Report on Homophobic bullying in schools

damien

Got this from the USILGB Forums

A new report on ‘A Survey of Teachers on Homophobic Bullying in Irish Second-Level Schools’ has been released. The report was written by James Norman, a researcher in the School of Education Studies at DCU, and co-authored by Miriam Galvin, and is the result of a survey carried out among 705 schools nationwide.

Main findings:
Some of the findings, as reported by the Irish Independent:

94pc of teachers in single-sex boys' schools were aware of verbal homophobic bullying and 25pc of physical bullying.

82pc of teachers in co-educational schools encountered verbal bullying and 17pc physical bullying.

55pc of teachers in single-sex girls' schools encountered verbal bullying and 4pc physical bullying.

Among teachers who were aware of physical homophobic bullying, 87pc had encountered it more than once during the previous school term.

41pc of teachers find it more difficult to deal with homosexuality-related bullying than with other bullying.

While 98pc of teachers reported that their school had a policy on behaviour and discipline and 93pc an anti-bullying policy, in 90pc of cases this made no reference to homophobic bullying.

Among the schools that had introduced a Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) programme, 63pc said it did not include any reference to gay and lesbian issues.

This omission rises to 75pc in single-sex girls' schools and reduces to 48pc in single-sex boys' schools.

The researchers found that co-educational schools are most likely to include opportunities for discussion about gay and lesbian issues.

Press Release
http://www.dcu.ie/news/s1204f.shtml

Sile de Valera, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, today launched a new report on ‘A Survey of Teachers on Homophobic Bullying in Irish Second-Level Schools’ at Dublin City University. The report was written by James Norman, a researcher in the School of Education Studies at DCU, and co-authored by Miriam Galvin, and is the result of a survey carried out among 705 schools nationwide.

‘Homophobic bullying’ is used to describe abusive verbal, physical and intimidatory behaviour towards students who are either gay or lesbian, or who are merely considered to be. The term ‘homophobia ‘has been shown to be a negative consequence of gender role stereotyping.

The report examines the way in which homosexuality is perceived in second-level schools today and makes a number of recommendations for teachers, parents and students. It also looks at the manifestation of homophobic bullying and its effects in the second-level setting for both students and teachers, and not just for those who may be gay or lesbian.

James Norman, author of the report, said that he was delighted with the level of response to the questionnaire, which gave the report greater validity. “Abusive behaviour can have devastating effects on those who both experience it and witness it. Homophobic bullying sets students who are gay and lesbian apart from their peers, with the result that they can feel ostracised and set aside as ‘different’. If Irish schools are to protect all young people and promote equality in education, there is a need to engage in further research into the phenomenon of homophobic bullying in Irish Schools”, he said.

The report showed that while 98% of teachers reported that their school had a policy on behaviour and discipline and 93% said that their school had an anti-bullying policy, 90% of teachers reported that the anti-bullying policy did not include any reference to lesbian and gay-related bullying. Among the schools who had introduced an RSE programme, 63% reported that the programme did not include any reference to lesbian or gay-related issues. This increases to 75% in girls’ single-sex schools and reduces to 48% in boys’ single-sex schools.

Homophobic bullying is more likely to occur in boys’ single-sex schools (94%) and co-educational schools (82%), and least likely in girls’ single-sex schools (55%). However, co-education schools were most likely to include opportunities for discussion about gay and lesbian related issues.

There was also a significant urban/rural divide on a number of bullying-related issues, with teachers in urban areas experiencing a higher degree of homophobic bullying.

DCU President, Ferdinand von Prondzynski, said, “The university, through its School of Education Studies, supports all research that can lead to the improved welfare of students, whether at second or third level. The report makes an important contribution to the serious social issue of homophobic bullying, and is one from which we can all benefit. It is also in keeping with the university’s ethos of dignity and respect for all, and social inclusiveness for all sectors of our society”.

The report revealed that teachers identified their own inexperience in dealing with the issues as a hindrance to solving the bullying as well as the lack of any formal policy or guidelines. They also said that their desire to help in this situation was hindered by a desire to be sensitive to the victim and a fear of a possible negative reaction from parents, other staff and pupils if they are seen to act to protect the pupil who is perceived to be lesbian or gay.

“The main research finding is that the majority of teachers are aware that homophobic bullying is taking place but that they find it more difficult to deal with then other forms of bullying. This is something that needs to be addressed”, said James Norman.

Full Report here: http://www.schoolingsexualities.ie/schooli....ort.pdf

darkened_corner

Glad to see this report published. I've heard about wishy-washy reports on this being doe before, but never one this detailed. It's heartening to see there are people paying attention to this - whether or not the report makes any impact now is the question. I certainly hope it does, but are schools (especially religious-run and/or single-sex and/or private schools) really going to change so easily...?

<rant>Damn it, I could have done with this report when I was in school!</rant>

fozzle

I don't know that religious (Catholic anyway) schools can give support in this situation. One of the reasons for their existence is to promote the relevant religion, and afaik they're exempt from certain anti-discrimination regulations if they conflict with the teachings of the religion in question. And in case you could forget, it's against the Catholic teachings. :mad: It sucks but I can't see a whole lot being done to change it, which angers me deeply, since I can only assume that plenty of other students go through the self-denial and self-hatred that I went through in my Catholic school.

darkened_corner

Hmph. Trust me, I sympathise. My school was not one, not two, but all THREE: private, religious, single-sex. :mad: :mad: :mad: Needless to say, no I wasn't amazingly happy there. I know not much can be done to change religious schools' outlook, but to me, discrimination is discrimination, and legislation is legislation. Simple maths. Then again, in my school I got the biggest bit of discrimination from the headmaster when he threatened to expel me if I didn't shut up about my sexuality and pretend I was a good little straight conformist boy...

uberwolf

not to knock you all, but does the cause of the bullying really matter a dam? bullying is bullying regardless of what absurdly flimsy cause they use?

the_syco

uberwolf wrote:

not to knock you all, but does the cause of the bullying really matter a dam? bullying is bullying regardless of what absurdly flimsy cause they use?

Good point.
Another question I'd like to ask would be how many straight people got bullied, and how many non-straight people got bullied, if you want to think in black and white.

My question would be why is homophobic bullying is different than normal bullying, such as racist-bullying, or bullying for the sake of bullying?

And before some of ye write this off as a dumb question, I want to know, because I was once bullied (height, hearing, etc), and I want to know would categorizing it make it easier to combat bullying, or is it just labeling it?

uberwolf

I was bullied for being gay. But I wasn't. Everyone gets called gay at school. Thats not to legitimise. Messed me up at the time. Any less so than someone who was gay? was it homophobic bullying?

darkened_corner

I do see your point, but to me homophobic bullying IS worse than standard, and not just because I was on the recieving end. In a Catholic-run school, or really in any religious school, the bullying all takes the form of "you're going to hell, you're a sinner, you're a sicko".

I do understand the point about bullying for the sake of it - I got bullied about having red hair in primary school. By the time I entered secondary, the red had faded to mostly brown (and judging by both sides of my family, will likely darken to black) yet I still got called names about my "red" hair. Those comments were (at first) hurtful and irritating. But when I came out, and the bullying switched to hompohobia in earnest, that hurt. That hurt a hundred times more than any bullying to do with my appearance or other attributes, because the other bullying was to do with things about me, whereas this was attacking what I considered a fairly core part of my personality.

Boston

uberwolf wrote:

not to knock you all, but does the cause of the bullying really matter a dam? bullying is bullying regardless of what absurdly flimsy cause they use?

All bullying has an effect on kids, and as kids become adults, those adutls carry these effects with them through life. The difference with homophobic bullying is that it can lead and often does to repression in later life. To an unwillingness to accept that part of you that might be gay. in some cases it leads to people being reluctant to examine their sexuallity in the slightest way, and the whole ladish culture of what men are ment to do.

darkened_corner

I always forget to put in the more salient points Nicely put boston.

fozzle

Well put Boston. At school I was bullyied for being short, wearing glasses, being fat (apparantly I was a skinny kid, but I no longer remeber being so), and for being gay. But the taunts that affected, and affects me most were the homophobic ones, becuase here was something I was doing wrong, this wasn't the way I was made, this was how I chose to be, in my twistedness. I ended up being 22 before I could even broach the subject of my sexuality with anyone else.

I know a lot of people had it worse than that, your situation sounds horrible DC, I'm just trying to explain how homophobic bullying could be seen as different to other forms. Mind you, all bullying is traumatic, and I think bullies are horrible, the few people in this world that I genuinely hate are bullies, I think it's unforgivable.