Homophobic ASB bullying Derek Munn Director of Public

Homophobic ASB & bullying Derek Munn Director of Public Affairs Stonewall

Who are Stonewall? • Britain-wide campaign organisation for lesbian, gay and bisexual equality • Founded in 1989 in the wake of Section 28 • Record of Parliamentary lobbying for legal change • Focussed increasingly on employers and schools • Research, policy, information, good practice, youth involvement

LGB people • No-one knows how many people are gay • But estimate by Treasury Actuaries reflects most reputable research • This suggests around 6% of the population – 3. 6 m people in the UK • Legacy of criminalisation and discrimination • Now substantive legal equality but discrimination continues

LGB people and housing • One in five LGB people expect worse treatment from a housing officer if open about their sexual orientation

LGB people and housing • For one in six LGB victims of hate crime the perpetrator lived locally • One in ten LGB people think there is a big problem with homophobic hate crime in the area where they live • 7% of LGB people have had their home or property vandalised • Only 4% of victims reported the incident to a housing association, and 4% to a local authority

LGB-specific housing issues § Same-sex domestic violence § Youth homelessness through family estrangement § Homophobic ASB from neighbours ‘I told my parents I was gay and they basically said you can leave the house now, we don’t want to know. ’

Homophobic bullying in primary schools • Acknowledge that homophobic bullying does exist in primary school • Children who are thought to be “different” in some way (blue for the boys, pink for the girls) • Young people with same-sex parents • Use of language • Often ignored by teachers and misunderstood • Consequences in secondary school, and ongoing prejudice

”They play with a pack of cards, and one card is the gay card. Whoever ends up with the card is the ‘gay boy’ for the day. These boys are 9 years old” Primary School Teacher, Sussex “I teach primary age children who use the terms “poof”, “queer”, etc when name calling. ” Primary School Teacher, East Midlands

Homophobic bullying in secondary schools • Almost two thirds (65 per cent) of young lesbian, gay and bisexual pupils have experienced direct bullying

• Ninety eight per cent of young gay people hear the phrases “that’s so gay” or “you’re so gay” in school • Less that a quarter (23 percent) of young gay people have been told that homophobic bullying is wrong in their school

• Seven out of ten pupils who experience homophobic bullying state that this had an impact on their school work • Half of those who have experienced homophobic bullying have skipped school at some point because of it • Over 60 per cent of young lesbian and gay people feel that there is neither an adult at home nor at school who they can talk to about being gay

“People call me ‘gay’ everyday, sometimes people kick me or push me, they shut me out of games during school gym and they steal my belongings. ” James, 17, secondary school (South West) “… females who were in the year above (year 13) wouldn’t touch me or would cover up their lowcut tops if I was walking past them. ” Hannah, 16, secondary school (Greater London) “We were told by a teacher that if a boy came out as gay, it would have to be reported. Hence, I was scared to actually admit to anything. ” Tom, 18, beacon secondary school (Yorkshire and Humberside)

How do teachers feel about homophobic bullying? • Nine in ten secondary school teachers and more than two in five primary school teachers say children and young people, regardless of their sexual orientation, currently experience homophobic bullying • Secondary school teachers say that homophobic bullying is the second most frequent form of bullying after bullying because of weight

• Nine in teachers and non-teaching staff at secondary and primary schools have never received any specific training on how to prevent and respond to homophobic bullying. • Half of secondary school teachers who are aware of homophobic bullying in their schools say the vast majority of incidents go unreported.

‘I think that the terms “you’re gay” or “that’s gay” are very commonly used to express dislike or scorn. Usually when challenged about these comments, pupils are either embarrassed or defiant, expressing their views that to be gay is “gross”. ’ Teacher, secondary school (Yorkshire & the Humber) ‘People seem to be very definite in their ideas of what a “proper” boy or a “proper” girl should do or be interested in. It takes very little deviation from these so called norms for a person to be singled out and picked on. ’ Teacher, primary school (East Midlands)

“As a Christian I believe that homosexuality is wrong. I believe that this mollycoddling of so-called gays is wrong. I have every confidence that as a teacher with over 30 years experience and as a head of year, I could discuss issues with girls who claim to be gay but I would probably not be very sympathetic. ” Shannon, teacher, grammar school (East of England)

“I teach PSHE (sex and relationships education), so it’s a regular theme. Homosexuality is a deviant behaviour. . . If you want to be a sexual deviant, fine, in the privacy of your own home and if it’s between consenting adults. Just don’t do things in public that offend. ” Martin, teacher, faith independent secondary school (West Midlands)

The role of the school • • • 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

Any Questions? 08000 50 20 20 derek. munn@stonewall. org. uk