**Note to ODVN staff- this resource is located in the Violence Prevention Section**

Product Description:

This 2003 survey report provides a rare look into student experiences with bullying and harassment, and their attitudes about this serious problem in Ohio schools. The results are based on students in Ohio who were surveyed as part of a national survey of secondary school students and teachers conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of GLSEN.

Results from the survey demonstrate that bullying is common in Ohio schools, and the basis for which students are frequent targets of verbal and physical harassment:

• Nearly half (42%) of Ohio students reported that bullying, name-calling, and harassment were serious problems in their schools, and nearly one-fifth (17%) reported that these were very serious problems.
• The percentage of students in Ohio who thought that bullying was a somewhat or serious problem in their schools was higher than the national sample (42% vs. 36%).
• A majority of participants said that bullying occurred at least some of the time because of physical appearance/body size (69%), perceived sexual orientation (60%), and gender expression, e.g., a girl who acts like a boy, (58%).
• The two most commonly cited types of biased language in Ohio schools were sexist language and homophobic language. Sexist language, such as calling a girl a bitch, calling a boy a girl or statements that girls are not as capable as boys were heard by 79% of respondents at least some of the time. Homophobic remarks such as faggot, dyke, or queer, were heard by 70% of respondents at least some of the time.