ABOUT US
Our Mission
The mission of End K-12 Violence is to protect the safety and well-being of every child in the K-12 educational setting. All children are entitled to receive a safe education, free from bullying, harassment, abuse, and violence. We strive for a world where children can receive a quality education without the threat or fear of violence. We believe this begins with a culture of both inclusion and accountability.
THE PROBLEM
At End K-12 Violence, our goal is to ensure the needs, safety, and well-being of every child are met. All children are entitled to receive a safe education, free of bullying, harassment, abuse, and violence.
K-12 violence is currently an epidemic in plain sight. Every year, an astonishing 4 in 5 schools have at least one incident of violence. In just the past year, 30 out of 1,000 children suffered violence at school.
When we consider other forms of violence, such as bullying, discrimination, and sexual harassment, the numbers are even bleaker. In the past year, nearly 1 in 4 children have reported being the victim of bullying, discrimination, or sexual harassment. By the time they finish high school, nearly half will have been victimized.
The numbers are even bleaker for sexual abuse and sexual harassment. Over 15,000 cases of sexual violence are reported every year in school--an increase of 50% over the last five years. By the time students graduate, over 1 in 10 will have been the victim of sexual misconduct on school grounds. A whopping 4 in 5 girls will be the victim of harassment or gender-based intimidation by the time they reach the 12th grade.
Many people view bullying as a “right of passage” in educational institutes. End K-12 Violence wants to put a full stop to this toxic culture.
Violence, bullying, sexual harassment, and abuse are not acceptable in a workplace, so why does it continue to thrive at schools? Children are the most vulnerable in society and they need to have the most protections put in place. However, often, children fall through the cracks. There is no national anti-school violence policy. While most states ban bullying and have policies designed to prevent and punish school violence, their comprehensiveness and effectiveness vary wildly. Even when policies exist on paper, they are not always enforced, leaving students and parents with few options and little recourse.
OUR SOLUTION
End K-12 Violence wants to end this paradigm and make schools a safe place for all children. We do this by the following:
Raising awareness about K-12 violence, including crime, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, racial discrimination, bullying, hazing, disability discrimination, gender-based/sexual orientation discrimination, safety, and mental health.
Informing students and parents of warning signs, as well as their rights and resources, if they or a loved one is the victim of school violence.
Helping provide educators and administrators with resources and common-sense, research-driven solutions to end school-based violence.
Facilitating and collecting research on the topics related to school-based violence and safety.
Connecting students in a crisis caused by school-based violence with educational, medical, and legal resources.
Encouraging states, school districts, and the federal government to enact policies, regulations, and laws against school violence that create a culture of accountability and ensure students have access to a free, appropriate, public education.
Working with advocates and legal experts to help victims of school-based violence get justice, while also advocating for expanded parent-student protections in the legal system.
Holding school officials that failed to fix discriminatory, harassing, or dangerous school environments accountable.
At End K-12 Violence, we want to be a voice for children. No child should be silenced by school violence.