What role can citizenship education play in reducing homophobia in schools?

1. What role can citizenship education play in reducing homophobia in schools? David Morgan PGCE Citizenship – London Metropolitan University 19 June 2003

2. Homophobia • Term constructed in late 1960s by the psychologist Weinberg • An irrational fear, intolerance and hatred of lesbian, gay and bisexual people

3. Bullying • The systematic and habitual expression of verbal, emotional, psychological or physical abuse or intimidation by one party in order to cause distress and disruption to another • Exploits a real or perceived characteristic (‘weakness’) that singles the bullied party out as ‘different’

4. Homophobic bullying • Bullying behaviour driven by homophobic prejudice • Verbal or physical abuse directed at a person because of their sexuality or perceived sexuality • Therefore not only an issue for lesbian, gay or bisexual people

5. Prevalence of homophobic bullying Survey of >200 lesbians and gay men found that at school: • 80% experienced name calling • 59% being hit or kicked by others • 55% subject to rumour mongering • 45% being stolen from • 23% being sent to Coventry • 8% were sexually assaulted

6. Prevalence of homophobic bullying • Study found LGB young people experienced bullying of a more severe nature than general bullying at school • Extremes: rape, being doused in chemicals, being urinated upon, being burnt with cigarettes while held down all reported in survey

7. Prevalence of homophobic bullying Survey of 4,000 lesbians and gay men found: • Under 18s reported highest levels of abuse, mostly at school • 79% reported name calling by fellow students • 44% reported harassment from fellow students • 24% reported physical attacks from fellow students

8. Prevalence of homophobic bullying Survey of >300 secondary schools: • 97% of teachers aware of incidents of general verbal or physical bullying • 82% aware of incidents of verbal homophobic bullying • 26% aware of incidents of physical homophobic bullying

9. Effects of bullying Short term effects may include: • loss of confidence • loss of self-esteem • becoming withdrawn and nervous • lack of concentration • poor educational attainment • school phobia, truancy and school refusal

10. Effects of bullying Particularly pronounced for young people coming to terms with their sexuality: • harbouring a ‘secret’, feeling isolated and alone • become invisible to others as result of coping mechanisms minimising chances of victimisation • Internalise negative stereotypes, severe degrees of low self-esteem (‘internalised homophobia’)

11. Effects of bullying Long term effects include: • depression • self-harm • agoraphobia and fear of strangers • anxiety attacks • psychosomatic disorders

12. Effects of bullying • 20% of LGBs surveyed attempted suicide on >1 occasion in youth (Rivers, 1996) • LGB young people 6x more likely than heterosexual to attempt suicide (Teacher, 2003) • LGB young people account for more than half of all youth suicides (Teacher, 2003) • Internalised homophobia linked to high risk sexual behaviours (Warwick & Douglas, 2001).

13. Why are schools homophobic? • Most hurtful insult for boys is to be ‘gay’ • A normal part of male identity development? • ‘Emotional hardening’ increases among boys as they progress through school • Schools create a pressure cooker amongst young people • Sexuality the only aspect of pupils’ experience that schools do not control, order, measure, monitor or address

14. Policy background • Section 28 of LGA 1988 irrelevant • DfEE circular 16/99 on tackling bullying • SRE guidance (2000) • OFSTEd review of SRE (2002)

15. Research methodology • Mixed comprehensive 1,500 pupils • Log of all lessons taught where homophobic language challenged • Teacher questionnaire completed by 30 members of staff

16. Results:Lessons where homophobic language challenged

17. Results:Teachers witnessing verbal homophobia between pupils

18. Results:Frequency of teachers witnessing verbal homophobia between pupils

19. Results:Does the school explicitly reference LGB issues in its anti-bullying policy?

20. Results:Does the school curriculum currently meets the needs of young LGB people?

21. Results:Where should the school curriculum address the needs of young LGB people?

22. Discussion & conclusions A whole school approach: • Everyday action • Response to incidents • Long range focus and commitment • Cross-curricular addressing of issues of sexuality

23. Discussion & conclusions Humanities English & Drama Long range focus Incident response Everyday action PHSE/Cit Science

24. Opportunities through Citizenship • democracy and autonomy • equality and diversity • justice and the rule of law • rules and human rights • freedom and order • power and authority • rights and responsibilities

25. Opportunities through PHSE • respecting difference • developing own sense of identity • challenging offending behaviour effectively • managing changing relationships • conflict resolution • Sex and Relationships Education

26. Opportunities through English and Drama • Who Lies Inside • Annie On My Mind • Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit • Beautiful Thing • The Laramie Project • Autobiographical work e.g. Edmund White, Oscar Moore

27. Opportunities through RE • Why do major religions view homosexuality as a sin? • How do different faiths react to liberalisation in social attitudes? • Can someone be gay and have faith? • Do personal religious beliefs justify prejudice?

28. Opportunities through Science • homosexuality in nature • ‘norms’ of behaviour • identity and forms of expression - fixed or fluid?

29. Opportunities through History • Lives of key historical figures e.g. Aristotle, Plato, James I, Edward II • Experiences of homosexuals in historical societies e.g. Ancient Greece, Europe under the Nazis

30. Role of Citizenship Key, but ineffective without support of: • long range focus of the school • rest of the school curriculum • training and development of all staff.