Digital Smarts - Survey Shows a Dip in Bullying Behavior

The number of 12- to 18-year-olds who report being bullied has declined, according to the federal School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey. Data shows that 20.8% reported being bulled in 2015, down from 31.7% in 2007. The survey covers bullying that takes place in schools, on school property, on a school bus, or going to or from school, and it defines bullying by students who report:

• being made fun of, called names or insulted
• being the subject of rumors
• being threatened with harm
• being pushed, shoved, tripped or spit on
• being pressured into doing things they did not want to do
• being excluded from activities on purpose
• having had property destroyed on purpose

Students were also asked whether they're bullied based on their race, religion, ethnic background or national origin, disability, gender or sexual orientation, which researchers documented as hate-related speech. The reported drops come as schools have increased their focus on bullying prevention and focused more intentionally on what's known as social and emotional learning in an effort to improve school climate. It should be noted that this survey was done before the 2016 election and the bump in bullying that many educators have reported anecdotally.