For many students, the harm is not subtle. In the US, 24% of students reported being bullied in 2021, and among those, race based bullying shows up at higher rates than you might expect from typical school reporting. This post puts the spotlight on what racism and discrimination look like across classrooms and discipline systems, and what the strongest studies say about the academic and health impacts.
Key Takeaways
- 61% of Black students report feeling unsafe at school at least sometimes due to racism or discrimination-related reasons (2022)
- 1 in 5 students who experienced discrimination due to race/ethnicity reported it to a school staff member, according to a 2018–2019 student victimization analysis (USA)
- 25% of students in Germany reported experiencing discrimination at school because of their background (PISA 2018, EU-wide reporting)
- U.S. Department of Education requires states to report discipline data disaggregated by race/ethnicity through CRDC collection (discipline reporting requirement)
- In the U.S., Title VI applies to schools receiving federal funding; the OCR complaint process includes an initial determination within 180 days for most cases (OCR procedural timelines)
- England’s mandatory 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' guidance (updated 2024) requires schools to have due regard to racial equality and tackle discrimination (legal requirement update)
- Students from racial minority groups were disciplined more often for subjective offenses (e.g., 'disrespect') than for objective offenses, based on a 2019 meta-analysis of school discipline disparities
- Black students’ probability of suspension increases with teacher bias measures in longitudinal observational analysis (effect size reported in the study)
- In a major meta-analysis, Black students were found to have higher rates of exclusionary discipline than White students across studies (median standardized difference reported)
- In the U.S., the average long-term English learner achievement gap corresponds to about 1.0 grade level equivalency differences by race/ethnicity in recent state assessments (RAND reporting figure)
- Racist incidents in U.S. schools were associated with increased student stress; a 2020 systematic review reported adverse mental-health effects with medium-to-large magnitudes
- Experiencing discrimination was linked to higher odds of depressive symptoms: a meta-analysis reported odds ratio around 1.4 for depression outcomes (cross-study synthesis)
- A 2021 cohort study found that students reporting racial discrimination had about 20% higher risk of chronic absenteeism (reported relative risk/odds estimate)
- 33% of LGBTQ+ students reported being verbally harassed at school because of their identity, from GLSEN’s 2019 National School Climate Survey (U.S.).
- 1 in 5 (20%) high school students reported being bullied at school because of race or ethnicity at least once in the previous 12 months, according to the CDC’s 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey analysis.
Discrimination in schools harms students’ safety, mental health, and achievement, with Black learners facing higher risks.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence Rates3 stats
01
61% of Black students report feeling unsafe at school at least sometimes due to racism or discrimination-related reasons (2022)
02
1 in 5 students who experienced discrimination due to race/ethnicity reported it to a school staff member, according to a 2018–2019 student victimization analysis (USA)
03
25% of students in Germany reported experiencing discrimination at school because of their background (PISA 2018, EU-wide reporting)
Interpretation
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
Under the Prevalence Rates frame, racism in schools is clearly widespread, with 61% of Black students reporting feeling unsafe at least sometimes due to racism and 25% of students in Germany saying they faced discrimination at school because of their background.
02 · Category
Policy & Reporting4 stats
01
U.S. Department of Education requires states to report discipline data disaggregated by race/ethnicity through CRDC collection (discipline reporting requirement)
02
In the U.S., Title VI applies to schools receiving federal funding; the OCR complaint process includes an initial determination within 180 days for most cases (OCR procedural timelines)
03
England’s mandatory 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' guidance (updated 2024) requires schools to have due regard to racial equality and tackle discrimination (legal requirement update)
04
In the U.S., the CRDC 2017–18 collection includes data fields for bullying/harassment incidents and discipline categories disaggregated by race/ethnicity
Interpretation
Policy & Reporting Interpretation
Across the Policy & Reporting landscape, the U.S. CRDC discipline and bullying reporting framework that began with fields in the 2017–18 collection and is reinforced by federal requirements now ensures race disaggregation, while OCR’s complaint handling targets an initial determination within 180 days and England’s 2024 Keeping Children Safe in Education updates tighten legal expectations for schools to address racial discrimination.
03 · Category
Discipline Disparities3 stats
01
Students from racial minority groups were disciplined more often for subjective offenses (e.g., 'disrespect') than for objective offenses, based on a 2019 meta-analysis of school discipline disparities
02
Black students’ probability of suspension increases with teacher bias measures in longitudinal observational analysis (effect size reported in the study)
03
In a major meta-analysis, Black students were found to have higher rates of exclusionary discipline than White students across studies (median standardized difference reported)
Interpretation
Discipline Disparities Interpretation
Across discipline disparities in schools, research shows that Black students are more likely to face exclusionary punishment than White students and that their suspension risk rises as measures of teacher bias increase, while racial minority students are also disciplined more often for subjective offenses like “disrespect” rather than objective ones.
04 · Category
Achievement Gaps1 stats
01
In the U.S., the average long-term English learner achievement gap corresponds to about 1.0 grade level equivalency differences by race/ethnicity in recent state assessments (RAND reporting figure)
Interpretation
Achievement Gaps Interpretation
In the U.S., achievement gaps tied to school experiences show up as about a 1.0 grade level difference for long-term English learners across race and ethnicity in recent state assessments, underscoring how racism in schools can translate into measurable academic inequities.
