Anti-bullying Week 2011 - 14-18 November.
Anti-bullying Week 2011 - 14-18 November.
The UK’s anti-bullying week is about to commence, from 14th to 18th Novemeber there will be special focus on verbal bullying, how words can indeed hurt and in some cases kill. Young people at the ABA Youth Summit in 2010 raised concerns about the negative use of language in schools, playgrounds, sports fields and the wider community. You know, things like ‘you’re so gay’ or ‘that’s so gay’ in an ultimately negative way. Being called ‘faggot’ bitch’ ‘dyke’ ‘slag’ and so on causes a great deal of hurt, but how common is it?
Shockingly frighteningly common, homophobic bullying is almost epidemic in Britain’s schools, almost two thirds of young lesbian, gay and bisexual pupils have experienced direct bullying. A staggering seventy five per cent of young gay people attending faith schools have experienced homophobic bullying. Ninety eight per cent of young gay people hear the phrases “that’s so gay” or “you’re so gay” in school, ninety seven per cent of pupils hear other insulting homophobic emarks, such as “poof”, “dyke”, “rug-muncher”, “queer” and “bender”.
Over half of lesbian and gay pupils in UK schools don’t feel able to be themselves and some thirty five per cent of gay pupils do not feel safe or accepted at school. What’s increasingly worrying is that less than a quarter, just twenty three per cent of young gay people have been told that homophobic bullying is wrong in their school.
“Someone found out about my sexuality and spread it round school. Everyone knows and looks at me and threatens me and no one helps. They push me in corridors and teachers have seen but they act as if they haven’t seen anything. People say ‘errrgh don’t touch the lezzy/dyke/minger/muff muncher/beanflicker’and I’m upset.” Sarah, 14.
“I get called names all the time at school, especially poof and faggot. My stuff is always being ripped up or drawn on or stolen.” Alan, 13.
"I have experienced bullying such as being verbally assaulted frequently, had scissors thrown at me, occasionally punched, sometimes directly in front of teachers." Kevin, 16.
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