Professors’ Bullying Research Featured in Safe Schools Summit

Ongoing research on bullying that’s currently being conducted by Drs. Laura Crothers and Jered Kolbert in the School of Education is an integral part of a Safe Schools Summit being held today, Wednesday, Jan. 16, in Pittsburgh.

The research study by the duo, which focuses on gaps in existing anti-bullying programs, brought the topic of bullying because of sexual orientation to the forefront of the Safe Schools Summit. Crothers and Kolbert will discuss their research as presenters at the event.

The Safe Schools Summit kicks off a two-year effort aimed at curbing bullying of local lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. The summit’s co-hosts—the Persad Center; the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN); and the Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)—are raising awareness of the issue of bullying aimed at LGBTQ students in area schools.

According to Crothers, the study targets middle and high schools (grades six through 12) in Allegheny County. The prime purpose is to discover if districts include LGBTQ bullying education in their curriculums and whether existing anti-bullying programs have been effective. Participants in the research include parents, teachers and students who have self-identified as being part of the LGBTQ community.

“The purpose of gathering this research is to document first if there is a problem with LGBTQ kids not benefiting from anti-bullying education in Allegheny County,” Kolbert explained.

Crothers’ and Kolbert’s research data, once complete, will be used by the Persad Center and other groups to focus on key areas where improvements are needed in existing programs and to identify where programs need to be implemented. The information will also be shared with groups, including parents, LGBTQ organizations, students and educators, in hopes that further improvements can be made to LGBTQ anti-bullying education.

In addition to Crothers and Kolbert, presenters at the summit will include Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl; speakers from the Trevor Project, a national suicide prevention hotline for LGBTQ youth; and other educational and parents-friends organizations.