Less than half of elementary, middle and high school students in the country feel a sense of belonging at their school – the strongest deterrent to bullying, according to a report published by the nonprofit YouthTruth, an initiative of the Center for Effective Philanthropy.
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Only 34% of elementary students, 45% percent of middle school students and 42% of high school students report they feel a sense of belonging. “The Anti-Bullying Report” is based on the experiences of more than 200,000 students in third through 12th grade during the 2024-25 academic year.
“Belonging and respect aren't abstract ideals – they are proven shields against bullying,” said Dr. Jennifer de Forest, Director of Research and Learning at YouthTruth. “The data show it, and principals whose students feel safe confirm it.”
Additional key findings include:
— 1 in 3 elementary students and 1 in 4 middle school students say they experience bullying. Fifteen percent of high school students report being bullied.
— Between sixth and eighth grade, students' sense of belonging drops by 11 percentage points, from 52% to 41%.
— High school students are nearly twice as likely to consider dropping out if they are bullied
Appearance, followed by race, gender expression, sexuality and disability were the most common targets for bullying.
“Even though Generations Z and Alpha are the most racially diverse in the history of our country, kids are still subjected to explicit messages and narrow norms about how they should look,” said David McKinney, Vice President of YouthTruth.
The new report also shows that when students see adults consistently modeling respect across differences, bullying declines – but not all students report experiencing that respect.
“Schools play a leadership role in not just teaching children the fundamental truth of human difference as a gift, but in showing all of us that young people, adults and communities thrive when everyone belongs,” McKinney said.
Read the full report on youthtruth.org
About YouthTruth
YouthTruth is a national non-profit dedicated to amplifying student voices. Since 2008, we've worked with districts across the country to gather input from more than 3.2 million students on their school experiences.
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SOURCE Center For Effective Philanthropy
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