Bullying

1 in 5 parents say their child age 6-12 years has no friends or not enough friends. 3 in 4 parents have taken steps to help their child make new friends. 2 in 3 parents say it is important that their child’s friends come from families similar to theirs.

2 out of 3 parents say their child is self-conscious about some aspect of their appearance. 1 in 5 parents say their teens avoid things like being in photos due to being self-conscious about their appearance. 1 in 3 parents say their child has been treated unkindly because of their appearance.

1 in 3 parents are very concerned about bullying/cyberbullying for their children. Black parents cite racial inequities as the top health concern for their children. Involvement of their child in a motor vehicle accident is a common concern for many parents.

For black adults, racial inequities and school violence are the #2 and #3 health concerns – neither of which appears in the Top 10 list for white adults. Black adults are the only group with gun injuries and hunger ranked in the Top 10. Childhood obesity and drug abuse are in the top three “big problems” for white and Hispanic adults, but lower on the list for black adults.

Mothers are more likely than fathers to label actions as cyberbullying. One in five parents believe students who post online rumors about sex should be referred to law enforcement. Online rumors about cheating on a test are viewed by parents as less serious than online rumors about sex.

81% of adults say schools should take action if a student embarrasses or humiliates another student. 76% of adults believe schools should take action if a student spreads rumors about another student. 56% of adults believe schools should take action if a student isolates another student socially.

Only 1 in 3 parents give secondary schools an “A” for providing a safe place for students overall; in contrast, 3 in 5 parents give primary schools an “A”. Only 1 in 4 parents give secondary schools an “A” for prevention of bullying and school violence; just 2 in 5 parents give primary schools an “A”.

39% of families with children age 6-13 have one or more overweight or obese children. Bullying is rated as the top health concern for children by parents of children age 6-13 who are either overweight or obese. 30% of parents with overweight or obese children age 6-13 do not set limits on TV, video or computer games.