North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has proclaimed October Bullying Awareness and Prevention Month. The proclamation comes as the N.C. Center for Safer Schools launches a monthlong effort highlighting bullying prevention methods and awareness among teachers, educators and community members.
McCrory’s proclamation, made on Wednesday, says it is “important for North Carolina parents, students, teachers and school administrators to be aware of bullying, and to encourage discussion of the problem as a school community.”
North Carolina’s statewide Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2013 found that nearly 43 percent of middle school students and nearly 20 percent of high school students surveyed reported being bullied at school during the previous 12 months.
The state survey also found that almost 19 percent of middle school students and almost 11 percent of high school students surveyed had been the victim of anti-LGB teasing or name calling during the previous 12 months.
The high school survey also found 6.2 percent of high school students surveyed self-identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual. Female students and African-American students were more likely to identify as LGB than male, white or Latino students.
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