The Santa Barbara County Grand Jury has released a new report calling on local schools to implement additional safety measures to address what it describes as a “chronic problem” of student bullying across the county’s public schools.
The investigation, which examined bullying in all 20 of the county’s school districts, found that while most administrators are aware of bullying-related challenges and have implemented strategies to address them, the effectiveness of these efforts has been inconsistent, leaving some students in unsafe and unhealthy learning environments.
Survey Data Reveals Scope of Problem
During the 2024-2025 school year, Santa Barbara County public schools enrolled more than 63,000 students. According to California School Climate, Health, and Learning Surveys data cited in the report, of 16,307 students surveyed between 2023 and 2025:
- 962 students reported feeling unsafe at school
- 347 students were pushed, shoved, or kicked multiple times at school
- 231 students experienced additional forms of physical bullying
The report notes that the prevalence and impact of bullying vary based on community socioeconomic conditions, race, gender, ethnicity, and the presence of gang activity.
Certain student populations—including female students and students with disabilities—experience bullying at higher rates.
Key Findings
Based on interviews with school administrators and counselors and hundreds of pages of documents, the Grand Jury found that:
- Bullying on county school campuses can be reduced by implementing additional safety measures
- Administrators do not consistently inform school counselors when students under their guidance engage in bullying
- Parent participation in outreach programs for bullying has been poor
The report emphasizes that bullying negatively affects all individuals involved, including victims, perpetrators, and bystanders.
Research cited in the report shows that students who are bullied are more likely to experience academic difficulties, social isolation, physical symptoms, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, with prolonged exposure potentially resulting in lasting trauma extending into adulthood.
Recommendations
To address these concerns, the Grand Jury recommends that schools:
- Increase staff presence in areas where students congregate before, during, and after school
- Install sufficient video cameras to monitor areas where students congregate
- Add more counselors when the student-to-counselor ratio exceeds 250:1
- Inform school counselors whenever students under their guidance engage in bullying
- Schedule parent outreach programs on evenings, weekends, and online to accommodate working parents
- Encourage parents of students who have engaged in repeated acts of bullying to attend training programs
- Include non-monetary incentives to encourage parents to attend outreach programs
Contributing Factors
The Grand Jury report notes that bullying is a learned behavior that can be adopted from friends, family, or others who have exerted power over students. Studies have shown a correlation between students’ exposure to domestic violence at home and their participation in bullying at school.
Cyberbullying presents an additional and growing concern, the report states, as it can occur both on and off campus with significant academic and psychological consequences.
The report also acknowledges barriers facing many families. Immigrant parents may face cultural, linguistic, or structural barriers that limit their engagement with schools. Many parents work long hours, commute significant distances, or face language barriers that can limit communication with their children and school personnel, potentially leaving incidents of bullying unreported or unresolved.
Recent State Legislation
The report references several new California laws enacted since 2024 requiring greater emphasis on training and responding to school bullying, including:
- AB 772 (2025): Requires the California Department of Education to create a model policy addressing off-campus bullying and cyberbullying
- SB 939 (2024): Requires the state to provide online training modules about bullying for school staff, administrators, parents, and students
- AB 3216 (2024): Requires all public schools to adopt policies limiting or banning smartphone use on campus by July 2026
- AB 621 (2025): Targets AI-generated deepfake pornography used for bullying or harassment
The full report is available here.
The Santa Barbara County Grand Jury consists of 19 volunteers from across the county who serve one-year terms. As a division of the Superior Court, the Grand Jury provides oversight of government agencies, cities, and districts throughout Santa Barbara County. Members of the public can share concerns or learn about Grand Jury service at sbcgj.org.
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MAGA families are teaching children to hate, and bullying is learned at home. When your leaders and parents openly use slurs for people of non-white background, LGBTQ, physically or mentally challenged, or of a lower socio-economic class, those horrible beliefs are going to migrate to school.