Memorandum submitted by Stonewall
INTRODUCTION
1. Stonewall welcomes the inquiry into bullying
being undertaken by the Education and Skills Committee and we
are grateful for the opportunity to submit written evidence. Stonewall
is a national organisation working across Great Britain that has
campaigned for justice and equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual
(LGB) people since 1989.
2. Stonewall works to tackle homophobic
bullying in schools through our Education for All campaign. This
evidence paper focuses on homophobic bullying, to reflect our
area of expertise. Homophobic bullying, as with all forms of bullying,
seriously compromises the life chances of the young people it
affects. The Education for All campaign, launched in early 2005,
aims to supply teachers with the appropriate tools and advice
to create a positive learning environment for all pupils, to support
lesbian, gay and bisexual young people and to create a healthy
and open learning environment in which everyone has the opportunity
to learn.
3. Stonewall is carrying the Education for
All campaign forward through a number of projects, including:
— The development of an anti-homophobic
bullying website suite for the Department for Education and Skills,
working with Educational Action Challenging Homophobia (EACH).
— In conjunction with the Mayor of
London, a DVD for secondary school teachers on how to address
homophobia, a copy of which has been sent to every secondary school
in London.
— A School Climate Survey of young
people in the UK who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or are
questioning their sexual orientation. The survey focuses on the
prevalence of homophobia in schools; why it happens, the perpetrators,
the victims, and how this homophobia affects others.
— An annual conference for key education
professionals.
4. We have adhered to the inquiry terms
of reference by way of headings in this paper.
EXTENT AND
NATURE OF
THE PROBLEM
How bullying should be defined
5. A person is being bullied when he or
she is exposed repeatedly and over time to negative actions on
the part of one or more students, teachers or support staff. It
also involves an imbalance of power, where the person who is bullied
has difficulty defending him or herself. This imbalance of power
is particularly acute when a student is gay, or is perceived to
be gay. In this case, they can experience discrimination because
the bully believes that being gay is inferior.
The extent and nature of the problem of homophobic
bullying in schools
6. Homophobia in schools is almost endemic
and demonstrates itself through various means. It is perpetuated
where it goes unchallenged. Homophobia is a learned behaviour
and the school, home environment and media play a significant
role in tackling it. Homophobic bullying may manifest itself in
many of the same ways as other types of bullying, such as through
verbal abuse or physical abuse, and in many cases these are used
in combination.
7. A unique characteristic of homophobic
bullying, which can lead to particular isolation for those young
people who endure it, is the need for them to "come out"
should they decide to reveal the bullying to a teacher, parent
or fellow pupil. Even for young people who are not lesbian or
gay or questioning their own sexuality, they may feel fearful
about seeking help and support due to uncertainty about the sort
of response they might receive.
8. One feature to note is the use of the
word "gay", which has over the past decade come to mean
"rubbish" or "lame" by many young people and
is often used in acts of homophobic bullying. Role models, such
as the Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles, who repeatedly use "gay"
in a derogatory way, have a negative impact on the fight against
homophobia in schools. The persistent use of the word "gay"
in a negative way makes it increasingly difficult for both teachers
and pupils to be positive about gay, lesbian and bisexual identities.
9. Physical homophobic bullying occurs in
many schools across Britain. In 2002, DfES reported that 26% of
secondary school teachers were aware of physical homophobic bullying.
In the Stonewall survey Queer Bashing (1996) almost half of respondents
aged under 18 had experienced violence. Schools have influence
and responsibility over young people's development and play an
important role in challenging homophobia and homophobic bullying.
The extent of homophobic and racist bullying
10. In 2002 DfES reported in Bullying:
Don't Suffer in Silence that 82% of secondary school teachers
said they were aware of verbal homophobic bullying and 26% were
aware of physical homophobic bullying.
11. Sex and Relationships, Ofsted 2002 states,
"[...] in too many secondary schools homophobic attitudes
among pupils often go unchallenged. The problem is compounded
when derogatory terms about homosexuality are used in everyday
language in school and their use passes unchallenged by staff.
Where problems arise, staff have often had insufficient guidance
on the interpretation of school values and what constitutes unacceptable
language or behaviour."
12. A survey of 5,854 pupils in secondary
schools in Scotland noted that 3.2% of pupils stated that they
were attracted to members of their own sex (Rivers and Duncan,
2002). Using this as an average figure of same-sex attracted young
people in England, and given there are around 3,896,000 pupils
in mainstream and independent secondary schools in England during
2003, around 125,000 pupils in these schools may be attracted
to others of the same sex (Warwick, Chaise and Aggleton, 2004).
