HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and a new poll affirms that online schools provide a safe haven for bullied students.

In an October 2016 survey of more than 4,500 parents conducted by Edge Research, 27 percent of current K12 parents said they enrolled their student in a K12 partner school because their student was bullied at his/her previous school. Of that group, 94 percent said that attending their K12 partner school has been helpful for their student in dealing with the issue, and 96 percent said they would recommend a K12 partner school to a friend or family member with a student dealing with bullying.

“The bullying made my son not want to socialize or go to school,” said Lisa Varga, whose son, Matthew, experienced bullying at his brick and mortar school prior to enrolling at Chicago Virtual Charter School (CVCS) for the 2011-12 academic year. “Since starting at CVCS, Matt has so much more confidence socially. He actually looks forward to his learning center day so he can see his friends at school – it’s amazing!”

“It’s nice to be able to go to school and learn instead of worrying about being bullied,” said Matthew, 16, who is a junior at CVCS.

Nearly one out of every four students (22 percent) report being bullied during the school year, according to National Center for Educational Statistics data from 2013.

According to the Center for Disease Control, students who experience bullying are at increased risk for poor school adjustment, sleep difficulties, anxiety and depression, and students who engage in bullying behavior are at increased risk for academic problems, substance use, and violent behavior later in adolescence and adulthood.

“We’ve had a lot of students come to K12 looking for a safe haven after being bullied,” said Laurel Barrette, Director of Dropout Prevention and School Services at K12. “They have thrived in the virtual school setting thanks to the support that we provide. We are proud to be able to provide them with the safe environment they need.”

Of the parents whose children attend a K12 partner school due to a bullying issue, 92 percent say their student feels safe and secure in their virtual school setting and 87 percent see an academic-related benefit.

About K12 Inc.

K12 Inc. (NYSE:LRN) is driving innovation and advancing the quality of education by delivering state-of-the-art digital learning platforms and technology to students and school districts across the globe. K12’s award-winning curriculum serves over 2,000 schools and school districts and has delivered more than four million courses over the past decade. K12 is a company of educators with the nation’s largest network of K-12 online school teachers, providing instruction, academic services and learning solutions to public schools and districts, traditional classrooms, blended school programs and directly to families. The K12 program is offered through K12 partner public schools in approximately two-thirds of the states and the District of Columbia, and through private schools serving students in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. More information can be found at K12.com.

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