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Bullying on decline, but still high for LGBTQ students

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One-fifth of middle and high school students have reported being bullied at school, according to a new report by the National Center for Education Statistics and the Justice Department.

Although bullying has been slowly declining in U.S. schools over the past decade, 21 percent of students ages 12–18 still reported being bullied in 2015, the study found.

The report also noted that LGBTQ students face far higher rates of bullying than their heterosexual peers. Thirty-four percent of students who identified as LGBTQ reported being victims of bullying — compared with 19 percent of heterosexual students.

“It’s a high number and a disproportionate number in comparison,” said Charol Shakeshaft, an education professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. “Those students are singled out and isolated and harassed.”

Though the federal government has made strides toward promoting the safety of LGBTQ students, the Trump administration recently rescinded guidelines clarifying transgender students’ rights. At the state level, students in New York are protected from harassment by the Dignity for All Students Act.

Earlier studies have found that school bullying can affect students’ performance in the classroom and have lasting effects on their mental health. 

McClatchy, May 16