A sobering new study of secondary schools in Britain concluded that homophobic bullying is “almost epidemic.” The School Report study, conducted by the Schools Health Education Unit for LGBT-rights organization Stonewall, found:
- 65% of young LGB people experience homophobic bullying in Britain’s schools.
- 97% of gay pupils hear derogatory phrases such as “dyke” or “poof” in school.
- 98% of gay pupils hear “that’s so gay” or “you’re so gay” at school.
- 75% of young gay people in faith schools experience homophobic bullying and are less likely than pupils in other schools to report it.
- Only a quarter of schools say that homophobic bullying is wrong in their school. In schools that have said so, gay young people are 60% more likely not to have been bullied.
- 30% of lesbian and gay pupils report that adults are responsible for homophobic incidents in their schools.
- Of those who have been bullied, 92% have experienced verbal bullying, 41% physical bullying and 17% death threats.
Schools are doing little to respond:
- 58% of lesbian and gay pupils who experience bullying never report it. If they tell a teacher, 62% of the time nothing is done.
- Half of teachers fail to respond to homophobic language when they hear it.
- Three in five pupils fail to intervene with bullying.
- Just 7% of teachers are reported to respond every time they hear homophobic language.
The consequences of homophobic bullying are striking:
- Seven out of ten gay pupils who experience it state that this has had an impact on their school work.
- Half of those who have experienced it have skipped school at some point because of it and one in five has skipped more than six times.
Such an atmosphere is unsafe, unhealthy, and unproductive not only for LGBT students, but also for those who are perceived to be. In fact, it doesn’t bode well for any students who appear “different” from a perceived norm. What can help? The study recommends that schools:
- Acknowledge and identify the problem
- Develop policies and tell young people about them
- Promote a positive social environment
- Address staff training needs
- Provide information and support
- Integrate sexual orientation into the curriculum
- Use outside experience.
- Encourage role models.
- Don’t make assumptions.
- Celebrate achievements.
The full report (PDF) has further details—good advice for schools all over the world. Change will never happen without strong support from parents and community, however. In the U.S., the Family Pride Coalition has just launched the Rainbow Report Card, a way for parents to evaluate their school’s LGBT-friendliness and get customized advice on how to make improvements. It’s still a beta version, so hop on over, give it a try, and let them know what you think.
