Hawai'i's public school system is the 10th-largest in the United States. Nearly a third of public school students say they've been victims of bullying or harassment, according to an official survey. Photo: AFP
Nearly a third of Hawai'i's public school students say they've been the victims of bullying or harassment, according to a survey conducted as part a review of the state's Education Department.
The review found a system, the 10th-largest in the United States, struggling to handle bullying and harassment and failing to take steps to protect victims or follow up.
It also found tens of thousands of students were victimised again after reporting an incident of bullying or harassment.
Nearly 40 percent of students also said bullying they'd experienced or witnessed made them feel unsafe at school.
The majority of students who reported being bullied at school said that they were harassed based on race, national origin, sex or because of a disability.
While more than half of bullying incidents were reported to a teacher or school employee, schools took no action in 15 percent of cases.
The survey was conducted during the 2014-15 school year and included nearly 70,000 students.
