...................................... 7
Section 2. Teachers Reports on Biased Language at School ................................................ 11
Addressing Student Use of Biased Language ..................................................................... 15
Summary ............................................................................................................................. 19
Chapter 2: Incidents of Bullying and Name-Calling at School ................................................... 21
Overview ................................................................................................................................. 22
Section 1. Incidents of Bullying and Name-Calling Witnessed by Students ........................... 23
Reasons Other Students Are Bullied or Called Names at School ....................................... 23
Section 2. Incidents of Bullying and Name-Calling Witnessed by Teachers .......................... 28
Reasons Students Are Bullied or Called Names at School ................................................. 30
Summary ............................................................................................................................. 33
Chapter 3: Students Feelings of Safety and Their Personal Experiences with Bullying and
Name-Calling at School .............................................................................................................. 35
Overview ................................................................................................................................. 36
Feelings of Safety at School .................................................................................................... 37
Experiences of Bullying and Name-Calling at School ............................................................. 40
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Relational Bullying and Cyberbullying ..................................................................................... 40
Reasons Students Experience Bullying and Name-Calling at School ..................................... 44
Bullying and Name-Calling of Students Who Do Not Conform to Traditional Gender Norms . 45
Where Do Bullying and Name-Calling Occur at School? ........................................................ 47
Reporting Personal Incidents of Bullying or Name-Calling to School Personnel ..................... 48
Impact of Bullying and Name-Calling ...................................................................................... 51
Lessons about Bullying, Name-Calling and Respect at School............................................... 53
Summary ................................................................................................................................. 53
Chapter 4: Teachers Attitudes and Efforts about Gender and Sexual Orientation ................... 55
Overview ................................................................................................................................. 56
Section 1: Teachers Attitudes, Efforts and Responses to Students Who Are or May Be LGBT
................................................................................................................................................ 57
Teachers Perspectives on the Comfort Level of Elementary School Students Who Are orMay Be LGBT ...................................................................................................................... 57
Teachers Comfort Addressing LGBT Issues ...................................................................... 59
Teachers Comfort Intervening in Homophobic Name-Calling and Bullying ........................ 61
Section 2: Teachers Attitudes, Efforts and Responses Regarding Gender Non-Conforming
Students .................................................................................................................................. 63
Teachers Attitudes Regarding Gender Non-Conforming Students ..................................... 63
Teachers Perspectives on School Community Support of Efforts Addressing Gender-
Related Issues ..................................................................................................................... 63
Teachers Feelings of Obligation and Helpfulness of Efforts to Ensure a Safe and
Supportive Learning Environment for Students Who May Not Conform to Traditional
Gender Norms ..................................................................................................................... 68
Teachers Efforts for Students Who Do Not Conform to Traditional Gender Norms ........... 69
Teachers Responses to Bullying, Name-Calling, or Harassment towards Gender Non-
Conforming Students ........................................................................................................... 73
Lessons about Gender Equality at School ........................................................................... 79
Summary ................................................................................................................................. 80
Chapter 5: Teachers Attitudes, Efforts and Responses to Students from Families with LGBTParents ........................................................................................................................................ 83
Overview ................................................................................................................................. 84
Teachers Perspectives on the Comfort Level of Elementary School Students Who Have
LGBT Parents .......................................................................................................................... 85
Teachers Perspectives on the Comfort Level of LGBT Parents of Elementary School
Students .................................................................................................................................. 85
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Teachers Perspectives on School Community Support of Efforts Addressing Families with
LGBT Parents .......................................................................................................................... 87
Teachers Feelings of Obligation to Ensure a Safe and Supportive Learning Environment for
Families with LGBT Parents .................................................................................................... 87
Teachers Responses to Bullying, Name-Calling or Harassment towards Students from
Families with LGBT Parents .................................................................................................... 95
Teaching and Learning about Different Family Types at School ............................................. 96
Chapter 6: School-Wide Anti-Bullying and Harassment Efforts ............................................... 103
Overview ............................................................................................................................... 104
Anti-Bullying and Harassment Measures at School .............................................................. 105
Components of School Anti-Bullying or Harassment Policies ........................................... 107
Impact of Anti-Bullying or Harassment Policies on Bullying, Name-Calling, Biased
Comments and Comfort Level at School ........................................................................... 109
Anti-Bullying or Harassment Policies and Teachers Attitudes and Efforts ........................ 113
Summary ............................................................................................................................... 115
Chapter 7: Teacher Professional Development ....................................................................... 117
Overview ............................................................................................................................... 118
Teachers Professional Development Background ................................................................ 119
Areas for Further Professional Development ........................................................................ 122
Impact of Teachers Professional Development .................................................................... 123
Summary ............................................................................................................................... 125
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List of Tables and Figures
Figure 1.1 Hearing Biased Remarks from Other Students at School ..................................... 3
Table 1.1 Frequency of Hearing Biased Remarks from Other Students at School by School
Type and School Location ..................................................................................... 5
Figure 1.2 Students Who Reported Ever Hearing Biased Remarks from Teachers and Other
Adults at School .................................................................................................... 6
Table 1.2 Differences by Grade Level of Students Who Reported Ever Hearing Biased
Remarks from Teachers and Other Adults at School ............................................ 6
Figure 1.3 Frequency of Hearing Remarks Related to Students Gender Expression from
Other Students at School ...................................................................................... 8
Table 1.3 Frequency of Hearing Remarks Related to Students Gender Expression from
Other Students at School by School Type and School Location ........................... 9
Figure 1.4 Students Who Reported Ever Hearing Remarks Related to Students Gender
Expression from Teachers and Other Adults......................................................... 9
Table 1.4 Hearing Remarks Related to Students Gender Expression from Teachers and
Other Adults at School and Differences by Grade Level and School Location ... 10
Table 1.5 Hearing Remarks Related to Students Gender Expression from Other Students
at School by Hearing Teacher Encourage Traditional Gender Norms ................ 10
Figure 1.5 Frequency of Biased Remarks Teachers Hear Students Make at School .......... 12
Table 1.6 Frequency of Biased Remarks Teachers Hear Students Make at School by
Grade Level Taught and School Location ........................................................... 13Table 1.7 Frequency of Teachers Hearing Biased Remarks by Years of Teaching
Experience. ............................................................................................... 14
Figure 1.6 Number of Students Teachers Hear Making Biased Remarks ............................ 15
Figure 1.7 Frequency With Which Teachers Address Biased Remarks Made by Students . 16
Table 1.8 Frequency With Which Teachers Address Biased Remarks Made by Students by
School Location ................................................................................................... 17
Table 1.9 Frequency at Which Teachers Address Biased Remarks Made by Students by
Years of Teaching Experience ............................................................................ 18
Figure 1.8 Frequency of Teachers Hearing Biased Remarks from Other Teachers or SchoolStaff ..................................................................................................................... 19
Figure 2.1 Frequency of Student Reports of Bullying and Name-Calling at School ............. 24
Table 2.1 Frequency of Student Reports of Bullying and Name-Calling at School by School
Type and School Location ................................................................................... 24
Figure 2.2 Reasons Other Students are Bullied or Called Names at School ....................... 25
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Table 2.2 Reasons Other Students are Bullied or Called Names at School by Grade Level,
School Type and School Location ....................................................................... 26
Figure 2.3 Family-Related Reasons Other Students are Bullied or Called Names at School
............................................................................................................................ 27
Table 2.3 Family-Related Reasons Other Students are Bullied or Called Names at School
by Grade Level, School Type and School Location............................................. 27
Figure 2.4 Teachers Perceptions on Seriousness of Bullying or Name-Calling at School .. 28
Table 2.4 Teachers Perceptions on Seriousness of Bullying or Name-Calling at School by
School Location and School Type ...................................................................... 29
Table 2.5 Teachers Perceptions on Seriousness of Bullying or Name-Calling at School by
Grade Level Taught ............................................................................................ 29
Table 2.6 Teachers Perceptions on Seriousness of Bullying or Name-Calling at School by
Years of Experience ............................................................................................ 30
Figure 2.5 Teachers Perception on Reasons Students Are Bullied or Called Names At
School ................................................................................................................. 31
Figure 2.6 Teachers Perception on Reasons Students Are Most Often Bullied or Called
Names at School ................................................................................................ 32
Figure 3.1 Students Feelings of Safety at School............................................................... 37
Table 3.1 Students Feeling of Safety at School by Gender and Race/Ethnicity ................. 38
Table 3.2 Students Feeling of Safety at School by School Type and School Location ...... 38
Figure 3.2 Reasons Students Feel Unsafe or Afraid at School ............................................ 39
Figure 3.3 Frequency of Personally Being Bullied and Called Names at School ................. 41
Table 3.3 Frequency of Personally Being Bullied and Called Names at School by
Race/Ethnicity, School Location and School Type ............................................. 41
Figure 3.4 Students' Personal Experiences With Other Forms of Bullying .......................... 42
Figure 3.5 Ways Students Were Left Out or Ignored by Other Students .............................. 43
Table 3.4 Students Personal Experiences with Other Forms of Bullying by Feelings of
Safety at School .................................................................................................. 43
Figure 3.6 Reasons Students Experience Bullying or Name-Calling at School .................... 44
