Abstract: The Safe Schools Coalition of Washington is a public-private partnership of 90 offices, agencies, and organizations, as well as many individuals. The Coalition's Anti-Violence Documentation Project is an ongoing statewide qualitative study examining the phenomenon of anti-gay sexual harassment and violence in kindergarten through grade 12. In the first 4 years of this 5-year study, over 90 incidents have been reported to the Project. They have come from at least 59 public schools, including 1 reservation school, and 1 private school, in 30 school districts and 9 counties. They have included 8 gang rapes and 19 physical assaults. There have been 14 incidents of physical harassment or sexual assault short of rape and 34 incidents of ongoing verbal and other harassment. Of the total reported incidents, 41 were considered serious enough to warrant possible criminal allegations. In half the reported incidents, where there were adult witnesses, the adults stood by in silence. These reports are undoubtedly a small subset of all antigay harassment in Washington State, but they provide a portrait of the range of anti-gay bullying activities and the response of adults. Part 2 of the report reviews some quantitative studies of actual prevalence of harassment of gay and lesbian students. One of these studies, the Seattle Teen Health Risk Survey, was actually conducted in Washington in 1995. (Contains one table and four figures.) (SLD)

Title: Safe Schools Report of the Anti-Violence Documentation Project from the Safe Schools Coalition of Washington. Will You Be There for Every Child? Fourth Annual Report.
Author: Reis, Beth
Note: 36p.; For the accompanying resource guide, see UD 032 236.
Publication Year: 1997
Document Type: Project Description (141)
Target Audience: Policymakers
ERIC Identifier: ED418175
Clearinghouse Identifier: UD032235
Available from: Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment, P.O. Box 16776, Seattle, WA 98116; e-mail: NCAMH@aol.com; World Wide Web: http://members.tripod.com/ claytoly/ssp home

Descriptors: American Indians; Elementary Secondary Education; * Homophobia; * Homosexuality; * Incidence; * Partnerships in Education; Responses; * School Safety; Sexual Harassment; Surveys; * Violence

Identifiers: *Washington