Bullying Online or by Text, Bullying Components, and Student Perceptions of School Discipline in 2016–17.

In school year 2016–17, more students reported being bullied about their appearance and race when being bullied with both power imbalance and repetition (39 percent and 11 percent, respectively) than when being bullied with either power imbalance or repetition but not both (30 percent and 6 percent, respectively); female students reported being bullied online or by text at a rate three times that of males (21 percent vs. 7 percent); and a lower percentage of students who saw guns at school agreed that teachers treat students with respect compared to the percentage of students who did not see guns at school (73 percent and 94 percent).  Today, the National Center for Education Statistics released three new Data Point Reports entitled Students’ Perceptions of Bullying;  Electronic Bullying: Online and by Text;  Student Perceptions of School Discipline and the Presence of Gangs or Guns at School.  These reports examine the characteristics and school behaviors of students who report bullying online or by text; the extent to which students experiencing different components of bullying report their perceived relationship of bullying to the student’s personal characteristics; and how student perceptions of school discipline vary by student reports of their own behaviors in school and unfavorable school conditions experienced. Key Findings: Students who reported being bullied with both power imbalance and repetition also reported more negative effects on their schoolwork (27 percent) and how they felt about themselves (36 percent) than those who were bullied overall (19 percent and 27 percent, respectively). Students who reported being bullied online or by text had higher rates of reporting any negative effects (63 percent) including negative effects in at least one of the following: on their school work, relationships with friends or family, how they felt about themselves, or their physical health than those who were bullied in person only (37 percent). A lower percentage of students who were in a physical fight at school (73 percent) or brought a weapon to school (77 percent) agreed that the punishment for breaking school rules is the same no matter who you are compared to the percentage of students who were not in a physical fight at school or had not brought a weapon to school (89 percent for each) These reports use data from the 2017 School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The U.S. Census Bureau (Census) appended additional data from the 2015–16 Common Core of Data (CCD) and the 2015–16 Private School Universe Survey (PSS) to the SCS data to show the extent to which bullying is reported by students in schools with different characteristics.