Table 3.5 Profile of Students Who Do and Do Not Conform to Traditional Gender Norms . 46
Figure 3.7 Locations Where Bullying or Name-Calling Occurs at School ............................. 47
Figure 3.8 Frequency and Helpfulness of Telling a Teacher about Being Called Names,
Made Fun of or Bullied at School ........................................................................ 49
Table 3.6 Relationship between Frequency and Helpfulness of Telling a Teacher about
Being Called Names, Made Fun of or Bullied at School ...................................... 49
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Figure 3.9 Teachers Reactions to Student Reports of Being Called Names, Made Fun of or
Bullied .................................................................................................................. 50
Table 3.7 Teachers Reactions to Student Reports of Being Called Names, Made Fun of or
Bullied by Frequency of Experiencing Bullying and Grade Level ........................ 50
Table 3.8 Students Relationships, School Performance and Well-Being by Frequency of
Being Bullied ....................................................................................................... 52
Figure 4.1 Teachers Perspectives on Comfort Level of Students Who Might Be or Grow Up
To Be LGBT ........................................................................................................ 58
Table 4.1 Teachers Perspectives on Comfort Level of Students Who Might Be or Grow Up
To Be LGBT By Years of Teaching Experience .................................................. 58
Table 4.2 Teachers Perspectives on Comfort Level of Students Who Might Be or Grow Up
To Be LGBT by School Location ......................................................................... 59
Figure 4.2 Teachers Level of Comfort in Responding to Student Questions about LGBT
People ................................................................................................................. 60
Table 4.3 Teachers Level of Comfort in Responding to Student Questions about LGBT
People by School Type and Knowing an LGBT Parent or Student ..................... 60
Figure 4.3 Teachers Level of Comfort in Addressing Bullying, Name-Calling and
Harassment of Students Perceived to be LGB .................................................... 62
Table 4.4 Teachers Level of Comfort in Addressing Bullying, Name-Calling and
Harassment of Students Perceived to be LGB by Years of Experience and
Knowing an LGBT Parent or Student .................................................................. 62
Figure 4.4 Teachers Perspectives on Comfort Level of Elementary School Students Who
May Not Conform to Traditional Gender Norms .................................................. 64
Table 4.5 Teachers Perspectives on Comfort Level of Elementary School Students Who
May Not Conform to Traditional Gender Norms by Years of Experience ............ 65
Table 4.6 Teachers Perspectives on Comfort Level of Elementary School Students Who
May Not Conform to Traditional Gender Norms by School Location ................... 65
Figure 4.5 Teachers Perspectives on School Community Support of Efforts That
Specifically Address Issues of Gender Roles, Gender Stereotypes and Non-
Traditional Gender Expression ............................................................................ 66
Table 4.7 Teachers Perspectives on School Community Support of Efforts That
Specifically Address Issues of Gender Roles, Gender Stereotypes and Non-
Traditional Gender Expression by Years of Experience ...................................... 67
Table 4.8 Teachers Perspectives on School Community Support of Efforts That
Specifically Address Issues of Gender Roles, Gender Stereotypes and Non-
Traditional Gender Expression by School Location ............................................. 67
Figure 4.6 Teachers Feelings of Obligation towards Students Who Do Not Conform to
Traditional Gender Norms ................................................................................... 68
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Figure 4.7 Teachers Perceptions on Helpfulness of Efforts in Creating Safer and More
Supportive Schools for Students Who May Not Conform to Traditional Gender
Norms ................................................................................................................. 69
Table 4.9 Teachers Who Have Personally Engaged in Efforts to Create a Safe and
Supportive Environment for Students Who May not Conform to Traditional
Gender Norms by Grade Level Taught and School Location .............................. 71
Figure 4.8 Efforts Teachers Have Made to Create a Safe and Supportive Environment for
Students Who May Not Conform to Traditional Gender Norms .......................... 71
Table 4.10 Efforts Teachers Have Made to Create a Safe and Supportive Environment for
Students Who May Not Conform to Traditional Gender Norms by School
Location ............................................................................................................... 72
Figure 4.9 Reasons Why Teachers Have Not Made Efforts to Create a Safe and Supportive
Environment for Students Who May Not Conform to Traditional Gender Norms 73
Figure 4.10 Teachers Level of Comfort in Addressing Bullying, Name-Calling or Harassment
of Students Who Do Not Conform to Traditional GenderRoles .......................... 74
Table 4.11 Teachers Level of Comfort in Addressing Bullying, Name-Calling or Harassment
of Students Who Do Not Conform to Traditional Gender Roles by Grade Level
Taught and Years of Experience ......................................................................... 75
Figure 4.11 Ways That Teachers Would Address Incidents Where Students are Bullied or
Called Names for Not Conforming to Traditional Gender Norms ........................ 76
Table 4.12 Ways That Teachers Would Address Incidents Where Students are Bullied or
Called Names for Not Conforming to Traditional Gender Norms by Grade Level
............................................................................................................................ 77
Figure 4.12 How Teachers Would Approach Students Who Do Not Conform to TraditionalGender Norms ..................................................................................................... 78
Table 4.13 How Teachers Would Approach Students Who Do Not Conform to Traditional
Gender Norms by Years of Experience ............................................................... 78
Table 4.14 How Teachers Would Approach Students Who Do Not Conform to Traditional
Gender Norms by School Type and School Location.......................................... 79
Figure 4.13 Students Reports of Being Taught at School That Girls and Boys Can Do the
Same Things ....................................................................................................... 80
Figure 5.1 Teachers Perspectives on Comfort Level of Elementary School Students with
LGBT Parents ...................................................................................................... 85Table 5.1 Teachers Perspectives on Comfort Level of Elementary School Students with
LGBT Parents by Years of Teaching Experience and School Location .............. 86
Figure 5.2 Teachers Perspectives on Comfort Level of LGBT Parents Participating in
School Activities .................................................................................................. 86
Table 5.2 Teachers Perspectives on Comfort Level of LGB Parents Participating in School
Activities by Years of Teaching Experience ........................................................ 87
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Table5.3 Teachers Perspectives on Comfort Level of LGB Parents Participating in School
Activities by School Location ............................................................................... 88
Table 5.4 Teachers Perspectives on Comfort Level of Transgender Parents Participating in
School Activities by Years of Teaching Experience ............................................ 89
Figure 5.3 Teachers Perspectives on School Community Support of Efforts That
Specifically Address Families with LGBTParents ............................................... 89
Table 5.5 Teachers Perspectives on School Community Support of Efforts That
Specifically Address Families with LGBT Parents by Years of Teaching
Experience and School Type .............................................................................. 90
Table 5.6 Teachers Perspectives on School Community Support of Efforts That
Specifically Address Families with LGBT Parents by School Location ............... 91
Figure 5.4 Teachers' Sense of Obligation to Ensure a Safe and Supportive Learning
Environment for Students with LGBT Parents/Family Members ......................... 91
Figure 5.5 Teachers Perceptions on the Helpfulness of Efforts to Create Safer and More
Supportive Schools for Families with LGBT Parents ........................................... 92
Table 5.7 Teachers Who Have Made Efforts to Create Safe and Supportive Environments
for LGBT Families by Knowing an LGBT Student or Parent and School Location
............................................................................................................................ 93
Table 5.8 Efforts Teachers Have Made to Create a Safe and Supportive Environment for
Families with LGBT Parents ................................................................................ 94
Figure 5.6 Reasons Why Teachers Have Not Engaged in Efforts to Create a Safe and
Supportive Environment for Families with LGBT Parents ................................... 94
Table 5.9 Reasons Why Teachers Have Not Engaged In Efforts to Create a Safe and
Supportive Environment for Families with LGBT Parents by School Location .... 95
Figure 5.7 Ways Teachers Would Address Incidents in Which Students are Bullied or Called
Names for Having LGBT Parents or Other FamilyMembers .............................. 97
Table 5.10 Ways Teachers Would Address Incidents in Which Students are Bullied or Called
Names for Having LGBT Parents or Other Family Members by Grade Level
Taught and Years of Experience ......................................................................... 98
Figure 5.8 Teachers' Reports of the Family Types Represented When the Topic of Families
is Discussed in Classroom .................................................................................. 99
Table 5.11 Teachers Reports of the Family Types Represented When the Topic of Families
is Discussed in Classroom by School Location and Grade Level Taught ......... 100
Table 5.12 Teachers Reports of the Family Types Represented When the Topic of Families
is Discussed in Classroom by Knowing LGBT Student or Parent ..................... 100
Figure 5.9 Students' Reports of Types of Families They Are Taught About in School ....... 101
Figure 5.10 Students Reports of Knowing Anyone Who is Gay or Lesbian......................... 101
Figure 6.1 Measures Implemented in School Regarding Bullying or Harassment ............. 105
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Table 6.1 Anti-Bullying or Harassment Measures Implemented at School by School Type,
School Size and School Location ...................................................................... 106
Figure 6.2 Components Included in School Anti-Bullying or Harassment Policies ............. 108
Figure 6.3 Characteristics Specifically Mentioned in School Anti-Bullying or Harassment
Policies .............................................................................................................. 108
Table 6.2 Characteristics Specifically Mentioned in School Anti-Bullying or Harassment
Policies by School Location ............................................................................... 109
Figure 6.4 Teachers' Reports on Type of School Anti-Bullying/Harassment Policy ........... 110
Table 6.3 Teachers Reports of Biased Language in School by Type of Anti-
Bullying/Harassment Policy ............................................................................... 111
Table 6.4 Teachers Reports on Bullying in School by Type of Anti-Bullying/Harassment
Policy ................................................................................................................. 112
Table 6.5 Teachers Perspective of Supportiveness of School Community on Efforts
Related to Gender and LGBT Families by Type of School Anti-Bullying/Harassment Policy ............................................................................... 113
Table 6.6 Teachers Efforts Related to Gender and LGBT Families by Type of School Anti-
Bullying/Harassment Policy ............................................................................... 114
Table 6.7 Teachers Comfort With Addressing Name-Calling, Bullying or Harassment
Related to Gender and Sexual Orientation by Type of School Anti-
Bullying/Harassment Policy ............................................................................... 114
Figure 7.1 Professional Development in the Following Areas Received by Teachers ....... 119
Table 7.1 Professional Development in Current Position by Type of Anti-
Bullying/Harassment Policy ............................................................................... 120Table 7.2 Professional Development in Current Position by Knowing an LGBT Student or
Parent ................................................................................................................ 121
Table 7.3 Professional Development during Pre-Service Education or Student Teaching by
Years of Teaching Experience .......................................................................... 121
Figure 7.2 Areas in Which Teachers Feel They Need Further Professional Development 122
Table 7.4 Comfort Level Addressing Bullying and Responding to Questions by Professional
Development in Gender Issues and LGBT Families ......................................... 124
Table 7.5 Family Types Represented When Topic of Families is Discussed in Classroom
by Professional Development in LGBT Families ............................................... 125
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PREFACE
In1972,thealbumFreetoBeYouandMesangavisionofafutureinwhichgenderstereotypes,sexism
andbiasdidnotlimitchildrenslives.Asachildmyselfatthetime,IwasoneofthemanyAmerican
elementaryandmiddleschoolschoolchildrenwhosangalongwithMarloThomasaboutaland
where
the
children
are
free.
