CYP Now - Policy & Practice: Policy into Practice - How schools can tackle homophobic bullying

While many of us can understand what it must be like to be bullied as a child, few of us can really understand the effect homophobic bullying has on children and young people. Adults are rarely aware of homophobic bullying on children, partly because many victims conceal the abuse. Or because adults lack the ability, knowledge or skill to tackle the topic.

Like all children, protecting a gay child's childhood is vital for their emotional growth. Misinformation, mishandling and abuse

can mute a child's homosexuality until late puberty and for many gay young people the emotional damage is done.

The answer is to provide information, educational support and guidance, both in the home and school, starting from a young age. With the removal of Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, new sex and relationship education was published in 2000. This guidance acknowledges the needs of young gay and bisexual children. It states that schools have a responsibility to ensure the needs of all children be met and all children should feel both relationship and sex education is both relevant to them and sensitive.

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