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Homophobic Bullying, Achievement, Mental Health, Safety and Sexual Health of LGBT Students (GT)
This page provides a draft overview of the school's role in preventing homophobic bullying in and near schools. This draft has been started by the International School Health Network with funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada. Visitors to and members of this wiki-based web site are welcome to edit the text using the Easy Edit" tool found at the top of the page or commenting on the collection by using the "thread" tool found at the bottom of the page. (All previous versions of this page are automatically saved by the system, so don't hesitate to edit this page.)
Visitors to this page may also be interested in the ongoing collection of LGBT & School research, reports and resources also being maintained on this web site.
All students including gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex students, have a right to feel safe at school and be free from bullying or being the target of unacceptable behaviour. Indications of the extent of homophobic bullying in schools can be gained from recent reports from several countries, including Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, United States and others.
Bullying and violence experienced by LGBT youth has negative effects on their educational achievement, mental health, safety, sexual health and overall healthy development. Recent studies in several countries report that bullied sexual minority students are more likely to be absent from school, are likely to have more trouble connecting with school and fellow students and experience greater challenges with their academic work. The stresses experienced by LGBT youth and those who are questioning their sexual orientation or LGBTQ also put them at greater risk for mental health problems, substance use, and physical health problems.
Two kinds of public policy and advocacy responses are developing in many countries around the world in different kinds of economic, cultural and political contexts. Community-based responses, often led by trade unions, human rights leaders and others, are advocating for basic human rights and equality for sexual minorities and calling for changes in schools as part of broader societal change. School-based responses, often led by teachers and parents, are evolving from initial single intervention programs to comprehensive approaches that address bullying as well as the education, health and other rights of LGBT students within schools.
Schools that have clear policies, procedures and activities designed to prevent bullying and have supportive staff and student organizations can be effective in reducing verbal and physical harassment. These kinds of positive school climates are associated with reduced suicide risk and better mental health among LGBT students. For youth to thrive in their schools and communities, they need to feel socially, emotionally, and physically safe. Schools, communities, parents, and youth have a role to play in building positive, supportive, and healthy environments for youth. Such environments promote acceptance and respect and help youth feel valued.
A comprehensive approach, coordinated agency-school programs or whole-school strategy to student safety and well-being are most effective in preventing incidents of homophobic bullying. The most important action teachers and the school community can take is to create and continually model a school environment that respects and celebrates diversity. To promote a whole-school environment that is openly inclusive of the needs of same-sex attracted and transgendered students is to ensure that incidents of homophobic bullying are kept to a minimum. Inclusiveness should be reflected in a school’s curriculum, teaching and learning, organisation and ethos, and in community links and partnerships. The school’s physical environment should also be openly inclusive such as through displaying relevant posters. Respectful and safe schools clearly communicate to all members of the school community that everybody has the right to feel physically and psychologically safe.
To help promote health and safety among LGBTQ youth, schools can implement the following policies, programs and practices:
These specific actions can and should be taken as part of more comprehensive approaches, coordinated agency-school programs and whole school strategies to improve learning (particularly preventing school dropouts), promote health and safety (particularly preventing bullying), promote mental health (particularly reducing suicide and depression) and sexual health (particularly reducing risk-taking and harassment).
Adapted from LGBT Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA, Canadian Sexual Health Education Guidelines, Public Health Agency of Canada, Supporting Sexual Diversity in Schools, Department of Education, Victoria, Australia)
Please refer to our list of relevant Operational Definitions used in this summary. They include homophobia, bullying, mental health and others. .
Visitors to this page may also be interested in the ongoing collection of LGBT & School research, reports and resources also being maintained on this web site.
Homophobic Bullying, School Achievement, Mental Health, Safety and Sexual Health of Sexual Minority Students
All students including gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex students, have a right to feel safe at school and be free from bullying or being the target of unacceptable behaviour. Indications of the extent of homophobic bullying in schools can be gained from recent reports from several countries, including Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, United States and others.
Bullying and violence experienced by LGBT youth has negative effects on their educational achievement, mental health, safety, sexual health and overall healthy development. Recent studies in several countries report that bullied sexual minority students are more likely to be absent from school, are likely to have more trouble connecting with school and fellow students and experience greater challenges with their academic work. The stresses experienced by LGBT youth and those who are questioning their sexual orientation or LGBTQ also put them at greater risk for mental health problems, substance use, and physical health problems.