The
songs
on
the
album
and
sketches
in
the
Emmy
winning
1974
television
specialsoughttoillustrateforchildrenthefullrangeofpossibilitiesinthelivesthatlaybeforethem.
Whenmyoldestchildwasborn,Imadesurewehadthesesongsinheavyrotation,andenjoyedseeing
herdancealongtothem.Hearingthemagainfrommycurrentvantagepointasanadvocatetoendbias
andbullyinginK12schools,Iwasstruckbytheircheerfulfaithinimminentprogress.Notably,thereare
onlyglancingreferencestothenamecallingandbullyingthatgivestereotypessuchpower.
Todayssocietyhasstartedtograpplewiththeterribleimpactandconsequencesofbiasbasedbullying
andharassmentamongchildrenapolicingofnormsdifferentfromthetacitunderstandingsofgirls
andboysproperplacethatseemedtobetheprimaryhurdlesfortyyearsago.Threeweeksaftermy
oldestchildstartedkindergarten,shethrewatantrumbecauseIsaidnoaboutsomethingorother,
andyelled,
Mama,
you
are
aSISSY!
She
clearly
had
little
sense
of
the
words
meaning,
but
had
learned
inherbriefelementaryschoolcareerthatthiswasoneoftheworstepithetsshecouldhurlinanger.
ThisreportfromGLSENillustratestheextenttowhichchildrenselementaryschoolexperiencesstill
drawartificialboundariesontheirlivesbasedoncriticalpersonalcharacteristics.Namecallingand
bullyinginelementaryschoolsreinforcegenderstereotypesandnegativeattitudestowardspeople
basedontheirgenderexpression,sexualorientation,disability,race,religionorfamilycomposition.
Elementaryschoolstudentsandteachersreportfrequentuseofdisparagingremarkslikeretardand
thatssogay,andhalfoftheteacherssurveyedreportbullyingasaseriousproblemamongtheir
students.Studentswhodonotconformtotraditionalgendernormsareathigherriskforbullying,and
arelesslikelythantheirpeerstofeelsafeatschool.Ourresearchalsoshowstheconnectionbetween
elementaryschool
experiences
of
bullying
and
alower
quality
of
life.
Thereis,however,somegoodnews.Elementaryschoolteachersarealerttotheproblemsthatstudents
face.Alargemajorityreportthattheirschoolsaretakingactioninsomewaytotrytoaddressbullying
andharassment.Studentsreportthattheyhaveatleastheardsomeoftherightmessagesaboutmutual
respectandtheequalityofboysandgirls.Howeverlimitedtheirimpactmaybe,thesestepsrepresenta
foundationfortheadditionalactionneededtoturnaspirationsintoreality.Teacherssurveyedforthis
reportprovidesomeinitialindicationsoftheadditionalresources,trainingandpubliceducationneeded
tocontinueforwardprogress.
Fortwentyyears,GLSENhasdevelopedresourcesandprogramstorespondtothespecificneedsof
thoseworkinginK12schoolenvironments.Inconjunctionwiththereleaseofthisnewresearchreport,
wearepleasedtobereleasinganewresource,Ready,Set,Respect!GLSENsElementarySchoolToolkit,
whichprovidesasetoftoolstohelpelementaryschooleducatorsensurethatallstudentsfeelsafeand
respectedanddeveloprespectfulattitudesandbehaviors.
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xiv
Fortyyearsago,MarloThomassangbravelyIsayitaintfartothislandfromwhereweare.Clearly,
wehaveawaytogoyet.Butawarenessoftheunacceptablepriceofprejudiceisgrowing,asisthewill
toclearthepathforahealthyandhappylifeforeverychild.Inundertakingthisstudy,GLSENsoughtto
understandthescopeandimpactoftheprobleminelementaryschoolsnationwideasabasisfor
effectiveaction.Ihopeyouwilljoinusintheongoingefforttoensurethateverychildisfreetobetheir
happiest,healthiestandbestself.
ElizaS.Byard,Ph.D.
ExecutiveDirector
GLSEN
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xv
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Studentsschooleducationconsistsofnotonlywhattheyareexplicitlytaughtintheclassroom,butalso
whattheyimplicitlylearnthroughthelanguage,attitudesandactionsofotherstudentsandteachers.
Whentheseattitudes,remarksandactionsareunsupportiveorhostile,theycreateaschoolclimatethat
can
negatively
impact
students
feelings
of
safety
and
their
interest
in
school
and
learning.
Understandingschoolclimateisanimportantfirststepinensuringthatallstudentsfeelsafeand
supportedintheirlearningenvironments.
PreviousresearchconductedbyGLSEN(theGay,Lesbian&StraightEducationNetwork)has
documentedtheprevalenceofbiasedlanguage,namecallingandbullying,aswellassupportive
resources,atthesecondaryschoollevel1;yet,theprecursorstosecondaryschoolclimateareless
understood.Thecurrentstudyexaminesschoolclimate,studentexperiencesandteacherpracticesat
theelementaryschoollevel.
Inthisstudy,studentsinelementaryschoolwereaskedabouttheirschoolclimates,includinghearing
biasedremarks,witnessingandexperiencingbullyingaswellaslessonstheyreceivedonbullying,
genderissues
and
family
diversity.
Elementary
school
teachers
were
asked
similar
questions
about
schoolclimate,aswellasquestionsaboutattitudesandeffortstowardstudentswithlesbian,gay,
bisexualandtransgender(LGBT)parentsandstudentswhomaynotconformtotraditionalgender
norms,theirschoolsantibullyingorharassmenteffortsandtheirownprofessionaldevelopment
experiences.
Thefindingsfromthisstudyprovideanimportantcontextforthediscussionofbullyingandharassment
acrossschoolgradesandinsightintotheprecursorsofthetypesofbiasedlanguageandbullyingthat
characterizesecondaryschools,particularlythemiddleschoolyearswhenbullyingandharassmentare
mostprevalent.2
1See:HarrisInteractive&GLSEN(2005).Fromteasingtotorment:SchoolclimateinAmerica,Asurveyofstudents
andteachers.NewYork:GLSEN.
Kosciw,J.G.,Greytak,E.A.,Diaz,E.M.,&Bartkiewicz,M.J.(2010).The2009NationalSchoolClimateSurvey:The
experiencesoflesbian,gay,bisexualandtransgenderyouthinournationsschools.NewYork:GLSEN.
2Robers,S.,J.Zhang,etal.(2010).Indicatorsofschoolcrimeandsafety:2010(NCES2010002/NCJ230812).
Washington,DC:NationalCenterforEducationStatistics,InstituteofEducationSciences,U.S.Departmentof
Education,andBureauofJusticeStatistics,OfficeofJusticePrograms,U.S.DepartmentofJustice.
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SURVEY METHOD
HarrisInteractive,Inc.conductedasurveyofelementaryschoolstudentsandelementaryschool
teachersonbehalfofGLSEN.Anationalsampleof1,065elementaryschoolstudentsin3rdto6thgrade
and1,099elementaryschoolteachersofKindergartento6thgradeparticipatedintheonlinesurvey.The
samplewasdrawnprimarilyfromtheHarrisPollOnline(HPOL)optinpanel.Thesurveywasconducted
duringNovemberandDecember2010.
KEY FINDINGS
Elementaryschoolstudentsandteachersreportthatbiasedremarksareregularlyusedbystudentsat
theirschools.Themostcommonlyheardnegativeremarksfromstudentsinelementaryschoolsare
insultstowardintellectualabilityandusingthewordgayinanegativeway.
