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Homophobic bullying

• Introduction
• Organisations and links
• Where to get further information

Introduction

In 2006, Stonewall asked young people from Great Britain who are lesbian, gay, bisexual (or think they might be) to complete a survey about their experiences at school. The survey received 1145 responses from young people at secondary school.

The resulting document -The  School Report: the experiences of young gay people in Britain's schools, (2007)- revealed that homophobic bullying is almost epidemic in Britain's schools.

Almost two thirds (65 per cent) of young lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience homophobic bullying in school.  Almost three in five (58 per cent) of those experiencing bullying never report it but, if they do tell a teacher, 62 per cent of the time nothing is done. Half of teachers fail to respond to homophobic language when they hear it.

Only a quarter of schools say that homophobic bullying is wrong in their school; in those schools gay young people are 60 per cent more likely not to have been bullied.

Many people thought schools couldn't talk about sexuality or deal with homophobic bullying because of Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988. But Section 28 did not apply to schools after 2000 and did not prevent schools from addressing the issues of sexuality or homophobic bullying. In fact schools have a legal obligation to prevent all forms of bullying, including homophobic bullying, and to provide a safe learning environment for all pupils and staff.

	Schools should make sure that homophobic attitudes do not go unchallenged OFSTED

Homophobia and homophobic bullying are major problems for pupils, parents, staff and all those involved with young people and their education, irrespective of whether they are straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans.

Homophobic bullying is not only experienced by pupils or professionals who are lesbian, gay or bisexual. It can also affect any child, young person or staff member who does not conform to ways of behaving that are traditionally associated with being ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’. Abuse can be verbal, physical or psychological.

Bullying can harm the physical and emotional well-being of both those who are bullied and those who bully.

Research shows that homophobic bullying:

• Increases truancy rates
• Increases self-harm and suicide by young people
• Lowers educational attainment
• Damages self-esteem

Combating homophobic bullying can positively affect the academic attainment and emotional and physical well-being of both parties, and anti-bullying policies, equal opportunity policies, coverage of the issue of homosexuality in the curriculum, behaviour management, pastoral and other support are essential elements for any strategies that set out to do this.

* Stonewall accept no responsibility for the content of external sites.