13. Studies in the UK and US show LGB young
people in school who are on the receiving end of homophobic bullying
to be between 30-50% (Rivers and Duncan, 2002). In England, given
the estimate of around 125,000 same-sex attracted pupils in secondary
schools, between 37,400 and 62,350 may currently be directly experiencing
homophobic bullying (Warwick, Chase and Aggleton, 2004).
14. The Bullying of sexual minorities at
school: its nature and long-term correlates (Rivers, 2001) studied
the types of bullying experienced by 190 LGB adults, and found
that:
— 82% of respondents had been subject
to name-calling.
— 71% had been ridiculed in front of
others.
— 60% had reported being hit or kicked.
— 59% had rumours spread about them.
— 49% had their belongings stolen.
— 27% had been isolated by their peers.
— 11% had been sexually assaulted by
either peers or teachers, whilst at school.
Why some people become bullies and why some people
are bullied
15. Homophobic bullying can affect all pupils
regardless of their sexual orientation. Pupils who are perceived
to be different or do not fit into the heterosexual norm risk
being on the receiving end of homophobic bullying. This could
include girls who participate in what are deemed to be "masculine"
sports or boys whose academic achievement is not considered appropriate
by their social group. Many young people who have gay or lesbian
parents/carers also experience homophobic bullying.
16. Being gay is often seen as inferior
to being heterosexual. It is possible that young people use homophobic
bullying as a means of safeguarding their heterosexual identity.
Also, young gay, lesbian and bisexual people who are frightened
of being perceived to be gay, can themselves resort to homophobic
bullying as a "cover" of their own sexuality.
SHORT AND
LONG-TERM
EFFECTS
The effect of bullying on academic achievement,
physical and mental health, and social and emotional wellbeing
17. Homophobic bullying threatens to compromise
each of the five stated aims of the Government's Every Child
Matters initiative:
— Make a positive contribution.
— Achieve economic wellbeing.
18. As explained in Youth Matters,
the Green Paper published in 2005, homophobia and discrimination
can lead to social exclusion whereby young gay people may seek
out an adult environment and engage in high risk behaviour.
19. LGB pupils are more likely to leave
school at 16, despite achieving the equivalent of six GCSEs at
grade C. In Social exclusion, absenteeism and sexual minority
youth (Rivers, I. 2000), 81% of LGB people surveyed held or were
studying for GCSEs, but only a third went on to higher education.
72% of LGB adults surveyed reported a regular history of absenteeism
at school due to homophobic harassment. 50% who had been bullied
at school had contemplated self-harm or suicide—40% had
made at least one attempt to self harm.
20. Guidance by the NASUWT, Tackling Homophobic
Bullying, states that homophobic bullying can lead to low self-esteem,
a culture of fear, pupil indiscipline, pupil or staff absenteeism,
reduced staff productivity, staff turnover, poor teaching performance,
reduced learning outcomes, stress, loss of health, and self-harm.
Homophobic bullying damages all pupils if not tackled as a consequence
of an unsafe learning environment.
21. Research carried out in 2003 found that
51% of gay men and 30% of lesbians reported being bullied physically
at school, compared with 47% of heterosexual men and 20% of heterosexual
women. (Mental health and social wellbeing of gay men, lesbians
and bisexuals in England and Wales, Royal Free College and University
College Medical School, 2003).
22. Stonewall is producing a major piece
of quantitative research of young people, which will be published
in early 2007. We hope that it will provide current evidence of
the prevalence of homophobia in schools; why it happens, the perpetrators,
the victims, and how this homophobia affects others.
Whether and how the effects of being bullied persist
into adult life
23. Homophobic bullying may incur long term
consequences. In cases where schools fail to provide a safe learning
environment for all children and young people they risk ostracising
pupils who are homophobically bullied. If homophobic bullying
is not stopped, bullies may continue to bully in their adult life
and young people who are on the receiving end of homophobic bullying
will be more reluctant to be open about their sexuality. This
has clear implications for their self-esteem.
24. As LGB pupils who are bullied are more
likely to leave school at 16, despite achieving the equivalent
of six GCSEs at grade C, in some cases where bullying goes unchecked
young gay people will not have had equal opportunities to continue
their education as their heterosexual counterparts.
25. Research on gay men, lesbians and bisexuals
who self-identify as having been "victims" of homophobic
bullying at school, shows that 26% of participants indicated they
had been or continued to be distressed regularly by recollections
of bullying in school (Rivers, 2004).
The effect of bullying on those who bully
26. Homophobia is a learned behaviour and
will continue unless it is challenged. Young people who homophobically
bully run the risk of continuing their behaviour in their adult
life. Increasingly, employers value knowledge and skills in diversity.
Bullies who have not had their behaviour challenged may pay a
penalty in the workplace in adult life compared to their counterparts
whose education has been inclusive and where homophobic bullying
has been tackled.
