Homophobic Bullying

Homophobic bullying...

 … is when a young person is targeted with abuse, or other negative behaviours, just because they are lesbian, or gay, or bisexual or transgendered (LGBT). 

... can also happen if someone else thinks a person might be LGBT.

... can be physical but is more likely to be name calling (like gay, lezzie or fairy) or emotional bullying (like spreading rumours). 

... is the second most common form of bullying, and is three times more likely to happen than racist bullying. 
... affects children of all ages, whether the child is LGBT or not. 

Most homophobic bullying is invisible to adults

Tips for tackling homophobic bullying

1. Focus on the bullying not on trying to second-guess the orientation of child/ young person. 
2. Talk to the child who is being bullied and try to respect their wishes and judgement of how serious the situation is. It may be that they don’t want you to do anything more than listen at the moment. 
3. Respect the wishes of that young person. One of the biggest fears for young people who are LGBT and being bullied is that if they report it, the school will automatically tell their parents. Think carefully about the wider effects of doing this and that Coming Out is not in itself a child-protection issue. More information on supporting LGBT young people can be found here.
4. Homophobic bullying damages self-respect, schools have a duty to help children / young people to develop a positive self-image.
5. Homophobic bullying happens because children/ young people feel unable to explore the feelings and prejudices they have about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in a positive environment. Schools that include lessons on LGBT people and appropriate discussion into the curriculum have many less instances of homophobic bullying. 
6. Always challenge the use of the word ‘gay’ to mean things that are negative. Regardless of the intention behind it, it is never acceptable to allow young people to use a word which means someone’s identity to mean things that they don’t like. Widespread use of the word also makes it impossible for young people who need to ask for help because they are gay to do so. 
7. Explain that everyone is different, and that this is ok! The world would be very boring if we were all the same!
8. School anti-bullying policies must make explicit reference to homophobic bullying and the steps you are taking to address it. It is also a DCSF requirement that all schools (irrespective of age of students, faith or ethos) clearly explain to children once a term what homophobic bullying is and why it is unacceptable. 
9. School staff have a legal duty under the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 to provide a comparable service to all students. This means that schools that completely exclude LGBT people from sex and relationships education to talk solely about heterosexual people are not legally compliant. 
10. 1 in 10 young people will grow up to be lesbian, or gay or bisexual. A smaller number will be born transgendered.
11. Being LGBT is not inherited or genetic or a ‘chosen lifestyle’; it’s just something that some people are.