Halfof
students
(51%)
say
that
students
at
their
school
make
comments
such
as
retard
or
spazsometimes,oftenorallthetime.Slightlylessthanhalfofteachers(45%)reporthearing
studentsmakecommentslikespazorretardsometimes,oftenorveryoften.
Abouthalfofstudents(45%)reportthattheyhearcommentslikethatssogayoryoureso
gayfromotherkidsatschoolsometimes,oftenorallthetime.Halfofteachers(49%)saythey
hearstudentsintheirschoolusethewordgayinanegativewaysometimes,oftenorvery
often.
Sexistlanguageandremarksaboutgenderstereotypesarecommonlyheardinelementaryschools.
Fourintenstudents(39%)saytheyhearotherkidsattheirschoolsaytherearethingsthatboys
shouldnotdoorshouldnotwearbecausetheyareboysatleastsometimes.Onethirdof
students(33%)saytheyhearotherkidsattheirschoolsaytherearethingsthatgirlsshouldnot
doorshouldnotwearbecausetheyaregirlsatleastsometimes.
Halfofteachers(48%)reportthattheyhearstudentsmakesexistremarksatleastsometimesat
theirschool.
Althoughtheyarelesscommon,homophobicremarksandnegativeremarksaboutrace/ethnicityand
religionareheardbyasizablenumberofelementaryschoolstudentsandteachers.
Onequarterofstudents(26%)andteachers(26%)reporthearingotherstudentsmake
commentslikefagorlesboatleastsometimes.
Oneinfourstudents(26%)and1in5teachers(21%)hearstudentssaybadormeanthings
aboutpeople
because
of
their
race
or
ethnic
background
at
least
sometimes.
Oneintenstudents(10%)andlessthanatenthofteachers(7%)hearotherstudentssaybador
meanthingsaboutpeoplebecauseoftheirreligionatleastsometimes.
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xvii
Mostelementaryschoolstudentsreportthatstudentsattheirschoolarebulliedorcallednamesat
leastsometimesattheirschool,andhalfofelementaryschoolteachersconsiderbullyingandname
callingto
be
aserious
problem
at
their
school.
Threequarters(75%)ofelementaryschoolstudentsreportthatstudentsattheirschoolare
callednames,madefunoforbulliedwithatleastsomeregularity(i.e.,allthetime,oftenor
sometimes).
Nearlyonehalfofelementaryschoolteachersbelievethatbullying,namecallingorharassment
isaveryorsomewhatseriousproblemattheirschool(47%).
Althoughamajorityofelementaryschoolstudentsfeelverysafeatschool,bullyingandnamecalling
areexperiencedbyasizablenumberofstudents.Studentswhoarebulliedregularlyatschoolreport
lowergradesandalowerqualityoflifethanotherstudents.
Slightlymorethanhalf(59%)ofelementaryschoolstudentssaytheyfeelverysafeatschool.
Overonethird(36%)ofelementaryschoolstudentssaytheyhavebeencallednames,made
funoforbulliedatleastsometimesthisyearatschool.
Studentswhoarebulliedatleastsometimesarelesslikelythanotherstosaythattheyget
goodgrades(57%vs.71%)andthattheyvebeenhappyatschoolthisyear(34%vs.69%).
Studentswhoarebulliedatleastsometimesarefourtimesaslikelyasotherstudentstosay
thattheysometimesdonotwanttogotoschoolbecausetheyfeelafraidorunsafethere
(33%vs.8%).
Studentswhoarebulliedatleastsometimesarelesslikelythanotherstosaythattheyget
alongwiththeirparents(61%vs.75%)andthattheyhavealotoffriends(33%vs.57%).
Studentswhoarebulliedatleastsometimesarethreetimesaslikelyasotherstosaythey
oftenfeelstressed(15%vs.4%).
Themostcommonreasonforbeingbulliedorcallednames,aswellasfeelingunsafeatschool,is
physicalappearance.
Twothirdsofstudentsattributethebullyingandnamecallingthattheywitnessatschoolto
studentsappearanceorbodysize(67%).Studentsarenextmostlikelytoattributethe
bullyingandnamecallingtonotbeinggoodatsports(37%),howwelltheydoatschoolwork
(26%)andbeingaboywhoactsorlookstoomuchlikeagirloragirlwhoactsorlookstoo
muchlikeaboy(23%).
Sevenintenteacherssaythatstudentsintheirschoolareveryoften,oftenorsometimes
bullied,called
names
or
harassed
because
of
the
way
they
look
or
their
body
size
(70%).
Teachersarealsolikelytoreportthatstudentsintheirschoolarefrequentlybullied,called
namesorharassedbecauseoftheirabilityatschool(60%),theyhaveadisability(39%),their
familydoesnothavealotofmoney(37%),theyareaboywhoactsorlookstoomuchlikea
girl"(37%)ortheirrace/ethnicity(35%).
Thenumberonereasonamongallstudentsforpersonallyfeelingunsafeorafraidatschool,
citedbyoneinsevenstudents(16%),ispersonalappearance.
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xviii
Studentswhodonotconformtotraditionalgendernormsaremorelikelythanotherstudentsto
experienceincidentsofbullyingornamecallingschoolandtofeellesssafeatschool.
Almostoneintenofelementaryschoolstudents(8%)reportthattheydonotconformto
traditionalgendernormsi.e.,boyswhootherssometimesthinkactorlooklikeagirl,orthey
aregirlswhootherssometimesthinkactorlooklikeaboy.
Studentswhodonotconformtotraditionalgendernormsaremorelikelythanotherstosay
theyarecallednames,madefunoforbulliedatleastsometimesatschool(56%vs.33%).
Studentswhodonotconformtotraditionalgendernormsaretwiceaslikelyasotherstudents
tosaythatotherkidsatschoolhavespreadmeanrumorsorliesaboutthem(43%vs.20%)
andthreetimesaslikelytoreportthatanotherkidatschoolhasusedtheinternettocallthem
names,makefunofthemorpostmeanthingsaboutthem(7%vs.2%).
Studentswhodonotconformtotraditionalgendernormsarelesslikelythanotherstudents
tofeelverysafeatschool(42%vs.61%)andaremorelikelythanotherstoagreethatthey
sometimesdonotwanttogotoschoolbecausetheyfeelunsafeorafraidthere(35%vs.15%).
Studentsinpublicschoolsandschoolsinurbanareasaremorelikelytogotoschoolswherestudents
arebullied
or
called
names,
and
to
be
bullied
or
called
names
and
feel
less
safe
at
school
themselves.
Studentsinurbanschoolsaremorelikelythanthoseinsuburbanorruralschoolstosay
studentsattheirschoolarebulliedallthetimeoroften(34%vs.21%vs.24%).
Studentsinurbanschoolsarealsolesslikelythanthoseinsuburbanorruralschoolstofeel
verysafeatschool(52%vs.60%vs.67%).
Publicschoolstudentsaremorelikelythanprivateorparochialschoolstudentssaythat
bullyingoccursallthetimeoroftenattheirschool(27%vs.9%).
Publicschoolstudentsarelesslikelythanprivateorparochialschoolstudentstosaytheyfeel
verysafeatschool(58%vs.79%).
Thevastmajorityofelementaryschoolteachersbelievethateducatorshaveanobligationtoensurea
safeandsupportivelearningenvironmentforstudentswhodonotconformtotraditionalgender
norms.Mostteachersagreethatotherschoolpersonnelwouldbesupportiveofeffortsthat
specificallyaddressissuesofnontraditionalgenderexpression,althoughfewerbelievethatother
membersoftheirschoolcommunitieswouldbesupportive.However,lessthanhalfofteachers
believethatstudentswhodonotconformtotraditionalgendernormswouldfeelcomfortableatthe
schoolwheretheyteach.
Overeightintenteachers(83%)agreethatteachersandotherschoolpersonnelhavean
obligationto
ensure
asafe
and
supportive
learning
environment
for
students
who
do
not
conformtotraditionalgendernorms.
Themajorityofteachersreportthatschoollevelstaffwouldbesupportiveofeffortsthat
specificallyaddressissuesofgenderroles,genderstereotypesandnontraditionalgender
expression,includingotherteachers(61%),administratorsintheirschool(59%)andother
schoolstaff(56%).Fewerteachersreportthatdistrictleveladministration(47%),theschool
board(46%),parents(46%)orthePTAorPTO(41%)wouldbesupportive.
Teachers Beliefs and Practices
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xix
Fewerthanhalfofteachers(44%)saythatamalestudentwhoactsorlookstraditionally
femininewouldfeelcomfortableattheschoolwheretheyteach.
Nearlyhalfofteachers(49%)saythatafemalestudentwhoactsorlookstraditionally
masculinewouldfeelcomfortableattheschoolwheretheyteach.
Lessthanhalfofteachers(41%)saythatastudentwhomightbeorgrowuptobetransgender
wouldfeelcomfortableattheschoolwheretheyteach.
Mostelementaryschoolteachersbelievethatteachershaveanobligationtoensureasafeand
supportivelearningenvironmentforstudentswithlesbian,gay,bisexualandtransgender(LGBT)
parentsorotherfamilymembers.Mostteachersagreethatotherschoolpersonnelwouldbe
supportiveofeffortsthatspecificallyaddressfamilieswithLGBTparents.However,lessthanhalfof
teachersbelievethatastudentwithanLGBTparentwouldfeelcomfortableattheschoolwherethey
teach.
