The Teachers' Report (2014)
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The Teachers' Report (2014)

Published in January 2015

A first-hand look at the experiences of teachers tackling homophobic bullying at school.

Teachers are one of our most powerful tools in the fight for acceptance without exception. When we asked, they overwhelmingly agreed that tackling homophobic bullying is a top priority: but what’s the picture like in their own schools? The Teachers Report interviews primary and secondary teachers tackling homophobic bullying at school.

The Teachers' Report presents the findings from YouGov polling of primary and secondary school teachers and support staff in Wales on their experiences of homophobic and biphobic bullying in their schools and the inclusion of lesbian, gay and bisexual issues in the classroom.

Primary Schools

  • More than two in five (43 per cent) primary school staff surveyed in Wales say pupils in their school have experienced homophobic bullying or name-calling.
  • Three in five (61 per cent) primary school staff in Wales hear pupils use expressions like ‘that’s so gay’ or ‘you’re so gay’.
  • More than a third (37 per cent) of primary school staff in Wales say their school does not allow them to teach about lesbian, gay and bisexual issues and almost half (47 per cent) don’t know if they are allowed.
  • Only one in four (27 per cent) primary school staff in Wales say their school has a policy that addresses homophobic bullying.
  • Nine in ten (90 per cent) primary school staff in Wales have not received any specific training on how to tackle homophobic bullying.
  • Among the 40 primary school teachers surveyed in Wales, only a third (33 per cent) of primary school teachers have addressed different types of families in a way that includes same-sex parents in the classroom.
  • Nine in ten (89 per cent) primary school staff in Wales believe that school staff have a duty to prevent and respond to homophobic bullying.

Secondary Schools

  • Almost nine in ten (87 per cent) secondary school staff surveyed in Wales say pupils in their school are bullied, harassed or called names for being, or suspected of being, lesbian, gay or bisexual.
  • More than nine in ten (93 per cent) secondary school staff in Wales hear pupils use expressions like ‘that’s so gay’ or ‘you’re so gay’.
  • One in twelve (7 per cent) secondary school staff in Wales say their school does not allow them to teach about lesbian, gay and bisexual issues and almost two in five (38 per cent) don’t know if they are allowed.
  • Just over half (53 per cent) of secondary school staff in Wales say their school has a policy that addresses homophobic bullying.
  • Four in five (79 per cent) secondary school staff in Wales have not received any specific training on how to tackle homophobic bullying.
  • Among the 40 secondary school teachers surveyed in Wales, more than a third (35 per cent) have not addressed lesbian, gay and bisexual issues in the classroom.

Nine in ten (91 per cent) secondary school staff in Wales believe that school staff have a duty to prevent and respond to homophobic bullying.

Download Report (PDF)