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History of School Uniforms
Traditionally favored by private and parochial institutions, school uniforms are being adopted by US public schools in increasing numbers. According to a 2020 report, the percentage of public schools that required school uniforms jumped from 12% in the 1999-2000 school year to 20% in the 2017-18 school year. School uniforms were most frequently required by elementary schools (23%), followed by middle (18%), and high schools (10%).

The first recorded use of standardized dress in education may have been in England in 1222, when the Archbishop of Canterbury mandated that students wear a robe-like outfit called the " cappa clausa." The origin of the modern school uniform can be traced to 16th Century England, when the impoverished "charity children" attending the Christ's Hospital boarding school wore blue cloaks reminiscent of the cassocks worn by clergy, along with yellow stockings. As of Sep. 2014, students at Christ's Hospital were still wearing the same uniform, and according to the school it is the oldest school uniform still in use. When Christ's Hospital surveyed its students in 2011, 95% voted to keep the traditional uniforms. Read more history...

Pro & Con Arguments

Pro 1

School uniforms deter crime and increase student safety.

In Long Beach, California, after two years of a district-wide K-8 mandatory uniform policy, reports of assault and battery in the district's schools decreased by 34%, assault with a deadly weapon dropped by 50%, fighting incidents went down by 51%, sex offenses were cut by 74%, robbery dropped by 65%, possession of weapons (or weapon "look-alikes") decreased by 52%, possession of drugs went down by 69%, and vandalism was lowered by 18%.

And, school uniforms prevent the display of gang colors and insignia, reducing gang activity and pressure to join on school property. The U.S. Department of Education's Manual on School Uniforms stated that uniform policies can "prevent gang members from wearing gang colors and insignia at school" in order to "encourage a safe environment." Educators in the Long Beach Unified School District have speculated that the sharp reduction in crime following the introduction of school uniforms was a result of gang conflicts being curbed. Osceola County, Florida School Board member Jay Wheeler reports that the county's schools had a 46% drop in gang activity after their first full school year with a mandatory K-12 uniform policy. Wheeler explains that "clothing is integral to gang culture... Imagine a U.S. Armed Forces recruiter out of uniform trying to recruit new soldiers; the success rate goes down. The same applies to gang recruitment." [35] [37] [67]
Read More

Pro 2

School uniforms keep students focused on their education, not their clothes.

Wearing uniforms also enhances school pride, unity, and community spirit, which can boost interest in education. A study of over 1,000 Texas middle school students found that students in uniform "reported significantly more positive perceptions of belonging in their school community than reported by students in the standard dress group." Christopher P. Clouet, former Superintendent of the New London Public Schools in Connecticut, stated that "the wearing of uniforms contributes to school pride." Arnold Goldstein, PhD, head of the Center for Research on Aggression at Syracuse University, points out that uniforms help troubled students feel they have the support of a community: "There is a sense of belonging." Further, "teachers perceived an increase in the level of respect, caring, and trust... throughout the school" and "students are made to feel 'important' and as if they are a part of a team by wearing a uniform," according to a peer-reviewed study.

Plus, school uniforms can improve attendance and discipline. A study by researchers at the University of Houston found that the average absence rate for girls in middle and high school decreased by 7% after the introduction of uniforms, and behavioral problems lessened in severity. School uniforms make getting ready for school easier, which can improve punctuality.
When uniforms are mandatory, parents and students do not spend time choosing appropriate outfits for the school day. According to a national survey, over 90% of US school leaders believe school uniform or formal dress code policies "eliminate wardrobe battles with kids," make it "easier to get kids ready in the morning," and create a "time saving in the morning." Tracey Marinelli, Superintendent of the Lyndhurst School District in New Jersey, credits the district's uniform policy for reducing the number of students running late. Lyndhurst student Mike Morreale agrees, stating that "it's so much easier to dress than having to search for clothes and find out that something doesn't match." A Youngstown State University study of secondary schools in Ohio's eight largest school districts found that school uniform policies improve rates of attendance, graduation, and suspension.
Read More

Pro 3

Students' legal right to free expression remains intact with mandatory school uniforms.

Besides, students can still express their individuality in school uniforms by introducing variations and adding accessories. Junior high school student Amelia Jimenez wrote in her op-ed for the Pennsylvania Patriot-News that "contrary to popular belief, uniforms do not stop students from being themselves. Uniforms do not silence voices. Students can wear a variety of expressive items, such as buttons or jewlery." Students can inject their personal style into their daily look with hairstyles, nail polish, and colorful accessories such as bags, scarfs, and fun socks. 54% of eighth-graders said they could still express their individuality while wearing school uniforms.