Sevenintenteachers(70%)agreethatteachersandotherschoolpersonnelhavean
obligationtoensureasafeandsupportivelearningenvironmentforstudentswithlesbian,
gay,bisexualandtransgender(LGBT)parentsorotherfamilymembers.
Themajority
of
teachers
report
that
school
level
staff
would
be
supportive
of
efforts
that
specificallyaddressfamilieswithLGBTparents,includingotherteachers(57%),administrators
intheirschool(55%)andotherschoolstaff(51%).Fewerteachersreportthatdistrictlevel
administration(44%),theschoolboard(41%),parents(37%)orthePTAorPTO(36%)would
besupportive.
Halfofteachers(49%)saythatastudentwithalesbian,gayorbisexualparentwouldfeel
comfortableattheschoolwheretheyteach.
Fewerthanhalfofteachers(42%)saythatastudentwithatransgenderparentwouldfeel
comfortableattheschoolwheretheyteach.
Elementaryschoolteachersreporthighlevelsofcomfortinaddressingandtakingactioninsituations
of
name
calling,
bullying
or
harassment
of
students
in
a
range
of
situations.
Eightintenteachers(81%)wouldfeelcomfortableaddressingnamecalling,bullyingor
harassmentofstudentsbecauseastudentisorisbelievedtobegay,lesbianorbisexual.
Eightintenteachers(81%)wouldfeelcomfortableaddressingnamecalling,bullyingor
harassmentofstudentsbecausetheydonotconformtotraditionalgenderroles.
Amajorityofteacherssaythattheyveryoftenoroftenaddressthesituationwhenstudents
makehomophobicremarks(66%)orusethewordgayinanegativeway(68%).
Amajorityofteacherssaythattheyveryoftenoroftenaddressthesituationwhenstudents
makecommentsaboutamaleactingorlookingtoofeminine(63%)orafemaleactingor
lookingtoomasculine(59%),ormakesexistremarks(67%).
Amajorityofteacherssaythattheyveryoftenoroftenaddressthesituationwhenstudents
makeracist
remarks
(72%)
or
comments
like
spaz
or
retard
(67%).
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xx
Nearlyhalfofelementaryschoolteachersarecomfortablerespondingtoquestionsfromtheir
studentsaboutlesbian,gay,bisexualortransgender(LGBT)people.
Justlessthanhalfofteachers(48%)wouldfeelcomfortablerespondingtoquestionsfrom
theirstudentsaboutgay,lesbianorbisexualpeople.Theotherhalfsaytheywouldfeel
uncomfortable(26%)orneithercomfortablenoruncomfortable(25%).
Fourintenteachers(41%)wouldfeelcomfortablerespondingtoquestionsfromtheir
studentsabouttransgenderpeople.Themajoritysaytheywouldfeeluncomfortable(34%)or
neithercomfortablenoruncomfortable(24%).
Mostelementaryschoolstudentssaytheyhavebeentaughtaboutbullying,namecallingand
respectingothersandaboutgenderequalityinschool.Whilemosthavelearnedthattherearemany
differentkindsoffamilies,fewhavelearnedspecificallyaboutfamilieswithgayorlesbianparents.
Nineintenstudents(92%)saytheyhavebeentaughtthatpeopleshouldnotbullyothersor
callpeoplenames.
Nineintenstudents(91%)saytheyhavebeentaughtthattheyshouldrespectpeoplewhoare
differentfrom
them.
Nearlynineintenstudents(88%)saytheyhavebeentaughtthatgirlsandboyscandothe
samethings.
Sevenintenstudents(72%)saytheyhavebeentaughtthattherearemanydifferentkindsof
families.
Twointenstudents(18%)havelearnedaboutfamilieswithgayorlesbianparents(families
thathavetwodadsortwomoms).
Thevastmajorityofteachersreportthattheirschoolhastakenstepstoaddressbullyingandharassment,mostcommonlywithantibullyingandharassmentpolicies.Additionally,mostteachers
havehadprofessionaldevelopmentontheseissues,althoughmanybelievetheyneedmore.
Eightintenteachers(81%)reportthattheirschoolhasimplementedantibullyingoranti
harassmentpolicies,including24%whosaytheirschoolhasacomprehensivepolicythat
specificallymentionssexualorientationandgenderidentityorexpression.
Sixintenteachers(61%)reportthattheirschoolhasclassroombasedcurriculaoreducation
programsforstudentsregardingbullyingorharassment.
Sixintenteachers(61%)reportthattheirschoolhasimplementedprofessionaldevelopment
(i.e.,training)forschoolpersonnelrelatedtobullyingorharassment.
Alarge
majority
of
teachers
have
personally
received
professional
development
on
bullying
or
harassment(85%).However,lessthanhalf(45%)feeltheyneedfurtherprofessional
developmentinthisarea.
School-Wide Efforts and ProfessionalDevelopment
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xxi
Elementaryteachersseldomreceiveprofessionaldevelopmentonlesbian,gay,bisexualor
transgender(LGBT)familiesorgenderissues.Asizableminorityofteachersbelievetheyneedfurther
professionaldevelopmentontheseissues.
Althoughalargemajorityofteachershavereceivedprofessionaldevelopmentondiversityor
multiculturalissues(85%),thiseducationisunlikelytoincludecontentaboutLGBTfamiliesor
genderissues.Justoverathirdofteachers(37%)haveeverreceivedprofessional
developmentongenderissues.Onlyaquarter(23%)havereceivedprofessionaldevelopment
onfamilieswithLGBTparents.
Oneinthreeteachersbelievetheyneedfurtherprofessionaldevelopmentonaddressing
homophobicnamecalling,bullyingandharassment(30%)andworkingwithLGBTfamilies
(29%).Nearlyaquarterbelievetheyneedfurtherprofessionaldevelopmentonworkingwith
studentswhodonotconformtotraditionalgendernorms(23%)andongenderissuesin
general(23%).
CONCLUSION
Bullyingand
harassment
are
not
uncommon
occurrences
at
the
elementary
school
level,
especially
for
studentswhomaybevulnerablebecauseofpersonalcharacteristicssuchasphysicalappearance,ability
andnotconformingtotraditionalgendernorms.Althoughschoolclimatesarenotespeciallyhostileat
thisage,morecanbedonetosetafoundationforsafeandsupportiveschoolenvironmentsthatspan
acrossstudentsschoolyears.
Elementaryteachersofteninterveneinincidentsofbullyingandharassment,andmostreportbeing
comfortabledoingso.Yet,mostarenotcomfortablerespondingtoquestionsaboutLGBTpeopleand
fewelementarystudentsaretaughtaboutLGBTfamilies.Thistendencyisnotsurprisinggiventhatmost
teachersreportreceivingprofessionaldevelopmentonaddressingbullying,butnotaboutsubjectslike
genderissuesorLGBTfamilies.Itisclearthatanapproachthatfostersrespectandvaluesdiversityeven
before
bullying
occurs,
in
addition
to
addressing
bullying
as
it
happens,
would
be
welcomed
by
elementaryschoolteacherswhoareeagertolearnmoreaboutcreatingsafeandsupportive
environments.Ensuringthatallstudentsandfamiliesarerespectedandvaluedinelementaryschool
wouldnotonlyprovideamorepositivelearningenvironmentforyoungerstudents,butwouldalsolay
thegroundworkforsafeandaffirmingmiddleandhighschools.
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xxii
ABOUT THE RESEARCH
HarrisInteractive,Inc.conductedPlaygroundsandPrejudice:ElementarySchoolClimateintheUnited
States,ASurveyofStudentsandTeachers,onbehalfofGLSEN(theGay,Lesbian&StraightEducation
Network).ThissurveyisintendedtoextendfindingsfromGLSENsstudyofsecondarystudentand
teacher
experiences,
From
Teasing
to
Torment:
School
Climate
in
America,
conducted
by
Harris
Interactive,in2005.The2005surveydocumentedandraisedawarenessofsecondarystudentsand
teachersexperienceswithbullyingandharassment.Itprovidedthefirstevernationallyrepresentative
findingsaboutschoolclimateforsecondaryschoolstudents,andincludedquestionsaboutsexual
orientationandgenderexpression.
TopicscoveredinPlaygroundsandPrejudiceincludeelementaryschoolstudentsperspectivesonbiased
remarksandbullyingincidentsthattheywitnessandpersonallyexperienceatschool,andstudents
reportsofthelessonstheyreceivedonbullying,genderissuesandfamilydiversity.Thestudyalso
includeselementaryschoolteachersperspectivesonbiasedremarksandbullyingintheirschools,
teachersattitudesandeffortsforstudentswithlesbian,gay,bisexualandtransgender(LGBT)parents
andstudentswhomaynotconformtotraditionalgendernorms,antibullyingorharassmentpolicies
andprofessional
development
for
teachers.
