Bullying

[Tom Paine]

Some findings

Almost two thirds (65 per cent) of young lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience homophobic bullying in Britain’s schools

Seventy five per cent of young gay people in faith schools experience homophobic bullying

Only a quarter of schools say that homophobic bullying is wrong in their school

Thirty per cent of lesbian and gay pupils report that adults are responsible for homophobic incidents in their schools

Almost three in five (58 per cent) lesbian and gay pupils who experience bullying never report it. If they tell a teacher, 62 per cent of the time nothing is done.

Over a third of all lesbian, gay and bisexual young people do not feel safe at school

Some testimonials

“On three occasions I have been assaulted and had to go to hospital to be examined and get the police involved.”

“The teacher was laughing at the fact that there are homosexual people and all the other pupils were taking the mick and my twitch started up and I had to leave.”

“I told the librarian about it, she told me it was my fault for admitting to being bisexual. I pointed out she wouldn’t tolerate racism or religious bullying and she said it was ‘totally different’.”

I haven't picked out much, or the worst. Just a few points. A small number, really. Now go and read the full, heart-rending report. We Brits like to criticise American attitudes to homosexuality and feel secure and superior about having a more mature attitude; if that's the case, how can we explain what occurs in our own schools? How can we explain the situation as it is in the UK? And most importantly, why has this matter not received much coverage or any response from the Department for Children, Schools and Families?

[InferiorBeing]

That stuff frightens me no end.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Frankly you do not need to be gay or bisexual to receive bullying. Even more to the point there is nothing wrong at all with people who are bullied the vast majority of the time. I'm not saying it should be tolerated, I'm just saying you will never get rid of it.

[morteduzionism]

Frankly you do not need to be gay or bisexual to receive bullying. Even more to the point there is nothing wrong at all with people who are bullied the vast majority of the time. I'm not saying it should be tolerated, I'm just saying you will never get rid of it.

Except when they show back up at school with weapons...

Or receive positions of authority(i.e. Police) and then become bullies themselves...

Parents of bullies should receive spankings...a machine should be designed to deliver spankings...when a child is caught being a bully...mom and dad(or whoever) has to come to court and get a spanking

[Tom Paine]

No, you won't. But here's something, ferrets:

Only a quarter of schools say that homophobic bullying is wrong in their school. In schools that have said homophobic bullying is wrong, gay young people are 60 per cent more likely not to have been bullied

And as to "no ill effects", how about the long term effects of it having an adverse effect on their schoolwork;

Seven out of ten gay pupils who experience homophobic bullying state that this has had an impact on their school work.

Half of those who have experienced homophobic bullying have skipped school at some point because of it and one in five has skipped school more than six times.

[removeduser_487563287433]

In the UK? A quarter of schools said homophobic bullying was not wrong.

Rhubarb, Ozy! Rhubarb! Prove it!

Also, I never said bullying had no ill effects. Not sure where you got that from.

[Daovonnaex]

Teenagers are insecure and still finding themselves. This includes sexual insecurity, so it is only natural that homosexuals will be tormented in this age range. I'm sure everyone here went through those paranoid accusations of homosexuality.

As a side note, I was a bully in high school. And yes, I feel remorse.

[Tom Paine]

Now there was me thinking that that's what the report was doing... *shrugs* Or do you have counter-evidence to the contrary?

[removeduser_487563287433]

Now there was me thinking that that's what the report was doing... *shrugs* Or do you have counter-evidence to the contrary?

Sorry but that report is an awful lot to read and I'm about to go drink beer and watch snakes on a plane in half an hour. 25% of schools saying there was nothing wrong with homophobic bullying is not a statistic I am liable to just accept from a single source.

[killerchinchilla]

I think unfortunately when it comes to homo and bi-sexuality feelings run strong. I've come across adults in my previous workplaces who where strongly homophobic. It is totally unacceptable for any school to not act on any case of bullying and I can only hope these schools will change. And I'm not surprised that there is more bullying of this kind in faith schools considering all the major ones are against homosexuality and have passages in their holy books to support it.

