Homophobic and Transgender Bullying
Heterosexism, homophobia and anything outside of the gender
"norm" make schools and mainstream youth groups uninviting and often
dangerous places for young LGBT people. In a survey carried out in 1998 by
the Institute of Education and commissioned by Stonewall and the Terrence
Higgins Trust, 82% of teachers were aware of homophobic bullying at school,
with only 6% of schools having a policy in place to deal with it. Much research
has been carried out on the effects of bullying on teenagers and shows that
the experience of victimisation can have a devastating effect on young people,
often leading to incidents of self-harm and suicidal tendencies.
In 1996, Stonewall produced a national survey of hate crimes against LGB people and concluded that:
"Lesbians and gay men under 18 stood
out as being particularly vulnerable to homophobic violence and harassment.
40% of violent attacks took place in school and in 50% of attacks, the perpetrators
were fellow students. 44% of under 18's had been harassed by fellow students.
79% had been called names by fellow students."
"Young lesbians and gay men grow up in a world which is hostile, unsupportive and uninformed. They are often desperate to confide in their families and teachers, to understand their emerging sexuality, but remain silent and isolated."
There are a range of links to further information and help with all the issues above at the top of this page. We also have a links page for these and other organisations.