Further, students dressed in uniform are better perceived by teachers and peers. A 1994 peer-reviewed study found that students in uniform were perceived by teachers and fellow students as being more academically proficient than students in regular clothes. The study also found that students in uniform were perceived by peers and teachers as having higher academic potential, and perceived by peers as being better behaved. Students need to learn a balance between free expression and working within the confines of expectations.
Read More

Con 1

School uniforms do not stop bullying and can actually increase violent attacks.

Further, a peer-reviewed study found that "school uniforms increased the average number of assaults by about 14 [per year] in the most violent schools." A Texas Southern University study found that school discipline incidents rose by about 12% after the introduction of uniforms. And, according to the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Office of Education Evaluation and Management, fights in middle schools nearly doubled within one year of introducing mandatory uniforms.
Read More

Con 2

School uniforms do not improve attendance, academic preparedness, or exam results.

The problems arise because focusing on uniforms takes attention away from finding genuine solutions to problems in education. Spending time and effort implementing uniform policies detracts from more effective efforts to reduce crime in schools and boost student performance. More substantive improvements to public education could be achieved with smaller class sizes, tightened security, increased parental involvement, improved facilities, and other measures. Tom Houlihan, former Superintendent of Schools in Oxford, North Carolina, stated that school uniforms "are a distraction from focusing on systematic and fundamental transformation to improve our schools."

That uniform policies are a distraction is most evident when we realize that the push for school uniforms is driven by commercial interests rather than educational ones. Americans spend around $1 billion on school uniforms every year. Retailer J.C. Penney Co. says school uniforms are "a huge, important business for us." In one year alone, uniform company Lands' End spent $3 million on marketing efforts directed at public schools and districts. Multiple studies used to promote the effectiveness of uniforms were partly funded by Lands' End, and at least one of those studies is "so wholly flawed as to render itself useless," according to David L. Brunsma. Reuters reported that retailers were "sensing their opportunity... stepping up competition in the uniform aisles and online. Walmart has set up 'uniform shops' or temporary boutiques within some stores."

The commercialization of school uniforms in public schools also undermines the promise of a free education by imposing an extra expense on families. Parents already pay taxes, and they still need to buy regular clothes for their children to wear when they're out of school and for dress-down days. The Children's Commission on Poverty (UK) found that over "95% of parents on low incomes reported difficulties in meeting school-related costs," including uniforms, despite their children attending tuition-free schools. Anderson, Indiana, parents Laura and Scott Bell argued against their children's school uniform policy, saying the $641 for their children's uniforms broke the guarantee of a free public education. In York County, Pennsylvania, a local NBC affiliate reported that some children were missing class because their families couldn't afford to purchase the required uniforms. And, all of that is before the uniform policies themselves are examined. Most operate like dress codes and are classist, racist, and sexist.
Read More

Con 3

School uniforms restrict students' freedom of expression.

Uniforms take away the ability to use clothing as means of expressing support for social causes. Students at Friendly High School in Prince George's County, MD, were not allowed to wear pink shirts to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month and 75 students received suspensions for breaking the school's uniform restrictions. Removing these choices can delay the transition into adulthood. Adults make their own clothing choices and have the freedom to express themselves through their appearance. Denying children and teenagers the opportunity to make those choices may make them ill-prepared for the adult world. Adolescents see clothing choices as a means of identification, and seeking an identity is one of the critical stages of adolescence, according to the late developmental psychologist Erik Erikson.

When students have to wear the same outfits, rather than being allowed to select clothes that suit their body types, they can suffer embarrassment at school. Child and teen development specialist Robyn Silverman says that students, especially girls, tend to compare how each other looks in their uniforms: "As a body image expert, I hear from students all the time that they feel it allows for a lot of comparison... So if you have a body that's a plus-size body, a curvier body, a very tall body, a very short body, those girls often feel that they don't look their best." A study by researchers at Arizona State University found that "students from schools without uniforms reported higher self-perception scores than students from schools with uniform policies." Some students also find uniforms less comfortable than their regular clothes, which may not be conducive to learning.
Read More

Did You Know?

1. The first school district in the United States to require all K-8 students to wear uniforms was Long Beach, CA, in Jan. 1994.

