Gay-bashing second most common form of bullying in school
March 10th, 2009
Homophobic bullying affects more than the 150,000 gay pupils in British schools, according to a major YouGov survey of primary and secondary school teachers published by Stonewall today.
The Teachers’ Report is the largest ever survey to ask teachers from both primary and secondary schools about anti-gay bullying.
The research confirms that homophobic bullying is the most prevalent form of bullying after bullying because of weight, but the majority of incidents go unreported by pupils.
Teachers believe the media is partly to blame for homophobic bullying. Two thirds of secondary school staff and three quarters of primary school staff believe homophobic language in broadcast media affects the frequency of homophobic language and homophobic bullying in schools.
It is not just gay pupils who experience homophobic bullying: boys who work hard, girls who play sport, young people with gay parents and young people who are thought to be gay can all experience homophobic bullying, according to teachers.
Homophobia comes from staff as well as students - 43% of secondary school teachers and 30% of primary school teachers have heard homophobic language or negative remarks abut gay people from other school staff.
The survey of 2,043 teachers also highlights the barriers that teachers face when trying to prevent homophobic bullying.
Only two in five secondary school teachers and less than half of primary school teachers say their headteacher demonstrates a clear leadership role when it comes to tackling homophobic bullying.
Although 90% of teachers have never received training about homophobic bullying, 60% of secondary school teachers and a 25% of primary school teachers have addressed sexual orientation in the classroom, and 95% say they would do so again.
“This survey reveals how much remains to be done by our schools to demonstrate to all pupils that homophobic bullying is unacceptable,’ said Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive.
“In July last year, 18-year old Michael Causer from Liverpool was kicked to death by a young man shouting homophobic abuse. That young man had not been educated in the 1970s, or the 1980s, or the 1990s. He attended a British secondary school during the last five years.
“Teachers need support to ensure this tragedy does not happen again.”
So fatty bashing is the most common and yet nobody gives a shit. Makes sense, I was a fatty at school and was constantly getting my arse handed to me by kids 5-7 years my senior. But that’s OK because being fat is just a choice right? Sure, little kids CHOOSE to be fat, nothing to do with their parents.
My heart bleeds for you. Stop crying about it.
So What ∼ May 31st, 2011 10:56 pmI’m sorry to hear that you had a difficult childhood, but this is a lesbian magazine which reports lesbian-oriented news stories. This is why the focus is on homophobic bullying and not bullying because of weight.
Bella ∼ June 1st, 2011 1:32 pm