*Focus on the Family believes that bullying should be recognized as a serious problem and should be strongly addressed.

*We believe schools can address this issue with a strong prohibition against any form of bullying—for any reason, against any child.

*The emphasis should be on the wrong actions of the bully—not on the bully’s perceived thoughts or motivations.

*The data back up this approach: The latest statistics, for instance, show that approximately 30 percent of American children report being involved in bullying—either as the victim, the bully or both. 1

*Physical appearance—or the general concept of appearing different than one’s peers—is actually the most commonly reported reason for why victims are targeted. 2

*Statistics also indicate that race, ethnicity issues, and even opposite-sex harassment actually account for more bullying problems, than do homosexual-related issues.3

*A child’s chance of being bullied can even be increased by something as subtle as difficulty reading “nonverbal” social cues.4

*Therefore, an effective policy should be designed to address the widespread nature of the problem. It should not be a policy that mirrors, or is designed to appease, a narrow political agenda.

*Bullying can and should be addressed without politicizing taxpayer-funded classrooms and introducing controversial, sexual topics to children against their parents’ will.

*Policies that single out certain characteristics for special protections are counterproductive. Again, they put the focus on the wrong place—on the characteristics of the victim—rather than where the focus should be, on the wrong actions of the bullies.

*Listing certain categories creates a system ripe for reverse discrimination, sending the message that certain characteristics are more worthy of protection than others. Instead of bringing more peace and unity, this can politicize the school environment and introduce divisiveness among different groups of students and parents.

*Why not emphasize instead the things we have in common as Americans? For example, we can unite around the teachings of our Founding Fathers—in particular, the principle that all men are created equal and that they are endowed with unalienable rights.

*Therefore, all people, no matter what their particular beliefs or sexual identities are, are entitled to the same basic rights as other citizens, including the right to life and pursuit of happiness.

For Web links to sources for statistics cited on this page click here. For more in-depth information, click here.

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