2. Americans spend around $1 billion per year on school uniforms.

3. Students at Eton, one of England's most prestigious schools, were required to wear black top hats and tails on and off campus until 1972.

4. US schools with a minority student population of 50% or more are four times as likely to require uniforms than schools with a minority population of 20-49%, and 24 times more likely than schools with minority populations of 5%-19%.

5. A government agency in Sweden declared that mandatory school uniforms were a human rights violation, stating that students should decide their dress and appearance as "a matter of the individual's freedom and integrity."

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School Uniforms Pros and Cons - 13 Arguments For and Against

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Proponents say uniforms may increase student safety. Opponents say uniforms restrict expression. Explore both sides of the debate.

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What to know about abuse victims and legislative trends

The shocking number of animal cruelty cases reported every day is just the tip of the iceberg; most cases are never reported. Unlike violent crimes against people, cases of animal abuse are not compiled by state or federal agencies, making it difficult to calculate just how common they are. However, we can use the information that is available to try to understand and prevent cases of abuse.

Who abuses animals?

Cruelty and neglect cross all social and economic boundaries and media reports suggest that animal abuse is common in both rural and urban areas.

Intentional cruelty to animals is strongly correlated with other crimes, including violence against people.[1]

Hoarding behavior often victimizes animals. Sufferers of a hoarding disorder may impose severe neglect on animals by housing far more than they are able to adequately take care of. Serious animal neglect (such as hoarding) is often an indicator of people in need of social or mental health services.[2]

Surveys suggest that those who intentionally abuse animals are predominantly men under 30, while those involved in animal hoarding are more likely to be women over 60.[3]

Most common victims

The animals whose abuse is most often reported are dogs, cats, horses and livestock. Based on the 1,423 U.S. cruelty cases on pet-abuse.com's 2011 digest in which species of the victim was specified:

70.1% involved dogs.

20.9% involved cats.

24.1% involved other animals.

Undercover investigations have revealed that animal abuse abounds in the factory farm industry. But because of the weak protections afforded to livestock under state cruelty laws, only the most shocking cases are reported, and few are ever prosecuted. Find out how you can help protect farm animals here.*

Organized cruelty

Dogfighting, cockfighting and other forms of organized animal cruelty go hand in hand with other crimes, and continues in many areas of the United States due to public corruption.

The HSUS' investigative team combats complacent public officials, and has worked with the FBI on public corruption cases in Tennessee and Virginia. In both instances, law enforcement officers were indicted and convicted.

Correlation with domestic violence

Data on domestic violence and child abuse cases reveal that a staggering number of animals are targeted by those who abuse their children or spouses.

There are approximately 70 million pet dogs and 74.1 million pet cats in the U.S. where 20 men and women are assaulted per minute (an average of around 10 million a year).

In one survey, 71 percent of domestic violence victims reported that their abuser also targeted pets.[4]

In one study of families under investigation for suspected child abuse, researchers found that pet abuse had occurred in 88 percent of the families under supervision for physical abuse of their children[5].

To put a stop to this pattern of violence, the Humane Society Legislative Fund supported the PAWS (Pets and Women's Safety Act), introduced to Congress in 2015 as H.R. 1258 and S.B. 1559 (Humane Society Legislative Fund, 2015). The PAWS act would give victims of domestic abuse means to escape their abusers while keeping their companion animals safe - many victims remain in abusive households for fear of their pets' safety.

State legislative trends

The HSUS has long led the push for stronger animal cruelty laws and provides training for law officials to detect and prosecute these crimes. With South Dakota joining the fight in March of 2014, animal cruelty laws now include felony provisions in all 50 states.*

First vs. subsequent offense

Some state laws only allow felony charges if the perpetrator has a previous animal cruelty conviction. Given that only a fraction of animal cruelty acts are ever reported or successfully prosecuted, The HSUS is committed to supporting felony convictions in cases of egregious cruelty regardless of whether the perpetrator has a prior conviction.

46 of 50 states' felony provisions are first-offense provisions.

Four states (Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa and Mississippi) have laws that apply felony charges only to subsequent offenses.

A majority of anti-cruelty laws are limited to cases involving aggravated cruelty, torture, or cruelty to companion animals.

Improvement is being made in places where it's needed: Ohio HB 60, known as "Goddard's Law," makes cruelty to companion animals a first-offense felony. Goddard's Law was passed by the state's senate - it currently awaits Governor John Kasich's signature.

