How to Stop Homophobic and Biphobic Bullying by Jonathan Charlesworth

Author:Jonathan Charlesworth
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Published: 2020-08-21T00:00:00+00:00

Pupils who have experienced homophobic or biphobic bullying may require immediate support following an incident but they may well also need ongoing support to feel safe in school. Targets of homophobic or biphobic bullying could need your support to tell their story fully and discuss how the incident has affected them. Reassure the pupil that ongoing support will be made available to them and that you will take action to prevent the same thing happening again to the best of your abilities. You have been honoured with being the recipient of your pupil’s disclosure. Now you must honour this responsibility by helping them.

Sources of help to support you might include a colleague who arranges to meet with the pupil to ‘check in’ on how they are. You may feel that another member of staff is better placed to provide ongoing support than you and you need to explain to your pupil why this is the case and who this person will be. Are there dedicated pupils in the school (peer supporters or mentors) who could complement this role and with whom the pupil would feel safe and comfortable talking about either homophobic or biphobic bullying or coming-out issues? In some cases both the target of homophobic or biphobic bullying and its perpetrator (and respective family members) would benefit from specialist intervention. Consider inviting a training provider such as EACH to come to the school to provide targeted support for the pupil or training for the staff to help them support pupils in such situations in future.

In anticipation of a forthcoming meeting with a pupil who you think or know will be discussing either a disclosure around sexuality or telling you about homophobic or biphobic bullying it is worth bearing in mind these points:

• Lesbian, gay or bisexual issues are obviously not simply or just about sexual attraction and sex. There are deep emotions and wider relationships with friends and family to work through.

• Try to reassure your pupil that if they are lesbian, gay or bisexual they should feel no pressure to be ‘out’ and they should take things at a pace that feels comfortable for them.

• Encourage your pupil to think carefully about who, if anyone at this stage, they want to know that they are lesbian, gay or bisexual and why they do or do not want them to know.

• Ask your pupil to consider the reaction of those they will tell and any implications. If they are worried about ramifications, encourage them to reflect on how they will deal with situations which may arise.

• If they indicate any sense of shame or disgrace about being lesbian, gay or bisexual or being homophobically or biphobically bullied be positive and reassure them that there is nothing wrong with identifying as such. Positive affirmations and a supportive environment for gay pupils can help combat any internalised feelings of homophobia or biphobia which are so often borne out of negative depictions of lesbian, gay and bisexual people and the portrayal of heterosexuality as the only and ‘normal’ way to be.

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