Two kinds of public policy and advocacy responses are developing in many countries around the world in different kinds of economic, cultural and political contexts. Community-based responses, often led by trade unions, human rights leaders and others, are advocating for basic human rights and equality for sexual minorities and calling for changes in schools as part of broader societal change. School-based responses, often led by teachers and parents, are evolving from initial single intervention programs to comprehensive approaches that address bullying as well as the education, health and other rights of LGBT students within schools.
Schools that have clear policies, procedures and activities designed to prevent bullying and have supportive staff and student organizations can be effective in reducing verbal and physical harassment. These kinds of positive school climates are associated with reduced suicide risk and better mental health among LGBT students. For youth to thrive in their schools and communities, they need to feel socially, emotionally, and physically safe. Schools, communities, parents, and youth have a role to play in building positive, supportive, and healthy environments for youth. Such environments promote acceptance and respect and help youth feel valued.
A comprehensive approach, coordinated agency-school programs or whole-school strategy to student safety and well-being are most effective in preventing incidents of homophobic bullying. The most important action teachers and the school community can take is to create and continually model a school environment that respects and celebrates diversity. To promote a whole-school environment that is openly inclusive of the needs of same-sex attracted and transgendered students is to ensure that incidents of homophobic bullying are kept to a minimum. Inclusiveness should be reflected in a school’s curriculum, teaching and learning, organisation and ethos, and in community links and partnerships. The school’s physical environment should also be openly inclusive such as through displaying relevant posters. Respectful and safe schools clearly communicate to all members of the school community that everybody has the right to feel physically and psychologically safe.
To help promote health and safety among LGBTQ youth, schools can implement the following policies, programs and practices:
- Include explicit references to bullying of LGBT students as part of general policies prohibiting bullying, harassment, and violence against all students.
- Identify “safe spaces,” such as counselors’ offices, designated classrooms, or student organizations, where LGBTQ youth can receive support from administrators, teachers, or other school staff.
- Ensure that regular school practices such as proms and dances are inclusive in nature
- Ensure that health curricula or educational materials include HIV, other STD, or pregnancy prevention information that is relevant to LGBTQ youth (such as ensuring that curricula or materials use inclusive language or terminology).
- Encourage school district and school staff to develop and publicize trainings on how to create safe and supportive school environments for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity and encourage staff to attend these trainings.
- Provide all parents with information about sexual orientation as well as provide specific information and support to parents of LGBT students and LGBT parents
- Support and encourage school activities and work with community-based awareness programs to increase awareness and reduction of homophobic bullying such as gay-straight student alliances, participation in "pink shirt" or anti-bullying days, cooperate with drop-in centres and summer camps for LGBT students and more
- Ensure that school policies and actions on cyber bullying address homophobia
- Facilitate access to community-based providers who have experience providing health services, including HIV/STD testing and counseling, to LGBTQ youth.
- Facilitate access to community-based providers who have experience in providing social and psychological services to LGBT youth.
- Ensure that the school grounds, facilities and transportation routes to school are safe and secure from bullying and harassment
- state that they find the comments or actions offensive
- ask the student if they know why the teacher has found their statement offensive
- ask the student to consider the statement in light of agreed school rules about discriminatory language, and the feelings of the student who they have been bullying
- agree to a management strategy, as set out in the school’s policy and procedures on bullying and student conduct.
These specific actions can and should be taken as part of more comprehensive approaches, coordinated agency-school programs and whole school strategies to improve learning (particularly preventing school dropouts), promote health and safety (particularly preventing bullying), promote mental health (particularly reducing suicide and depression) and sexual health (particularly reducing risk-taking and harassment).
Adapted from LGBT Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA, Canadian Sexual Health Education Guidelines, Public Health Agency of Canada, Supporting Sexual Diversity in Schools, Department of Education, Victoria, Australia)
Please refer to our list of relevant Operational Definitions used in this summary. They include homophobia, bullying, mental health and others. .
dmccall |
Latest page update: made by dmccall
, Oct 31 2011, 6:48 PM EDT
(about this update
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Edited by dmccall
95 words added view changes - complete history) |
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