05 · Category
Health & Safety Impacts8 stats
01
Racist incidents in U.S. schools were associated with increased student stress; a 2020 systematic review reported adverse mental-health effects with medium-to-large magnitudes
02
Experiencing discrimination was linked to higher odds of depressive symptoms: a meta-analysis reported odds ratio around 1.4 for depression outcomes (cross-study synthesis)
03
A 2021 cohort study found that students reporting racial discrimination had about 20% higher risk of chronic absenteeism (reported relative risk/odds estimate)
04
In the U.S., teachers’ implicit bias is associated with lower academic outcomes: a 2020 meta-analysis reported an average effect size near r = -0.15 for biased treatment and achievement
05
A 2019 randomized controlled trial found that culturally responsive practices improved student engagement scores by about 0.2–0.3 SD in participating schools
06
A 2023 meta-analysis estimated that discrimination-related stress increases physiological stress markers with a small-to-moderate standardized mean difference (reported synthesis)
07
In the U.S., 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey reported that 24% of students experienced bullying; among those, higher proportions reported race-based bullying (survey disaggregation)
08
A 2018 study found that minority students exposed to discriminatory school climates had higher rates of anxiety symptoms, with correlations around r = 0.30
Interpretation
Health & Safety Impacts Interpretation
Across Health and Safety Impacts, racist incidents are tied to measurable mental and physical harm, including a 2020 systematic review finding medium-to-large adverse mental health effects, a meta-analysis showing discrimination raises odds of depression to about 1.4, and a 2021 cohort study linking racial discrimination to roughly 20% higher chronic absenteeism risk.
More related reading
06 · Category
Survey Findings2 stats
01
33% of LGBTQ+ students reported being verbally harassed at school because of their identity, from GLSEN’s 2019 National School Climate Survey (U.S.).
02
1 in 5 (20%) high school students reported being bullied at school because of race or ethnicity at least once in the previous 12 months, according to the CDC’s 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey analysis.
Interpretation
Survey Findings Interpretation
Survey findings show that 33% of LGBTQ+ students reported verbal harassment because of their identity and that 20% of high school students said they were bullied for race or ethnicity in the past year, underscoring how often racism and related bias show up in everyday school experiences.
07 · Category
Discipline & Outcomes3 stats
01
Students with disabilities are 2.2 times more likely to be suspended than students without disabilities, according to OCR national estimates in the same report (U.S.).
02
In the U.S., Black students represent 15% of enrollment but 40% of students who received a disciplinary transfer, based on 2015–16 OCR national estimates.
03
In the U.S., 21% of schools reported hate-related incidents in CRDC 2017–18 state and national estimates.
Interpretation
Discipline & Outcomes Interpretation
Discipline & Outcomes data show that racism-related inequities are not isolated, with Black students making up 40% of those receiving disciplinary transfers despite being 15% of enrollment and 21% of schools reporting hate-related incidents.
08 · Category
Health Impacts2 stats
01
In the same 2020 meta-analysis, perceived discrimination was associated with a pooled effect size indicating increased anxiety symptoms (standardized mean difference reported in the paper).
02
A 2022 systematic review found that school-based discrimination is linked to increased stress outcomes, with effects generally ranging from small to moderate across included studies (reported synthesis).
Interpretation
Health Impacts Interpretation
Under the Health Impacts angle, evidence from a 2020 meta-analysis and a 2022 systematic review suggests that discrimination in schools is consistently tied to worse mental health, with perceived discrimination in 2020 linked to higher anxiety symptoms and 2022 showing stress effects generally ranging from small to moderate across studies.
09 · Category
Learning & Attendance3 stats
01
In the U.S., experiencing racial discrimination in school is associated with increased odds of chronic absenteeism; a 2019 analysis reported an adjusted risk ratio of 1.24 for students reporting discrimination (U.S.).
02
Students who report racial discrimination at school show lower grade point averages; a 2019 study found GPA differences of approximately 0.2 standard deviations between those reporting discrimination versus not (U.S.).
03
In a 2021 meta-analysis, teacher–student racial bias (biased treatment) was associated with poorer academic achievement with an average standardized mean difference of about -0.14 across included studies.
Interpretation
Learning & Attendance Interpretation
For the Learning & Attendance angle, students who experience racial discrimination at school are about 24% more likely to be chronically absent and tend to score roughly 0.2 standard deviations lower in GPA, while teacher student racial bias shows an even smaller but consistent academic setback with an average standardized mean difference of about -0.14.
10 · Category
Interventions & Programs3 stats
01
A 2018 randomized trial of culturally responsive teaching interventions reported an increase of 0.27 standard deviations in student engagement compared to control conditions.
02
A 2020 field experiment found that targeted professional development on culturally responsive practices reduced teacher bias scores by 0.3 standard deviations on average.
03
A 2017 OECD education policy report (Education at a Glance) reported that across participating countries, about 22% of students reported being bullied at school at least several times a month; bullying is a key pathway for discrimination exposure.
Interpretation
Interventions & Programs Interpretation
Interventions and programs appear to help when they are culturally responsive, with randomized evidence showing a 0.27 standard deviation boost in student engagement and field research finding teacher bias scores drop by 0.3 standard deviations, while reducing bullying exposure remains crucial since about 22% of students report being bullied at least several times a month.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Racism In Schools Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/racism-in-schools-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Racism In Schools Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/racism-in-schools-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Racism In Schools Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/racism-in-schools-statistics.
Sources & references
32 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)