Changes in federal tracking

On January 1, 2016, the FBI added cruelty to animals as a category in the Uniform Crime Report, a nationwide crime reporting system commonly used in homicide investigations. While only about a third of U.S. communities currently participate in the system, the data generated will help create a clearer picture of animal abuse and guide strategies for intervention and enforcement. Data collection covers four categories: simple/gross neglect, intentional abuse and torture, organized abuse (such as dogfighting and cockfighting) and animal sexual abuse.[12]

Related Reading

Sources

1. Lockwood, R. 2008. "Counting Cruelty: Challenges and Opportunities in Assessing Animal Abuse and Neglect in America." In International Handbook of Theory and Research on Animal Abuse and Cruelty, edited by Frank R. Ascione.

2. Lockwood, R. 2002. "Making the Connection Between Animal Cruelty and Abuse and Neglect of Vulnerable Adults." The Latham Letter 23.

3. DeViney, E. et al. 1983. "The Care of Pets Within Child Abusing Families."International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems 4.

4. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2011. "National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey."

5. Animal Legal Defense Fund. 2015. "Animal Protection Laws of Iowa."

6. Animal Legal Defense Fund. 2015. "Animal Protection Laws of Mississippi."

7. Animal Legal Defense Fund. 2015. "Animal Protection Laws of Ohio."

8. Animal Legal Defense Fund. 2015. "Animal Protection Laws of Pennsylvania."

9. FindLaw. "Texas Penal Code § 42.092. Cruelty to Non-livestock Animals."

10. SPCA of Texas. "Texas Animal Cruelty Laws."

11. Virginia Decoded. "§3.2-6570 Cruelty to animals; penalty."

12. State of Idaho Legislature. "Title 25 Animals; Chapter 35 Animal Care."

13. Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2016. "Tracking Animal Cruelty: FBI Collecting Data on Crimes Against Animals."

Your help makes a difference. Donate today to stop cruelty like this. "

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What to know about abuse victims and legislative trends The shocking number of animal cruelty cases reported every day is just the tip of the iceberg; most cases are never reported. Unlike violent crimes against people, cases of animal abuse are not compiled by state or federal agencies, making it difficult to calculate just how common they are.

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Institutional racism doesn't just affect adults but children in K-12 schools as well. Anecdotes from families, research studies, and discrimination lawsuits all reveal that children of color face bias in schools. They're disciplined more harshly, less likely to be identified as gifted, or to have access to quality teachers, to name but a few examples.

Racism in schools has serious consequences-from fueling the school-to-prison pipeline to traumatizing children of color.

Racial Disparities in School Suspensions

Black students are three times more likely to be suspended or expelled than their White peers, according to the U.S. Department of Education.﻿﻿ And in the American South, racial disparities in punitive discipline are even greater. A 2015 report from the University of Pennsylvania Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education found that 13 Southern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia) were responsible for 55% of the 1.2 million suspensions involving Black students nationwide.﻿﻿

These states also accounted for 50% of expulsions involving Black students nationally, according to the report, titled "Disproportionate Impact of K-12 School Suspension and Expulsion on Black Students in southern States." The finding most indicative of racial bias is that in 84 Southern school districts, 100% of students suspended were Black.

Disproportionate Rates of Discipline in Preschool

And grade school students aren't the only Black children facing harsh forms of school discipline. Even Black preschool students are more likely to be suspended than students of other races. The same report showed that while Black students make up just 18% of children in preschool, they represent nearly half of preschool children suspended.

"I think most people would be shocked that those numbers would be true in preschool because we think of 4- and 5-year-olds as being innocent," Judith Browne Dianis, co-director of the think tank Advancement Project told CBS News about the finding. "But we do know that schools are using zero-tolerance policies for our youngest also, that while we think our children need a head start, schools are kicking them out instead."

Preschool children sometimes engage in troublesome behavior such as kicking, hitting, and biting, but quality preschools have behavior intervention plans in place to counter these forms of acting out. Furthermore, it's highly unlikely that only Black children act out in preschool, a stage in life in which kids are notorious for having temper tantrums.

Given how Black preschoolers are disproportionately targeted for suspensions, it's very likely that race plays a role in which children teachers single out for punitive discipline. In fact, a 2016 study published in Psychological Science showed that White people begin to perceive Black boys as threatening at just 5 years old, associating them with adjectives such as "violent," "dangerous," "hostile," and "aggressive."﻿﻿

Consequences of Suspensions

The negative racial biases Black children face lead to high suspension rates that cause excessive absences in addition to preventing Black students from receiving education of the same quality as their White peers, both of these factors producing a stark achievement gap. Studies have shown that this can result in students falling behind academically, not reading at grade level by third grade, and eventually dropping out of school.﻿﻿ Pushing children out of class increases the chances that they will have contact with the criminal justice system.﻿﻿ A 2016 study published on children and suicide suggested that punitive discipline may be one of the reasons suicide rates among Black boys are rising.﻿﻿

Of course, boys aren't the only Black children targeted for punitive discipline in school. Black girls are more likely than all other female students (and some groups of boys) to be suspended or expelled as well.﻿﻿

Low Representation in Gifted Programs

Poor children and children of color are not only less likely to be identified as gifted and talented but more likely to be identified as requiring special education services by teachers.

A 2016 report published by the American Educational Research Association found that Black third graders are half as likely as White third graders to participate in gifted and talented programs. Written by Vanderbilt University scholars Jason Grissom and Christopher Redding, the report, "Discretion and Disproportionality: Explaining the Underrepresentation of High-Achieving Students of Color in Gifted Programs," also found that Hispanic students were also about half as likely as White people to be involved in gifted programs.

Why does this imply that racial bias is at play and those White students aren't just naturally more gifted than children of color?

Because when children of color have teachers of color, the chances are higher that they will be identified as gifted.﻿﻿ This indicates that White teachers largely overlook giftedness in Black and brown children.

How Gifted Children Are Identified

Identifying a student as gifted involves a number of considerations. Gifted children may not have the best grades in the class. In fact, they may be bored in class and underachieve as a result. But standardized test scores, portfolios of schoolwork, and the ability of such children to tackle complex subjects despite tuning out in class may all be signs of giftedness.

When a school district in Florida changed the screening criteria for identifying gifted children, officials found that the number of gifted students in all racial groups rose. Rather than rely on teacher or parent referrals for the gifted program, this district used a universal screening process that required all second graders to take a nonverbal test to identify them as gifted. Nonverbal tests are said to be more objective measures of giftedness than verbal tests, especially for English language learners or children who don't use Standard English.

Students who scored well on the test then moved on to I.Q. tests (which also face allegations of bias). Using the nonverbal test in combination with the I.Q. test led to the odds of Black students being identified as gifted rose by 74% and of Hispanics being identified as gifted by 118%.﻿﻿

Lower Quality Education for Students of Color

A mountain of research has found that poor Black and brown children are the youth least likely to have highly qualified teachers. A study published in 2015 called "Uneven Playing Field? Assessing the Teacher Quality Gap Between Advantaged and Disadvantaged Students" found that in Washington, Black, Hispanic, and Native American youth were most likely to have teachers with the least amount of experience, the worst licensure exam scores, and the poorest record of improving student test scores.﻿﻿

Related research has found that Black, Hispanic, and Native American youth have less access to honors and advanced placement (AP) classes than White youth do. In particular, they are less likely to enroll in advanced science and math classes. This can reduce their chances of being admitted to a four-year college, many of which require completion of at least one high-level math class for admission.﻿﻿

Students of Color Overpoliced and Segregated

Not only are students of color least likely to be identified as gifted and enroll in honors classes, but they are also more likely to attend schools with a greater police presence, increasing the odds that they will enter the criminal justice system. The presence of law enforcement on school campuses also increases the risk of such students being exposed to police violence.﻿﻿ Recordings of school police slamming girls of color to the ground during altercations have recently sparked outrage across the nation.

Students of color face racial microaggressions in schools as well, such as being criticized by teachers and administrators for wearing their hair in styles that reflect their cultural heritage. Both Black students and Native American students have been reprimanded in schools for wearing their hair in its natural state or in braided styles.

Worsening matters is that public schools are increasingly segregated, more than they were in the 1970s. Black and brown students are most likely to attend schools with other Black and brown students. Students below the poverty line are most likely to attend schools with other poor students.﻿﻿

As the nation's racial demographics shift, these disparities pose serious risks to America's future. Students of color comprise a growing share of public school students. If the United States is to remain a world superpower for generations, it's incumbent upon Americans to ensure that disadvantaged students receive the same standard of education that privileged students do.

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How Racism Affects Children of Color in Public Schools

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Institutional racism doesn't just affect adults but children in K-12 schools as well. Anecdotes from families, research studies, and discrimination lawsuits all reveal that children of color face bias in schools. They're disciplined more harshly, less likely to be identified as gifted, or to have access to quality teachers, to name but a few examples.

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It's not really the case, as you may have seen reported elsewhere, that there have been 18 school shootings in the United States this year. That data point comes from a gun-control-advocacy organization called Everytown for Gun Safety and includes any discharge of a firearm at a school - including accidents - as a "shooting." It also includes incidents that happened to take place at a school, whether students were involved or not.

Perhaps these meet your standard for a school shooting, but generally, the term refers to something more specific: the targeting of students or teachers at a school. By Everytown's standard, there has been a shooting every 2.5 days this year. Using a stricter standard, there have been at least seven school shootings in 2018 - more than one each week. Shootings near New Orleans and Los Angeles. Shootings in Kentucky, Arizona and Texas. And, on Wednesday, a shooting in Parkland, Fla., that has left 17 people dead and an undetermined number wounded (as of writing).

A shooting more than once a week is bad enough.

Since 2000, using data compiled by Wikipedia and evaluated by type of school and type of incident, there have been more than 130 shootings at elementary, middle and high schools, and 58 others at colleges and universities.

At high schools, including preliminary data from the Parkland shooting, there have been almost 70 people killed and nearly 200 wounded. At elementary and middle schools, about 60 people have been killed and about 60 wounded.

Those deaths at elementary schools are, of course, driven upward by the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., in 2012. But there have been shootings at elementary schools in seven other states as well since Jan. 1, 2000.

There have been nearly twice as many shootings at middle schools, the deadliest of which targeted an Amish school in Pennsylvania. (We have included it as a middle school because of the ages of the older students who were killed.)

There were five times as many shootings at high schools since 2000 than at middle schools, affecting most of the most heavily-populated areas of the country - and a number of rural areas as well.

Since 2000, there have been school shootings in 43 of the 50 states, according to our data. (The exceptions: Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island and Wyoming.) The shootings have taken place at a rate of about one a month and left about 250 students and teachers dead.

These numbers may be low.

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Analysis | Eighteen years of gun violence in U.S. schools, mapped

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It's not really the case, as you may have seen reported elsewhere, that there have been 18 school shootings in the United States this year. That data point comes from a gun-control-advocacy organization called Everytown for Gun Safety and includes any discharge of a firearm at a school - including accidents - as a "shooting."

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Nikki Alvarez, Communication Designer

Nikki is part illustrator, part designer, part writer, and spends her days at Hero promoting the ways positive reinforcement and inspiring customers are changing the face of education.

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Nikki Alvarez, Communication Designer Nikki is part illustrator, part designer, part writer, and spends her days at Hero promoting the ways positive reinforcement and inspiring customers are changing the face of education.

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11 Facts About Gay Rights | DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change

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Welcome to DoSomething.org, a global movement of 6 million young people making positive change, online and off! The 11 facts you want are below, and the sources for the facts are at the very bottom of the page. After you learn something, Do Something! Find out how to take action here.

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13 Shocking Facts About Gender Inequality Around the World

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Women and girls are facing some of the worst effects of global crises, from living in extreme poverty, to experiencing the worst of war.

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The Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy recently released a that estimates the state and local tax contributions of undocumented immigrants to be $11.64 billion a year. The study estimates the contribution of all 11 million undocumented immigrants. This helps highlight the potential loss of tax revenue if these immigrants were deported. The study provides evidence undocumented immigrants pay taxes on goods, services, homes, and personal income. Here are some takeaways from the ITEP's study on undocumented immigrants.

An Average of 33% of Undocumented Immigrants Are Homeowners

The institute reports that a third of undocumented immigrants are homeowners which would require undocumented immigrants to pay property taxes. The data in the report shows the total taxes paid by undocumented immigrants, 30%, came from property taxes. Undocumented immigrants purchase goods and services that are are taxed making up 59.7% of their total tax contributions.

Creating A Path Towards US Citizenship May Increase Tax Revenues by $2.18 Billion

The IETP report states that over 60% of undocumented immigrants have lived in the US and contributed to the economy for more than a decade. Converting undocumented immigrants to legal residents will increase yearly local and state tax revenue from $11.73 billion to $13.91 billion. Creating legislature to deport undocumented immigrants may cause states to lose a large portion of the workforce and tax revenue.