Anationalsampleof1,065elementaryschoolstudentsin3rdto6thgradeand1,099elementaryschool
teachersofKindergartento6thgradeparticipatedintheonlinesurvey.Thesamplewasdrawnprimarily
fromtheHarrisPollOnline(HPOL)optinpanelandsupplementedwithasamplefromtrustedpartner
panels.Allrespondentswereinvitedtoparticipatethroughpasswordprotectedemails.Interviewswith
studentsaveraged15minutesinlengthandwereconductedbetweenNovember3andNovember29,
2010.Interviewswithteachersaveraged20minutesinlengthandwereconductedbetweenNovember
11andDecember7,2010.Inaddition,anonlinestrategysessionwasconductedonJune14,2010witha
groupof20elementaryschoolteachersofgradesrangingfromKindergartento6thgradetoinformthe
developmentofthesurvey.Keyinformants(e.g.,elementaryschoolteachers,administrators,students
andteachereducators)reviewedthestudentandteachersurveystoassesscomprehensionandface
validity.
Anasterisk(*)onatablesignalsavalueoflessthanonehalfpercent.Adash()representsavalueof
zero.Percentagesmaynotalwaysaddupto100%becauseofcomputerrounding,theacceptanceof
multipleanswers
from
respondents,
or
because
some
answer
categories
may
be
excluded
from
the
tableorfigure.Thebaseforeachfigureandtableisthetotalnumberofrespondentsansweringa
question(unlessotherwiseindicated,allsurveyrespondents;either1,065elementaryschoolstudents
or1,099elementaryschoolteachers).Incaseswherethebasedoesnotincludeallrespondents,further
informationisprovidedabovethetableorfigure.Fortablesandfiguresdisplayinggroupdifferences,
thebaseisalsoprovidedforeachgroup,representingthetotalnumberofrespondentsinthesubgroup.
Notethatinsomecases,resultsmaybebasedonsmallsamplesizes.Thisistypicallytruewhen
A Note on Reading the Tablesand Figures
Survey Methods
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xxiii
questionswereaskedofsubgroups.Cautionshouldbeusedindrawinganyconclusionsoftheresults
basedonthesesamples.
Analyseswereconductedtodeterminestatisticallysignificantdifferent(at95%confidencelevel)
responsesbetweensubgroups(e.g.,3rd4thgradestudentsvs.5th6thgradestudents).3Statistically
significantdifferencesareindicatedbyasuperscriptcapitalletter(e.g.,58%A).Thisnotationindicates
thattheparticularresultissignificantlygreaterthanthecorrespondingdatapointinthecolumnofthe
superscriptletter.Forexample,Table1.1belowshowsthatstatisticallysignificantdifferencesexist
betweentheresponsesof3rd4thgradestudentsand5th6thgradestudentsonthefrequencyofwhich
theyhearothersmakecommentslikeretardorspaz.Thetableshowsthat5th6thgradestudentsare
morelikelythan3rd4thgradestudentstoheartheseremarksattheirschool.
Table 1.2Biased Remarks from Other Students at School
Grade Level
3rd-4thgrade
5th-6thgrade
A B
Base: 548 517
All the Time/Often/
Sometimes46% 58%
A
All the Time/Often 17% 26%A
Sometimes 28% 32%
Never/Almost Never 54%B
41%
ComprehensiveAntiBullyingPolicies
Antibullyingorharassmentpoliciesthatspecificallymentionsexualorientationandgenderidentityor
expression.
DoesnotConformtoGenderNorms/Roles
Studentswhodonotfollowsocietalexpectationsofgender,includingboyswhoothersthinklookoract
traditionallyfeminineandgirlswhoothersthinklookoracttraditionallymasculine.
3NotethatonlyteacherswhoexclusivelyteachK2,34or56areincludedintheanalysesofdifferencesbygrade
leveltaught;
those
who
teach
across
these
grade
level
categories
(e.g.,
ateacher
who
teaches
grades
2and
3)
are
notincludedinthethesespecificanalysesofgradeleveldifferences.Assuch,thebasesamplefortheanalysesof
gradeleveldifferencesinsmallerthanthetotalsample.
AlsonotethatonlystudentswhoidentifiedasexclusivelyWhite,Black/AfricanAmericanorHispanicareincluded
intheanalysesofdifferencesbyrace/ethnicity.Thereweretoofewstudentswhoidentifiedasanother
racial/ethniccategory(e.g.,Asian)orasmorethanonerace/ethnicitytobeincludedinthestatisticalanalysesof
groupdifferences.
Glossary of Terms and AbbreviationsUsed in Report
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xxiv
GenericAntiBullyingPolicies
Antibullyingorharassmentpoliciesthatdonotspecificallyaddresssexualorientationandgender
identityorexpression.
LGBT
Lesbian,gay,
bisexual
and
transgender
PD
Professionaldevelopment
RelationalBullyingorAggression
Aformofbullying,namecallingorharassmentthatcandamagepeerrelationships,suchasspreading
rumorsorpurposelyexcludingorisolatingstudents.
TheHarristeamresponsibleforthedesignandanalysisofthissurveyincludesDanaMarkow,Ph.D.,Vice
President;AndreaPieters,SeniorProjectResearcher;andHelenLee,ProjectResearcher.
TheGLSENteamresponsibleforthisresearchincludesJosephKosciw,Ph.D.,EmilyGreytak,Ph.D.,Neal
Palmer,MarkBartkiewicz,MaddyBoesenandRyanKull.
Theauthorswouldliketothanktheelementaryeducatorswhoprovidedinsightintothedevelopmentof
theresearchandtheelementaryeducators,teachereducatorsandstudentswhoreviewedsurveydrafts
andprovidedfeedback.Theauthorswouldalsoliketothanktheelementaryteacherswhoparticipated
inthe
online
formative
research
session
and
the
teachers
and
students
who
completed
the
surveys.
TheauthorsarealsogratefultoElizabethDiaz,formerlyofGLSEN,forherimportantcontributiontothis
research.
AllHarrisInteractive,Inc.surveysaredesignedtocomplywiththecodeandstandardsoftheCouncilof
AmericanSurveyResearchOrganizations(CASRO)andthecodeoftheNationalCouncilofPublicPolls
(NCPP).Becausedatafromthesurveymaybereleasedtothepublic,anyreleasemuststipulatethatthe
completereportisalsoavailable.
Public Release of Survey Findings
Project Responsibility and
Acknowledgements
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Chapter 1Biased Language at School
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OverviewOnecontributiontoahostileschoolenvironmentistheuseofbiasedlanguageregardlessofwhether
ornotitisdirectedataparticularindividualorintendedtobeoffensive.Previousresearchconductedby
GLSENhas
documented
the
prevalence
of
biased
language
in
middle
schools
and
high
schools.1
The
currentresearchseekstocontributetotheoverallknowledgeofschoolclimatebyexploringwhatmay
beprecursorsofbullyingandharassment,suchasbiasedlanguage.Thischapterexaminestheincidents
ofbiasedlanguagethatoccurinelementaryschools,asreportedbystudentsandteachers.Thechapter
alsoexploreswhatstudentshavebeentaughtabouttheseissuesinschool.
Weaskedelementaryschoolstudentsandteachersaboutthefrequencyofwhichtheyheararangeof
biasedremarksinthecourseofadayatschool,suchasremarksthataredisparagingofsomeones
intellectualcapabilities,race,ethnicityorreligion.Inaddition,qualitative,formativeresearchwe
conductedwithelementaryschoolteacherssuggeststhatthestudentsalsocommonlyusetheword
gaytoindicatesomethingisbadorworthless,asintheexpressionsthatssogayoryouresogay.
Furthermore,the
research
suggests
that
homophobic
slurs,
such
as
fag
or
lesbo,
also
commonly
occurinelementaryschoolandthatchildrenmaylearnearlyonthatsuchepithetsaremeanttobe
hurtful,eveniftheydonotalwaysunderstandthemeaningofthewordsentirely.Forthesereasons,we
alsoaskedelementarystudentsandteachersabouthearingexpressionslikethatssogayandhearing
theuseofepithetslikefagorlesboinschool.
4HarrisInteractive&GLSEN.(2005).FromTeasingtotorment:SchoolclimateinAmerica,Asurveyofstudentsandteachers.NewYork,GLSEN.
2
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Section 1.Students Reports on Biased Language at School
AsshowninFigure1.1,themostcommonforms
ofbiasedlanguagethatelementaryschool
studentsreporthearingaretermsthataremeant
tocriticizesomeonesintellectualabilitiesandthe
useofgayinanegativemanner.Abouthalfof
students(51%)saythatstudentsattheirschool
makecommentssuchasretardorspazat
leastsometimes,withoneinfivesayingthatit
happensallthetimeoroften(21%).Nearlyhalfof
students(46%)reportthattheyhearcomments
likethats
so
gay
or
youre
so
gay
from
other
kidsatschoolwithsomeregularity(i.e.,allthe
time,often,sometimes),withnearlyaquarter
(21%)saying
that
it
happens
all
the
time
or
often.
Biased RemarksTheuseofhomophobicslurs,suchasfagor
lesbo,andnegativecommentsaboutraceor
ethnicityalsooccurinelementaryschool,butare
lesscommonlyheard.Aroundaquarterof
elementaryschoolstudents(26%)hearother
studentsattheirschoolsayfagorlesboat
leastsometimesandaboutaquarter(26%)also
hearracistremarksasfrequently.Elementary
schoolstudentsareleastlikelytoreporthearing
otherstudentsmakenegativeremarksabout
religion,with
only
one
in
ten
(10%)
reporting
that
studentsmakebiasedreligiouscommentsatleast
sometimes.
