skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Kids Face Anxiety, Harassment at School in Wake of Election

play audio
Play

Tuesday, December 6, 2016   

SALT LAKE CITY – This year's presidential election has had a big impact on the nation's schools, grades K-12. According to a new national survey of educators by the Southern Poverty Law Center, student anxiety and incidents of harassment are on the rise.

Maureen Costello, the report's author and the Teaching Tolerance director with the Center, said 90 percent of respondents said the election has negatively affected their schools, and many reported disturbing behavior.

"Lot of use of the 'n' word, and Confederate flags," she said. "We've heard of Nazi salutes, swastikas and 'Heil Trump.' It just seems that the kind of civil behavior that we expect of students has completely broken down."

Eight in ten educators surveyed said immigrant, Muslim and African-American students, as well as those who identify as LGBT, experience the greatest anxiety. Costello noted the small percentage of schools reporting little impact are predominantly white, or have a history of developing welcoming, inclusive communities, and programs that encourage empathy and compassion.

Costello added that children who are anxious have a harder time learning, and said parents can help address their concerns.

"Parents I think should, first of all, engage with their children and listen to them," she added. "So, it's not just 'How was school today?' But, 'Hey I've heard about this - is this happening at your school?'"

The report's recommendations for school leaders include making public statements to affirm school values and set expectations about inclusion and respect; identifying students who are being targeted or whose emotional needs seem to have changed, and doubling down on anti-bullying strategies.

"It's sometimes hard to stand up to bullying, or to stand up to nasty things being said," explained Costello. "But you don't actually have to. What you just have to do is go over to the target, engage them in conversation and show that you're their friend."

More than 10,000 teachers, counselors and other school workers responded to the post-election survey. That's up from 2,000 who took part in a similar poll in March, when teachers overwhelming named the source of both student anxiety and bad behavior as Donald Trump.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021