Peer-To-Peer Violence and Bullying: Examining the Federal Response

This report focuses on the government's efforts to enforce federal civil rights laws with respect to peer-to-peer violence based on race, national origin, sex, disability, religion, and sexual orientation or gender identity. The Commission examined the nature and incidence of peer-to-peer violence in public K-12 schools and studied the types of peer-to-peer violence faced by students, as well as the effects of such violence. The Commission further reviewed the policies and procedures employed by the United States Departments of Education and Justice in enforcing prohibitions against peer-to-peer violence. The Commission, by majority vote, concluded that bullying and harassment, including bullying and harassment based on sex, race, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or religion, are harmful to American youth, and developed findings and recommendations to address the problem, including the following recommendations: