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Words can hurt

Summary: Stop and think - words can hurt is the theme of Anti-Bullying Week this year

Alastair Tallon says it provides a powerful opportunity to raise awareness of the endemic levels of homophobic bullying and widespread use of homophobic language in our schools.

Alastair Tallon
In recent YouGov polling for Stonewall, entitled The Teachers’ Report, eight in 10 secondary school teachers reported hearing homophobic remarks such as “poof” and “dyke” in school.

It even occurs in primary schools where two in five teachers say they hear these words being used by children.

In another piece of research for Stonewall, entitled The School Report, Jay, 18, told us: “At one point it really got to me and I couldn’t take it anymore. So I had to change my phone and be taken from some of my lessons because it got so bad.”

But homophobic language is not just confined to the use of insults. In The Teachers’ Report, 95 per cent of teachers said that they heard phrases such as “you’re so gay” and “that’s so gay” with three in five hearing them often or very often.

This is a shocking statistic and it is important to highlight that it is not only gay young people who are affected, as homophobic bullying and language can be directed towards any young person, irrespective of their sexual orientation. Teachers reveal that boys who are academic, girls who play sports, young people with gay parents, friends or family members, and young people merely perceived to be gay are all victims of homophobic bullying.

If unchallenged by staff (and this includes all staff, from teachers to break-time supervisors, from lab technicians to school cleaners) then this can create an environment in which this kind of bullying can thrive.

The consequences of leaving this unchallenged are stark. Young people who experience this kind of bullying are more likely to underperform. Sixty-three per cent of secondary teachers say homophobic bullying has a negative impact on pupils’ school work.

This can lead to pupils missing school, which can affect their preparation for exams and ultimately their aspirations and work opportunities once they leave school. Around half of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) students have truanted as a result of homophobic bullying.

Under the new Ofsted framework, inspectors will be looking at how schools work with a wide range of students, including LGB students. They will want to know how schools promote their anti-bullying message, how the curriculum incorporates positive LGB role models and different families, and what leadership headteachers give in preventing and tackling homophobic bullying.

The Equality Act 2010 places specific duties on public bodies, including schools, and by April 2012 all schools will have to produce an action plan that clearly sets out steps on how to eradicate discrimination, advance equality and foster good relations.

So if that’s the issue, what can headteachers do to address it? It is vital that all staff recognise this language for what it is – homophobic language. And we are clear that it is the language that is homophobic, not necessarily the pupil. Challenging this language is not about labelling a pupil as homophobic, it is about helping them to understand the impact that this language has on other pupils and to explain why it is wrong.

Saying that a pair of trainers is “so gay” is drawing an equivalence between the word gay and “rubbish”. As part of The Teachers’ Report, Hailey, a secondary school teacher, told us: “A student used the word gay in a negative way, and we got into a conversation about the inappropriate use of language, and how using it like that was offensive to people who were gay. I compared it to racism, and he understood exactly what I was getting at.”

Two in five secondary teachers say that none of their school policies specifically mention homophobic bullying and language. If schools are to effectively tackle the issue then they must ensure that it is explicitly covered by the school’s policies, particularly in the anti-bullying policy. This should also be made visible to pupils, staff, parents and visitors and sanctions should be used consistently, especially when offensive terms such as “poof” or “dyke” are used by one pupil towards another.

It is also important to involve parents in the process. All pupils deserve to feel safe at school and, whatever their attitudes towards LGB people, no parent wants their child either to be bullied or to be perceived as a bully. Taking this approach with parents can create a useful framework when talking to them about the issue of homophobia and homophobic language.

As well as taking a strong line through the effective implementation of anti-bullying policies, this message can also be reinforced through the curriculum, by discussing LGB issues or using text books that reflect the lives and stories of LGB people.

PSHE offers a very valuable opportunity for exploring some of these issues in class and can greatly help the overall message about the unacceptability of this kind of language.

As homophobic bullying is not just confined to the classroom, but can happen in other parts of the school, it is down to every member of the school community to have an understanding of what homophobic bullying is, and what they can do to prevent and respond to it.

However, in The Teachers’ Report, nine out of 10 teachers in secondary schools stated that they had had no training on how to prevent and tackle homophobic bullying. School staff need to feel confident that they have the support of the school in responding to homophobic bullying or language, and that they have the skills and knowledge to do so.

Through Stonewall’s Education for All campaign, we work with more than 70 organisations including the Department for Education and Ofsted. We have produced guidance and information for teachers and headteachers – including a booklet on the issue of homophobic language (Challenging homophobic language), teacher training DVDs (Spell it out), curriculum guidance about incorporating LGB issues (Oh no, not the gay thing!), and a range of posters, mugs, postcards and stickers with the now-iconic slogan: “Some people are gay. Get over it!”

In 2010, we also produced FIT, a feature film that is lively, fun and challenging about the lives of a group of young people in a secondary school – it explores some of the issues facing LGB pupils, including coming out, the response of their parents and friends, and also the impact of bullying and homophobic language.

In November, we will also be launching our Stonewall School Champions programme. This will provide tailored support and guidance for schools in challenging homophobic bullying and language as well as promoting a safe and inclusive learning environment for pupils. Schools that join will have a free pack of resources, a bench-marking tool and discounted access to CPD sessions in school. We also have a dedicated page on our website for Anti-Bullying Week, which includes advice and resources for teachers.

The widespread use of homophobic language needs to be challenged, it is not only detrimental to LGB students, but to all young people, it creates a climate of prejudice and it is imperative that schools address it now.

Anti-bullying week runs from 14-18 November 2011.

Source: sec-ed.co.uk

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