Every student in Texas schools deserves an education free from the harmful physical and emotional effects of harassment and bullying. However, in schools across Texas thousands of children dread going to school to face the taunts, jeers, humiliation, physical intimidation and pain inflicted through harassment and bullying.
Legislation passed in 2005 amended Chapter 37 of the Education Code to require school districts to adopt student codes of conduct that explicitly proscribe bullying and harassment. We support efforts to measure compliance with this legislation and to evaluate the effectiveness of these codes in Texas public schools.
Equality Texas Foundation’s Safe Schools Initiative is focusing on four primary strategies to secure adoption of model policies in Texas independent school districts that address the prevention, intervention, and elimination of bullying and harassment, and that are inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression:
• A Texas Safe Schools Coalition,
• Research data compiled by professional educators on bullying and harassment in Texas schools,
• Community education forums, and
• A Texas Gay Straight Alliance Network.
Explore these links for more information on our Safe Schools Initiative: