Homophobic bullying in secondary schools

It's not only lesbian, gay or bisexual young people who experience homophobic language and bullying - anyone perceived as different can be targeted.

Do you know a school which needs support in tackling homophobic bullying and celebrating difference? Find out about Stonewall's School Champions programme.

What is it and who's affected

Homophobic language and bullying are motivated by prejudices against lesbian, gay or bisexual people. Stonewall’s research The School Report shows that 65% of lesbian, gay and bisexual young people experience homophobic bullying and 98% hear the phrases ‘That’s so gay’ or ‘You’re so gay’ in school. However, it is not just gay young people who are targeted. The Teachers' Report found that young people who don’t conform to ‘traditional’ gender stereotypes (such as a boy who is not good at football or a girl who is) and those perceived to be gay also experience homophobic bullying as do those with gay friends or family. In fact, anyone perceived as different may be targeted. Primary as well as secondary school teachers identify homophobic bullying as the most common form of bullying after bullying because of weight.

Homophobic bullying can occur in different forms such as verbal abuse (including spreading rumours and using 'gay' as a derogative term), cyber bullying and physical abuse and even death threats (The School Report) and teachers explain why homophobic language should be tackled.

The challenges

Half of secondary teachers say the vast majority of homophobic incidents go unreported. This is maybe not surprising as half of teachers fail to respond to homophobic language when they hear it. But then the great majority of teachers have never received training on how to prevent and respond to homophobic bullying or how to talk about lesbian and gay issues in class and many also seem to lack the support and confidence necessary to provide support and advice to lesbian, gay and bisexual young people. Out of those secondary teachers who have addressed gay issues in the classroom, 95% of secondary teachers would do so again (The Teachers' Report).

The consequences

If homophobic bullying goes unchallenged, it can have severe negative consequences for young people. Seven out of ten lesbian and gay young people say homophobic bullying affects their school work and many have skipped school because of it (The School Report). Homophobic bullying also impacts on young people's self-esteem and ambitions and Stonewall’s lesbian health survey Prescription for Change shows that lesbian and bisexual young women are more likely to self-harm and contemplate suicide.

What you can do

It doesn't have to be difficult to prevent and challenge homophobic bullying. Stonewall has produced a number of resources to support teachers and schools create an inclusive environment like for example the film FIT. The School Report and The Teachers' Report also provide a list of top ten recommendations every school can implement.

The law places a duty on schools to prevent and challenge homophobic bullying and there is practical guidance on preventing and challenging homophobic bullying which includes advice for teachers, head teachers and school governors as well as good practice examples. 

Find out what you can do to support the Education for All campaign and if you have watched FIT or used it in a youth or education setting, please tell us about it.  

What Stonewall does

Stonewall's School Champions programme provides tailored support and guidance to primary and secondary schools to help them challenge homophobic bullying and celebrate difference.

Stonewall also works with over a quarter of all local authorities in England through the Education Champions programme. This membership programme provides bespoke support to local authorities who want to help their schools prevent and tackle homophobic bullying.

Case Studies

Read our case studies of students and teachers who have experienced homophobic bullying. 

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