Around 80 per cent of children have heard homophobic, biphobic and transphobic comments in schools
In many cases teachers, staff or other pupils did not intervene
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
Around 80 per cent of school pupils have heard fellow students make homophobic, biphobic and transphobic comments.
A study of LGBTQ young people in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, found that a large majority of schoolchildren have overheard anti-LGBTQ remarks and comments while at school.
The BBC reported that in many cases teachers, staff or other pupils did not intervene when hearing the homophobic language.
Following from this research, there has been a call for more to done to tackle discriminatory language.
Kerry Riddell of LGBT Youth Scotland told the BBC: “It is a really big concern.
“We know that if a young person hears negative comments relentlessly about their identity, it is not particularly good for your mental health.
“It doesn’t encourage you to come out if that’s something that you were considering doing.
“Being in the closet for many years is not good for your mental health either so there’s a real impact of that kind of relentless negative language that people hear.
“They just need to understand a bit more about the impact of it and that’s really where professionals come in.
“There is certainly more work to be done in schools to tackle it.”