Daily roundup 27 June: Homophobia, child abuse, and probation inspection

The level of homophobic bullying in Britain's secondary schools has fallen by a third in a decade, according to a study from the University of Cambridge. The study, commissioned by gay rights charity Stonewall, says the use of insulting language is less frequent and schools are more likely to prevent attacks on gay pupils. But the report says 45 per cent of gay pupils still face bullying, reports the BBC.


A hard-hitting film aimed at training health professionals about the signs of child sexual abuse and exploitation has won a prestigious award. Seen and Heard won Gold in the Training category at the 2017 Evcom Screen Awards, known in the industry as the Oscars of specialist videos. The film is part of a campaign and e-learning package created by The Children's Society and commissioned by the Department of Health.


Support for prisoners leaving jail and moving back into the community is poor and the work of most Community Rehabilitation Companies makes little difference, according to HM Inspectorates of Probation and Prisons. The inspection of "through the gate" services by the inspectorates found the general standard of services has not improved in the eight months since the last inspection.


More than half of parents would be prepared for their children to miss five or more school days per academic year in order to go on holiday, a study has found. Gocompare Travel Insurance's "Term-time Holiday" survey also revealed that the threat of a fine would not prevent 21 per cent of parents of school-aged children from taking a term-time holiday, while only 16 per cent of parents said that they agree with fines for term-time holiday absences.


Health chiefs are warning parents of the dangers posed to children by too much exposure to the sun. The warning from NHS England follows survey findings that show a quarter of parents have encouraged children to get a sun tan. The findings, reported by the BBC, come from interviews with 1,000 parents with children aged 11 and younger.