TACKLING THE
PROBLEM
The Government's policy on bullying
27. Homophobia, Sexual Orientation and Schools:
A review and implications for Action (DfES 2004) identified that
schools must identify common principles for tackling homophobic
bullying in schools, create opportunities for dialogue between
schools and key agencies, and conduct a thorough impact assessment
of policies, practices and procedures in schools.
How schools deal with bullying
28. Despite the high number of homophobic
incidents in schools, only 6% of schools have fully inclusive
anti-bullying policies that deal specifically with homophobic
bullying. Many schools cite the lack of experienced staff and
lack of policies as the reasons for their not dealing with the
problem (DfES, 2002).
29. DfES has published guidance Stand
up for us (2004) on how to tackle homophobic bullying in schools.
It outlines a whole school approach, whereby school leaders and
management, policies and procedures, monitoring of bullying recognise
homophobic bullying as a type of bullying and where a school strategy
should clearly state the way in which the school tackles it.
30. The Mayor of London and Stonewall have
produced a teacher training DVD Spell it Out, which provides teachers
and other school staff with the tools and confidence necessary
to tackle homophobic bullying in schools. This initiative is not
part of the government's policy. We believe that the Government
is doing the right things as far as their stated policies go,
but the challenge remains of how to get these policies into practice
in schools, in order to provide teachers with practical tools.
How parents can help if their children are being
bullied or are bullying others
31. Parents play a significant role in the
fight against homophobic bullying. They should be part of the
discussions with teachers and school governors about the school's
anti-bullying policy. They can help to ensure that the policy
is inclusive and acknowledges homophobic bullying as a type of
bullying and that there are clear procedures on how to tackle
it.
32. Friends and Families of Lesbians and
Gays (FFLAG) is an organisation that offers support to parents
with gay and lesbian children. Educational Action Challenging
Homophobia (EACH) provides a national helpline to pupils and parents
that experience homophobic bullying in school. It offers support
and guidance on how to help a child who is being homophobically
bullied.
What support and guidance the DfES provides to
schools and to those affected by bullying
33. DfES is working closely with Stonewall
and EACH in developing an anti-homophobic bullying suite on the
DfES website. This tool is aimed at education professionals and
provides practical steps to better tackle homophobic bullying
in schools.
The role of other organisations, such as non-governmental
groups, in providing support
34. The reluctance in the past of public
bodies to tackle homophobia and homophobic bullying in schools
has led to the growth of strategic and operational non-governmental
groups that tackle homophobic bullying.
35. Stonewall was established in 1989, as
a response to the introduction of Section 28, legislation which
has had repercussions on schools and the way that homophobia and
homophobic bullying has been tackled. After the repeal of Section
28, Stonewall launched the national Education for All campaign,
in conjunction with FFLAG and LGBT Youth Scotland, to tackle homophobic
bullying in schools. Stonewall is working in collaboration with
over 70 organisations across the country and has produced materials
for education professionals and for young people which provide
the tools and confidence to tackle homophobic bullying.
36. Educational Action Challenging Homophobia
(EACH) was established in 2001 to support young people who experience
homophobic bullying. It provides a telephone helpline to support
young people who are homophobically bullied. EACH also offers
training for the education and health services, LAs and schools
and colleges.
Whether particular strategies need to be used
to tackle homophobic and racist bullying
37. Every Child Matters states that
all children and young people should be healthy, stay safe, enjoy
and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic
well being. Children and young people who are on the receiving
end of homophobic bullying may suffer from low self-esteem, play
truant, have lower attainment levels and leave education earlier.
They risk not fulfilling their potential. Strategies for tackling
homophobic bullying are vital in order for the Government to achieve
the outcomes of Every Child Matters.
38. It is essential that homophobic bullying
is acknowledged as a specific problem and a specific type of bullying.
Education professionals need to recognise and understand the isolation
that young gay people can feel as a result of this particular
type of bullying.
39. Training for teachers on how to tackle
homophobia is essential. We know that there are teachers who want
to do the right thing but feel that they do not have the necessary
tools. The Spell It Out DVD produced by Stonewall and the Mayor
of London has met with an extremely positive response from London
teachers. It is important that effective diversity and equality
training is given during teacher training. We understand that
tackling homophobic bullying, along with many other forms of bullying,
is not covered by teacher training colleges, which is regrettable.
CONCLUSION
40. Stonewall welcomes the Education and
Skills Committee's inquiry into bullying, which we see as an important
step in understanding the extent and nature of bullying in our
schools.
41. We are pleased that homophobic bullying
is specifically recognised within the terms of reference; homophobic
bullying is one of the most difficult forms of bullying to tackle,
as acknowledged by Ofsted.
42. Stonewall would be more than happy to
provide further evidence to the Committee as required.
October 2006
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