Help Make Schools Safer

Below is a message from the American Association of University  Women (AAUW): It's a simple truth - students can't learn if they don't feel safe. And yet, sadly, bullying and harassment affects nearly one in three  American school children in grades six through 10. Bullying and  harassment can result in long-term social, academic, psychological,  and physical consequences, including decreased grades and  interest in school, increased absences and dropout rates, and  decreased likelihood of obtaining a post-secondary education.   Help ensure a safe learning environment for all students by  urging your representative to support the Safe Schools  Improvement Act (H.R. 2262) now.  The Safe Schools Improvement Act would ensure that schools  have effective policies in place to prevent and respond to bullying  and harassment, including policies that strictly prohibit such conduct.  In addition, states, districts, and schools could implement programs  to teach students about the issues around, and consequences of,  bullying and harassment, as well as educating teachers and  administrators on how to best prevent these incidences and  intervene when they occur.  The issues of bullying and harassment in our schools have  garnered increased media attention lately, and the House  Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities held a  hearing on student cyber safety last week.  As members of  Congress work to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary  Education Act this year, AAUW is joining with coalition partners  this week in asking our elected officials not only to cosponsor the  Safe Schools Improvement Act but also to support inclusion of  the bill language in the reauthorization process.   More than half of all teachers reported that bullying and  harassment are serious problems in their schools.  The Safe  Schools Improvement Act would fill a troubling gap in our current  federal education policy and ensure that all students, regardless  of their background or personal characteristics, are provided a  safe environment in which to learn and succeed. Take Action! To urge your representative to cosponsor and support the Safe  Schools Improvement Act, simply copy and paste the following  URL into your Internet browser.  Then follow the instructions to  compose and send your message.  If your representative has  already signed on as a cosponsor, you will be able to send him  or her a message of thanks.  http://www.capwiz.com/aauw/issues/alert/?alertid=15200496 For more information, read AAUW's research report,  Drawing the Line: Sexual Harassment on Campus. This report  contributes to our understanding of how college students  perceive, experience, and respond to sexual harassment, and  includes information about how to create a harassment-free campus.