Addressing homophobia in three secondary schools in South London

Abstract

Schools have a responsibility to prevent all forms of bullying, including that related to\ud sexual orientation. However, to date relatively little is known about how schools are\ud successfully tackling homophobia and homophobic bullying. The aim of this study\ud therefore was to generate new knowledge about how three secondary schools in\ud South London, England, were engaging with and addressing homophobia.\ud A coeducational, a boys' and a girls' school were selected — each having conducted\ud work to counter homophobic bullying. In each school, individual interviews were\ud conducted with three members of staff and group interviews were conducted with\ud pupils drawn from two Year groups (from Year 9, 10 or 11). Information was also\ud drawn from the schools' latest Ofsted report. Interviews were audio-recorded,\ud transcribed and data analysed thematically by way of successive approximation.\ud Work on homophobia and homophobic bullying was said by staff to be part of the\ud commitment by schools to counter bullying in all its forms, to extend equal\ud opportunities and to promote an inclusive whole school ethos. This they did through\ud policy development, continuing professional development and, in particular, through\ud Personal Social and Health Education and Citizenship. However, more needed to be\ud done in each school to ensure that all staff were competent to address homophobia.\ud Pupils stated that they were keen that homophobic bullying should be tackled in their\ud school — although some noted that they would find it difficult, themselves, to take an\ud anti-homophobic stance. Pupils stated that work carried out in schools had some\ud influence on them — although as important was personal contact with lesbians and gay\ud men and the media.\ud Findings are discussed in relation to the utilisation of national policies and\ud programmes, school improvement through preventing homophobia, extending Sex\ud and Relationship Education, and teaching about same-sex sexuality as a noncontroversial\ud issue. Implications for my own professional practice are outlined