More inclusive media would help tackle homophobic bullying in schools

A recent report by Ofsted ‘No place for bully’ found that the least effective schools at tackling bullying were the ones which did not effectively develop pupils’ understanding about diversity, or help them empathize with each other to the fullest extent.

One of the Ofsted report case studies looks at the way, five years ago, a primary school had taken action to tackle homophobic language in the playground. The school’s concerns about the negative impact of the casual use of ‘gay’ as a term of derision led to a series of carefully planned actions. These included training for staff, working with pupils to extend their understanding, and altering the curriculum. The school appreciated that bullying, and feelings of exclusion, have a detrimental effect on self-esteem and consequently on achievement. Since tackling this issue with staff and pupils, homophobic language is hardly ever heard. Pupils are very comfortable using the terms ‘gay’ and ‘lesbian’ appropriately in conversation.

The experience from schools is quite unequivocal: embracing diversity is good for kids. There’s every reason to believe that an inclusive media would also help tackle homophobia and homophobic bullying. In fact the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child said, in 2008,that there was an urgent need for the UK mass media to address intolerance against LGBT children.

From its inception in 1922 the BBC claimed its mission was to inform, educate and entertain. You’d think it, too, would fully embrace diversity. And indeed that used to be the case. BBC children’s TV led the way, at a time when there were no laws to protect against anti-gay discrimination and Section 28 was very much in place. But, as I detailed earlier this year, the BBC is no longer in the forefront of equality and diversity.  Read More