Working Together

Robert Goddard

Youth and Education Officer

Stonewall Cymru

What this session will cover:

What is homophobia?

Homophobic bullying

What is a whole school approach?

Where do we start?

Who should we include?

Next steps

What is homophobia?

The irrational hatred, intolerance and fear of LGB people or those perceived to be LGB

It exists at all levels of society:Employment

Service delivery

Culture

Politics

Tackling crime

Education/training

Homophobic bullying

Almost two thirds of young LGB people experience homophobic bullying in schools

75% of young LGB people in faith schools experience homophobic bullying and are less likely than pupils in other schools to report it

97% hear phrases such as “dyke” or “poof” used in school

98% hear “that’s so gay” or “you’re so gay” at school

Homophobic bullying

Only a quarter of schools say that homophobic bullying is wrong in their school

30% of LGB pupils report that adults are responsible for homophobic incidents in their school

Of those who have been bullied, 92% have experienced verbal homophobic bullying, 41% physical and 17% have received death threats

How schools respond

Almost 3 in 5 LGB pupils who experience bullying never report itHalf of teachers fail to respond to homophobic language when they hear it 3 in 5 pupils fail to intervene and become bystanders to bullyingJust 7% of teachers are reported to respond every time they hear homophobic languageLGB pupils are three times more likely to feel that their school is an accepting, tolerant school if it responds to incidents

The consequences

7 out of 10 LGB pupils who experience homophobic bullying state it has an impact on their school workHalf of those who have experienced homophobic bullying have skipped school at some point because of it7 in 10 LGB pupils have never been taught about about LGB people or issues in class

The consequences

Over 60% of young LGB people feel that there is neither an adult at home nor at school that they can talk to about being lesbian, gay or bisexual

4 in 5 young LGB people have no access in school to resources that can help them

Only 15% attend a local LGB(T) youth group

Only 3 in 10 young LGB people know of a teacher who is openly gay

The teachers’ perspective

90% of teachers say pupils in their school are bullied, harassed or called names for being – or perceived to be – lesbian, gay or bisexual

Teachers say homophobic bullying is the second most frequent form of bullying

95% of teachers report hearing “you’re so gay” or “that’s so gay” in their schools

8 in 10 teachers report hearing other homophobic remarks such as “poof” or “dyke”

The teachers’ perspective

Only 55% of teachers report being aware of verbal homophobic abuseOnly 8% of teachers report being aware of physical homophobic bullying No teachers report being aware of LGB pupils receiving death threats or being sexually assaultedHalf of teachers who are aware of homophobic bullying in their schools say the vast majority of incidents go unreported

The teachers’ perspective

More than 2 in 5 teachers say children experience homophobic bullying

1 in 5 teachers say children experience verbal homophobic abuse in their schools

2 in 5 teachers hear children using homophobic language such as “poof” or “dyke”

Three quarters of teachers hear children using expressions such as “that’s so gay” or “you’re so gay”

A whole school approach

What is a whole school approach and why is it important?

How would you implement a whole school approach in your school?

Who would you include?

Examples of best practice and learning from using a whole school approach

What other steps would you take?

What is a whole school approach?

A policy will only be effective if everybody in school has discussed and understood the problem of bullying, and agreed on good and bad practice.

Respecting Others: Anti-Bullying Guidance, 2003, Department for Training and Education

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What is a whole school approach?

Idea of the ‘school community’

Homophobic behaviour isn’t confined to the classroom or the playground

Responsibility should not fall soley upon teaching staff – it’s everyone’s responsibility

What is a whole school approach?

Mixed and inconsistent messaging makes it hard to enforce school policyLeadership from the top ensures staff feel supportedMakes everyone feel valued and part of the school communitySends a positive message to the wider community

Where do we start?

Co-ordinate responsibility

Identify key partners

Review existing guidance

Develop a whole school strategy

Share information and practice with other schools – and learn from them too

Who should we include?

School Governors

School Leaders

Teaching Staff

Support Staff

All other support (including Teaching Assistants, Break/Lunch Supervisors, Community Focussed Schools Staff)

Who should we include?

Wider community:Local Authority Anti-Bullying Team / Children’s Services / Safeguarding Children BoardLocal Youth Group(s)Local Youth Service / Careers WalesLocal transport providersLocal Police

Schools Liaison OfficerLesbian and Gay Liaison Officer

Local faith leadersLocal (and national) support services

Next steps...

Acknowledge and identify the problem of bullying

Develop policies which recognise the existence of homophobic bullying

Promote a positive social environment

Address staff training needs

Provide information and support for pupils

Next steps...

Include addressing bullying, including homophobic bullying, in curriculum planning

Feel able to use outside expertise

Encourage role models

Do not make assumptions

Celebrate achievements

For more information...

Youth and Education OfficerStonewall CymruTransport House1 Cathedral RoadCardiff CF11 9SB

Phone: 029 2023 7744E-mail: education@stonewallcymru.org.uk

Web: www.stonewallcymru.org.uk/youth&education