[Tom Paine]

Its the only source available on the matter, which should tell you something in itself.... you are saying that you don't trust the conclusions on the basis that you find them unbelieveable and no more.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Its the only source available on the matter, which should tell you something in itself.... you are saying that you don't trust the conclusions on the basis that you find them unbelieveable and no more.

I do find it unbelievable. I mean, a quarter of all British schools. What's that then? How many tens of thousands? Bullying is heavily policed and punished in schools. I just do not believe it.

[Tom Paine]

Bullying is hardly heavily policed. In theory, it is; in practice, there's a lot of rhetoric in that direction and far less action. But I challenge you again; some up with counter-evidence, or accept the conclusions.

[Noble Savage]

I have children of my own and this report scares me a lot.
Firstly for my childrens well being.We all know the worst case scenario which is suicide. Now if anything is bad enough for a teenager to go through this then it should be taken seriously. No child should want to take their own life. And most of the time the culprits do not recieve any justice.

Secondly this reports mentions bullying by adults who are supposed to be caring for these children. If children are defenceless against other children what chance do they stand against an educated adult. If a child reports an incident will it be looked on upon with an even unbiased view? Unlikely.

Thirdly.One of my children has been a victim and a protaginist. I will not tolerate either. My son has now been suitably punished and I have made sure the teachers know that I will not turn a blind eye to him bullying anyone.My son being a victim is something I'm finding a little tougher. As you know if you were ever bullied ,the last people you want to tell is your parents,but my son now trusts me enough not to go off the deep end (that's hard work).

I digress a little but I feel very strongly about this report and the thing that shocks me the most is the Teachers role in all this. Surely our education system has evolved enough not to be predjudiced against sexual preferances. Will children tell their parents or uninvolved adults that a teacher has been bullying them ? Again we have to gain the trust of the children so they can tell us. We do that by taking them and reports like this seriously.

I hope this report does get the recognition it deserves and take the war on bullying to another level,for my and everyone elses children.


I was hoping my 1000th post would be a little lighter

[removeduser_487563287433]

Bullying is hardly heavily policed. In theory, it is; in practice, there's a lot of rhetoric in that direction and far less action. But I challenge you again; some up with counter-evidence, or accept the conclusions.

I wouldn't know where to look, but I'm not going to accept such a statistic on the basis of a single report when I do not know who produced it or for what reasons or even what their sample was.

[Noble Savage]

I wouldn't know where to look, but I'm not going to accept such a statistic on the basis of a single report when I do not know who produced it or for what reasons or even what their sample was.

It's a viewpoint from one of the most harmful types of bullying - "Gay Bashing "

Of course you need comparisions but does that make this report unworthy of anyones attention?

Reports from charities like Childline have also made similar reports on bullying and the effects of them and you only have to look in the tabloids for instances where bullying has become such a problem that kids take their own lives. Even the death of 1 victim is still an alarming statistic.

[removeduser_487563287433]

25% is thousands and thousands of schools that would be treating homophobic bullying in a way that I am positive would be found illegal. It's just too unlikely.

[Tom Paine]

Assuming it was reported to parents and then taken to court. But (and this is why I asked you to read the report), it also found that

Over 60 per cent of young lesbian and gay people feel that there is neither an adult at home nor at school who they can talk to about being gay.

Four in five young gay people have no access in school to resources that can help them

Almost three in five (58 per cent) lesbian and gay pupils who experience bullying never report it

[mongrel]

Judging from my experience dealing with workplace bullying, I tend to agree with you, Mr Paine.

[Daovonnaex]

My opinion is that anyone who reports bullying to a teacher or other authority figure is a coward and deserves to be bullied. Learn how to fight, arm yourself, band together, etc. Solve your own problems. I stated that I was a bully in high school, but prior to that I had been bullied myself.

The often vicious culture of children is important in that forces children to learn how to socialize and interact with eachother, including all of the negative consequences that entails. The interference of adults in this natural development process results in stunted social growth.