22%
29%
15%
18%
21%
8%
21%
18%
25%
30%
1%
4%
5%
13%
14%
1%
1%
3%
8%
7%
Hearotherssaybadormeanthings
aboutpeoplebecauseoftheir
religion
Hearotherssaybadormeanthings
aboutpeoplebecauseoftheirrace
orethnicbackground
Hearothersmakecommentslike
"fag"or"lesbo"
Hearothersmakecommentslike
"thatssogay"or"you'resogay"
Hearothersmakecommentslike
"retard"or
"spaz"
AlmostNever Sometimes Often AlltheTime
Q915/Q905/Q910. Howoftendokidsatyourschoolsaythingslike:"retard" or"spaz"/"that'ssogay"or"you'reso
gay"/"fag"or"lesbo"? Q950. Howoftendokidsatyourschoolsaybadormeanthingsaboutpeopleforthese
reasons:Becauseoftheirraceorethnicbackground/Becauseoftheirreligion?(Excludes "Never"response.)
Figure1.1
HearingBiasedRemarksfromOtherStudentsatSchool
51%
46%
26%
26%
10%
AtLeast
Sometimes
(Net)
3
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4
Withtheexceptionofnegativecommentsabout
race/ethnicityorreligion,thefrequencyofhearing
biasedcommentsincreaseswithage.Older
students(5thand6thgraders)aremorelikelythan
youngerstudents(3rd
and4th
graders)tosaythat
studentsattheirschoolusewordssuchas
retardorspazatleastsometimes(58%vs.
46%).Olderstudentsarealsomorelikelythan
youngerstudentstoreporthearingremarkslike
thatssogayoryouresogay(53%vs.40%)
andfagorlesbo(34%vs.21%)atleast
sometimesatschool.
Thefrequencywithwhichstudentshearthese
remarkstypicallydoesnotvarybygender the
onlyinstance
in
which
boys
tend
to
differ
from
girlsisthefrequencywithwhichtheyreport
hearinghomophobicremarkslikefagorlesbo.
Boystendtoheartheseslursmoreoftenthan
girls,withonethirdofboys(31%)reporting
hearingtheseremarksatleastsometimes,
comparedto22%ofgirls.Black/AfricanAmerican
(41%)andHispanic(33%)studentsarealsomore
likelythanWhitestudents(21%)tohear
homophobicremarksatleastsometimes.
Differences
in
the
prevalence
of
biased
comments
mayalsoberelatedtoschoolcharacteristics.
Publicschoolstudentsaremuchmorelikelythan
privateorparochialschoolstudentstoreport
hearingallofthesederogatoryremarks(seeTable
1.1).Schoollocationalsoplaysaroleinthe
frequencyofbiasedcommentsheardbystudents.
Overall,studentsinurbanareasaremorelikely
thanstudentsinsuburbanorruralareastohear
negativeremarks,withtheexceptionofretard
orspaz;commentsrelatedtointellectual
capabilityareheardatthesamefrequencyacross
urban,suburbanandruralschools(seealsoTable
1.1).
Studentsarenottheonlysourceofbiased
remarksatschoolalarmingly,twointen
elementaryschoolstudents(19%)saythatthey
haveheardteachersorotheradultsatschool
makebiasedcomments(seeFigure1.2).Most
commonly,studentsreportthatteachersorother
adultscallastudentstupidordumb(11%)or
makeracialorethnicslurs(3%).Veryfew
students,2%orless,saythattheyhaveheard
teachersor
adults
say
things
like
thats
so
gay
or
youresogay(2%),denigratepeoplethatthe
teachersoradultsbelievearegay(2%)ormake
negativeremarksaboutreligion(1%).
AsshowninTable1.2,theprevalenceofstudents
hearingbiasedremarksfromteachersishigher
amongolderthanyoungerstudents.Older
studentsin5th6thgradearemorelikelythan
youngerstudentsin3rd4thgradetosaythatthey
haveheardtheirteachersorotheradultsinschool
make
any
of
these
biased
remarks
(23%
vs.
17%).
Inparticular,olderstudentsaremorelikelythan
youngerstudentstosaythattheyhavehearda
teacherorotheradultcallastudentstupidor
dumb(15%vs.9%).Therearenodifferencesby
otherstudentcharacteristics,suchasgenderor
race/ethnicityorbyschoolcharacteristics.
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Table1.1
FrequencyofHearingBiasedRemarksfromOtherStudentsatSchoolbySchoolTypeand
SchoolLocation
SchoolType SchoolLocation
PublicPrivate/
ParochialUrban Suburban Rural
A B C D E
Base: 928 130 318 433 310
Hearothersmakecommentslike"retard"or"spaz"
AlltheTime/Often/Sometimes 53%B 36% 52% 50% 52%
Never/AlmostNever 47% 64%A 47% 50% 47%
Hearothersmakecommentslike"that'ssogay"or"you'resogay"
AlltheTime/Often/Sometimes 47%B 27% 56%DE 38% 46%D
Never/AlmostNever 52% 73%A 41% 61%CE 53%C
Hearothersmakecommentslike"fag"or"lesbo"
AlltheTime/Often/Sometimes 28%B 10% 37%DE 22% 24%
Never/AlmostNever 70% 90%A 61% 77%C 75%C
Hearotherssaybadormeanthingsaboutpeoplebecauseoftheirraceorethnic
background
AlltheTime/Often/Sometimes 28%B 6% 37%DE 24% 19%
Never/AlmostNever 71% 94%A 62% 76%C 80%C
Hearotherssaybadormeanthingsaboutpeoplebecauseoftheirreligion
AlltheTime/Often/Sometimes 11%B 3% 16%E 8% 8%
Never/AlmostNever 87% 96%A 81% 91%C 91%C
Q915/Q905/Q910.Howoftendokidsatyourschoolsaythingslike: "retard"or"spaz"/"that'ssogay"or
"you'resogay"/"fag"or"lesbo"? Q950.Howoftendokidsatyourschoolsaybadormeanthingsabout
peopleforthesereasons:Becauseoftheirraceorethnicbackground/Becauseoftheirreligion?
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Table1.2
DifferencesbyGradeLevelofStudentsWhoReportedEverHearingBiasedRemarksfromTeachers
andOtherAdultsatSchool
Grade
Level
3rd
4th
grade
5th
6th
grade
A B
Base: 548 517
Callastudent"stupid"or"dumb" 9% 15%A
Saybadormeanthingsaboutpeople
becauseoftheirraceorethnic
background
2% 4%
Say"that'ssogay"oryou'resogay 1% 3%
Saybadormeanthingsaboutpeople
whothey
think
are
gay
2%
1%
Saybadormeanthingsaboutpeople
becauseoftheirreligion* 1%
Noneofthese 83%B 77%
Q955.Didateacherorotheradultatschooleverdoanyofthesethings?
1%
2%
2%
3%
11%
Saybad
or
mean
things
about
people
becauseoftheirreligion
Saybadormeanthingsaboutpeoplewho
theythinkaregay
Saythat'ssogay"or"you'resogay"
Saybadormeanthingsaboutpeople
becauseoftheirraceorethnicbackground
Callastudent
stupid"
or
"dumb
Figure1.2
StudentsWhoReportedEverHearingBiasedRemarksfromTeachersand
OtherAdultsatSchool
Q955.Didateacherorotheradultatschooleverdoanyofthesethings?
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Insomeofourpreviousresearchonclimatein
secondaryschools,wehavefoundthataroundsix
inten
students
report
hearing
disparaging
commentsaboutsomeonesgenderexpression
(suchassayingthatamalestudentistoo
feminineorafemalestudentistoomasculine)
atleastsometimes.2 Further,GLSENsresearchon
theexperiencesofLGBTidentifiedstudentsin
secondaryschoolshowsthatthemajorityofthis
studentpopulationalsohearscommentsabout
genderexpression.3Wewantedtounderstand
theextenttowhichthesecommentsoccurin
earliergradesandhowsuchattitudesabout
genderroles
are
expressed.
In
formative
qualitativeresearch,elementaryschoolteachers
indicatedthatstudentsandteachersseemany
behaviorsasgenderspecificattheelementary
schoollevel,including:sportsingeneral(e.g.,as
moreappropriateforboys)andspecifictypesof
sports(e.g.,tetherballasmoreappropriatefor
girls);waysofinteractingwithotherstudentsand
withtheteacher(e.g.,withgirlsexpectedtobe
kind,helptheteacher);clothesandhairstyles;
andchoiceoffriends(e.g.,withfriendships
consistingofsamegenderindividuals).In
addition,teachersreportsometimesusinggender
separationasaclassroommanagementtooland
forpurposessuchasbathroomlines.
