Combating Homophobic and Transphobic Bullying in Schools
One of the problems that many children face throughout their school years is bullying. There are different types of bullying - cyberbullying, physical, verbal, and social bullying, among others. Unfortunately, even today and largely due to a lack of education, some children use words to offend their peers, often targeting sexual orientation, body language, or clothing.
This kind of bullying creates two major problems.
Firstly, children who are bullied can experience negative physical, social, emotional, academic and mental health consequences. They are more likely to face:
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Depression and anxiety, increased sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These problems may continue into adulthood.
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Health complaints.
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Decreased academic achievement-lower grades and test scores-and less participation in school. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school.
Secondly, and equally important, is the fact that when we use words that refer to someone's sexuality as insults, we subconsciously reinforce the idea that being LGBTQI+ is something negative, something we do not want to be associated with (for example, words like faggot, poof, etc.).
It is crucial to create a safe environment for all youth, whether or not they identify as LGBTQI+. All young people can thrive when they feel supported. Parents, schools, and communities all play an essential role in helping LGBTQI+ youth feel physically and emotionally safe:
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Build strong connections with LGBTQI+ youth to demonstrate acceptance and keep communication open.
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Accept LGBTQI+ youth as they are, regardless of how they identify, express, or conceal their sexual identity.
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Provide safe spaces for students to talk about their identity and navigate decisions about when or how to disclose it.
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Create safe school environments by sending a clear message that no one should be treated differently because of who they are or are perceived to be.
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Include sexual orientation and gender identity protections in school anti-discrimination policies.
Over the past four years, ACCEPT LGBTI Cyprus has been working with teachers and professors across Cyprus to create this safe environment in schools. To date, more than 500 educators have been trained and have become multipliers of the project. The initiative is called HOMBAT (Combating Homophobic and Transphobic Bullying in Schools) and aims to raise awareness about homophobic and transphobic bullying in educational settings while supporting prevention through counter-narrative development and promotion.
Find out more at: www.hombat.eu
Whatever our role - school advisor, teacher, student, parent, policymaker, or member of civil society - it is our duty to be upstanders, to combat homophobic and transphobic bullying, and to support all young people.