The data provided by the IETP, discredits the statement that these immigrants do not pay taxes. Undocumented immigrants on a daily basis buy food, clothing, and gasoline which boosts local economies and taxed. Undocumented immigrants need housing and pay property taxes as homeowners. These basics are necessary to all Americans and are taxed. Immigrants without social security numbers still pay taxes that support local and state governments.

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Undocumented Immigrants Pay Taxes $12 Billion Taxes

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The Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy recently released a that estimates the state and local tax contributions of undocumented immigrants to be $11.64 billion a year. The study estimates the contribution of all 11 million undocumented immigrants. This helps highlight the potential loss of tax revenue if these immigrants were deported.

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The Affordable Care Act will provide health insurance to millions of Americans but specifically excludes undocumented immigrants.

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As Congress haggles over comprehensive immigration reform, it's worth taking a look who America's immigrant population actually is. The following infographics, compiled and designed by the Pew Research Hispanic Center, illustrate findings from its analysis of the nation's foreign-born population. The information is based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2011 American Community Survey, which counts both legal and undocumented immigrants.

The estimated 11.1 million undocumented immigrants make up less than a third of all foreign-born residents in America. Among them, roughly 40% to 50% entered the country legally and overstayed their visas, according to 2006 Pew estimates. The majority of undocumented immigrants have lived in the country for 10 years or longer.

14 Key Infographics About America's Immigrant Population

Author

Matthew Green

Matthew Green produces and edits The Lowdown, KQED's multimedia news education blog, an online resource for educators and the general public. He previously taught journalism at Fremont High School in East Oakland, and has written for numerous local publications, including the Oakland Tribune and San Francisco Chronicle. Email: mgreen@kqed.org; Twitter: @MGreenKQED

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14 Key Infographics About America's Immigrant Population

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As Congress haggles over comprehensive immigration reform, it's worth taking a look who America's immigrant population actually is. The following infographics, compiled and designed by the Pew Research Hispanic Center, illustrate findings from its analysis of the nation's foreign-born population. The information is based on data from the U.S.

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Important Facts About Cyber Bullying - Infographics | Top 10 Spy Apps

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Parents all over the globe are now more concerned than ever regarding their kids because of the rising incidents of cyber bullying. Here are some facts and findings that may surprise you.

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Technology Solutions That Drive Education

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When filmmaker Lee Hirsch released his critically acclaimed documentary earlier this year, educators, students and celebrities came out against a problem many advocates say has reached epidemic proportions.

The film chronicles the verbal and physical abuse suffered by five schoolchildren at the mouths - and often the fists - of their classmates. In one scene, a 14-year-old Sioux City, Utah, student named Alex is hit and verbally assaulted on a school bus; in another scene, a father fights back tears as he recounts how his son hanged himself in a closet after being routinely bullied by classmates at school.

It's impossible to walk away from the film without empathy for the victims, who lower their heads and trudge off to school every day knowing what awaits them. Recent history, of course, has taught us that bullying is not confined to school buses and halls and locker rooms. It also occurs on the Internet, where the lengths to which some students will go to hurt and disparage their classmates is unfathomable.

Thirteen-year-old Megan Meier killed herself in 2006 after a classmate's mother repeatedly threatened and insulted Megan on MySpace. Late last year, 15-year-old Amanda Cummings jumped in front of a bus on Staten Island. Several news reports said classmates had tormented her about a boy. The abuse continued on her Facebook page, even as she lay dying in a hospital bed.

To stop the abuse, students, parents, teachers and anyone who works with young people must understand how these attacks occur and do whatever they can to promote respect both online and in our schools.

For more about how our growing Internet culture has emboldened bullying, check out this infographic from OnlineCollege.org, which we first encountered on the online news site Mashable.

It's impossible to deny the good that computers and the Internet have done for education, but what can be done about this problem of bullying? Tell us in the Comments section.

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25 Eye-Opening Statistics About Cyberbullying [Infographic]

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When filmmaker Lee Hirsch released his critically acclaimed documentary earlier this year, educators, students and celebrities came out against a problem many advocates say has reached epidemic proportions. The film chronicles the verbal and physical abuse suffered by five schoolchildren at the mouths - and often the fists - of their classmates.

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9 Depressing Bullying Facts Australia we Think we Didn't Know (You Should Know Now!)