Inlookingspecificallyattheelementaryschool
climate,wefindthatasizableminorityof
elementarystudentshearotherstudentssaythat
therearethingsthatboysorgirlsshouldnotdoor
wearjustbecausetheyareboysorgirls(see
Figure1.3).Furthermore,itismorecommonfor
2HarrisInteractive&GLSEN.(2005).Fromteasingtotorment:SchoolclimateinAmerica,Asurveyofstudentsandteachers.NewYork,GLSEN.3Kosciw,J.G.,Greytak,E.A.,Diaz,E.M.,&Bartkiewicz,
M.J.(2010).The2009NationalSchoolClimateSurvey:Theexperiencesoflesbian,gay,bisexualandtransgenderyouthinournationsschools.NewYork:GLSEN.
studentstohearthatboysshouldnotdoorwear
certainthingsbecausetheyareboysthantohear
similarcommentsaboutgirls.Fourinten(38%)
studentsreportthatotherstudentsattheir
elementaryschoolsaythattherearethingsboys
shouldnotdoorwearbecausetheyareboysat
leastsometimes,with11%reportingthatthey
hearthesecommentsbeingmadeallthetimeor
often.Slightlyfewerelementaryschoolstudents
reporthearingremarksfromotherstudentsthat
therearethingsgirlsshouldnotdoorwear
becausetheyaregirls:onethird(33%)report
hearingcommentsabouthowgirlsareexpected
toactorlookaccordingtosocietalnormsatleast
sometimes,with7%sayingthattheyhearthese
commentsallthetimeoroften.
Remarks Related to Not Conforming toTraditional Gender Norms
Comparedto
their
older
peers,
younger
girls
seem
tobemoreacceptingofothergirlswhomaynot
conformtotraditionalgendernorms,thanare
theirolderpeers.Abouthalfof3rd4thgradegirls
(47%)reportthattheyneverhearotherkidsmake
thesetypesofcommentsaboutgirls,compared
withjustoveronethirdof5th6thgradegirls(36%).
Incontrast,therearenodifferencesbygradelevel
orgenderinhearingotherstudentssaythatthere
arethingsthatboysshouldnotdoorwear
becausetheyareboys.Therearealsono
differences
by
the
other
student
demographics
thatweexamined,suchasrace/ethnicity.
Theprevalenceofgenderbasedremarksisalso
relatedtoschoolcharacteristics.Studentsin
publicandurbanschoolsaremorelikelytohear
otherstudentssaythattherearethingsboysor
girlsshouldnotdoorwearjustbecausetheyare
boysorgirls.Publicschoolstudentsaremore
likelythanprivate/parochialschoolstudentsto
saythattheyhearotherstudentsmakethese
commentsaboutwhatboysarenotsupposedto
door
wear,
although
there
are
no
such
school
typedifferencesregardingcommentsaboutwhat
girlsaretraditionallyexpectedtodoorwear.As
forschoollocation,studentsinurbanschoolsare
morelikelythanthoseatsuburbanorrural
schoolstosaythattheyheartheseremarksabout
boys,andaremorelikelythanstudentsinrural
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schoolstohearthesametypesofcomments
aboutgirls(seeTable1.3).
Studentswerealsoaskedaboutthekindsof
messagestheyhearfromteachersabouthow
boysandgirlsshouldbehavebasedongender.
Thenumberofstudentswhoreporthearing
teachersmakethesecommentsissmallless
than10%ofstudentsreportthattheyhaveheard
theirteachermakecommentsaboutwhatis
appropriateforgirlstodoorboystodoor
commentsthatonegenderisbetterthanthe
other(seeFigure1.4).Olderelementaryschool
studentsaresomewhatmorelikelythanyounger
studentstosaythattheyhaveheardateacheror
otheradultatschoolsaythattherearethingsthat
boysandgirlsshouldnotdoorwearbecauseof
theirgender.
No
other
differences
based
on
studentcharacteristicsareapparent.
Whenexaminingtheprevalenceofteachersor
adultsmakingbiasedcommentsregardinggender
expressionbyschoollocation,weseeagainthat
theseremarksaremorelikelytooccurinurban
elementaryschools.Studentsinurbanschoolsare
morelikelythanstudentsinsuburbanschoolsto
reportthattheyhearadultsattheirschoolsay
thattherearethingsboysandgirlsshouldnotdo
becauseoftheirgenderandthatonegenderis
betterthananother(seeTable1.4).Nosignificant
differencescanbeseenwhencomparingurban
andsuburbanschoolsagainstruralschools(see
alsoTable1.4),noristhereadifferencebasedon
schooltype.
Whereasthenumberofstudentswhoreport
hearingteachersorotheradultsmakebiased
commentsissmall,theimpactissizable.Teacher
behaviorappearstoberelatedtotheprevalence
ofstudentscommentsregardinggendernorms.
AsshowninTable1.5,studentsaremorelikelyto
makecommentsabouthowboysandgirlsare
expectedtobehaveorlookinschoolswhere
studentshaveheardteacherssaythatthereare
thingsboys
and
girls
should
not
do
or
wear
becauseoftheirgender: threequartersofthe
studentsheargenderremarksfromother
studentsattheirschool(79%aboutboysand75%
aboutgirls)inschoolswhereteachersencourage
studentstoactorlookaccordingtosocietal
expectationsoftheirgender,comparedtoathird
(35%and29%,respectively)ofstudentsinschools
whohavenotheardteachersmakesuchremarks.
22% 23%
27% 26%
8% 5%
3% 2%
Hearothersmakeremarks
abouthowboysshouldactor
look
Hearothersmakeremarks
abouthowgirlsshouldactor
look
Figure
1.3FrequencyofHearingRemarksRelatedtoStudentsGender
ExpressionfromOtherStudentsatSchool
AlltheTime
Often
Sometimes
AlmostNever
Q930/Q940. Howoftendokidsatyourschoolsaythattherearethingsthatboysshouldnotdoor
shouldnotwearbecausetheyareboys?/Howoftendokidsatyourschoolsaythattherearethings
thatgirlsshouldnotdoorshouldnotwearbecausetheyaregirls?(Excludes"Never"response.)
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Table1.3
FrequencyofHearingRemarksRelatedtoStudentsGenderExpressionfromOther
StudentsatSchoolbySchoolTypeandSchoolLocation
SchoolType SchoolLocation
PublicPrivate/
ParochialUrban Suburban Rural
A B C D E
Base: 928 130 318 433 310
Hearothersmakeremarksabouthowboysshouldactorlook
Allthe
Time/Often/Sometimes40%B 24% 46%DE 36% 35%
Never/AlmostNever
59%
77%A
52%
64%C
65%C
Hearothersmakeremarksabouthowgirlsshouldactorlook
Allthe
Time/Often/Sometimes34%B
23% 38%E 32% 30%
Never/AlmostNever 65% 77%A 60% 68% 70%C
Q930/Q940.Howoftendokidsatyourschoolsaythattherearethingsthatboysshouldnotdoorshouldnot
wearbecausetheyareboys?/Howoftendokidsatyourschoolsaythattherearethingsthatgirlsshouldnotdo
orshouldnotwearbecausetheyaregirls?
4%
4%
4%
5%
6%
8%
Saythatgirlsarebetterthanboys,orboys
arebetterthangirls
Saythattherearethingsgirlscan'twear
becausetheyaregirls
Saythattherearethingsboyscan'twear
becausetheyareboys
Saythattherearethingsgirlsshouldnotdo
becausetheyaregirls
Saythattherearethingsboysshouldnotdo
becausetheyareboys
Encouragestudentstofollowsocietal
expectationsofgender(Net)
Figure1.4
StudentsWhoReportedEverHearingRemarksRelatedtoStudents
GenderExpressionfromTeachersandOtherAdults
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Section 2.Teachers Reports on Biased Language at School
Teachersprovideanimportantperspectiveon
schoolclimate.Inthissection,weexamine
teachersviews
on
the
prevalence
of
biased
languageamongstudentsattheirschool.In
addition,wediscussteachersreportsonhow
theyaddressbiasedlanguageintheirclassrooms.
Itisalsovaluabletoexaminewhetherstudents
andteachershavesimilarperspectives.For
example,inourpreviousresearchamong
secondaryschoolteachersandstudents,wehave
foundasizablediscrepancyinperceptionsofhow
oftenracist,sexistandhomophobicremarksare
madeinschools,withstudentsreportingamuch
moreseriousproblemthanteachers.4
Elementaryschoolteachersreportthatthetypes
ofbiasedremarksthattheyhearstudentsmake
mostoftenaretheuseofthewordgayina
negativeway,sexistremarksandcommentslike
spazorretardwithnearlyhalfofteachers
reportingthattheyhearstudentsmakethese
remarksatleastsometimes(seeFigure1.5).
Teachersreportsonthefrequencywithwhich
studentsusethewordgayinanegativewayand
makecommentslikespazorretardaresimilar
tostudents
own
perspectives
on
the
prevalence
oftheseremarks,asdiscussedintheprevious
section.
Whereasuseofthewordgayinanegativeway
isthetypeofbiasedlanguageheardmostoftenby
teachersinelementaryschools,theyarelesslikely
toindicatethatotherhomophobicremarks,like
faggotorqueer, areusedbyelementary
studentsaboutaquartersaythattheyhear
thesetypesofhomophobiccommentsatleast
sometimes(26%,
including
9%
who
hear
them
veryoftenoroften).Onequarterofteachers
(26%)hearnegativeremarksregardingstudents
whomaynotconformtogendernorms(afemale
4GLSEN&HarrisInteractive(2005).Fromteasingtotorment:SchoolclimateinAmerica,Asurveyofstudentsandteachers.NewYork:GLSEN.
actingorlookingtoomasculineoramaleacting
orlookingtoofeminine)atleastsometimes.
Andsimilar
to
student
reports,
teachers
indicate
thatstudentsatleastsometimesmakecomments
ab
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