Government guidance to tackle homophobia and cyberbullies

The guidance, developed by gay equality group Stonewall, is part of a package of bullying advice for teachers entitled Safe to Learn. Advice on tackling cyberbullying and bullying more generally will also form part of the Safe to Learn package.

CYP Now understands that the homophobic bullying guidance will encourage a "whole school" approach to the problem and call on head teachers and governors as well as individual teachers to deal with anti-gay bullying. It will contain suggestions for schools on how to prevent and respond to bullying.

Earlier this year Stonewall published research that found nearly two-thirds of lesbian, gay and bisexual pupils had been victims of homophobic bullying. The School Report study also found that 97 per cent of young gay people had heard insulting homophobic language used by other pupils and half did not feel comfortable about being openly gay. Three out of 10 pupils also said adults in schools were the ones carrying out the bullying.

The cyberbullying guidance, developed by ChildNet International, will offer advice on all forms of technology-based bullying including bullying via text messaging, social networking websites and "happy slapping". Sources have told CYP Now the cyberbullying guidance will look at what schools and teachers can do about the problem, although it does recognise that the responsibility for dealing with it is not purely down to schools.

A study for the Anti-Bullying Alliance by Goldsmiths College, University of London found that between a fifth and a quarter of pupils had been cyberbullied at least once in the previous few months. It also found that phone calls, emails and text messages were the most common forms of cyberbullying and that it usually took place outside of school.

On Friday Children's Secretary Ed Balls will launch the guidance, which is due to be published on the Department for Children, Families and Schools' teachernet website.