Almost half of all LGBT young people are still bullied at school, new report finds

Half of all young LGBT students have faced bullying at school, a new report has found. Stonewall’s School Report 2017, which surveyed over 3,000 LGBT students aged 11-19, found that the number of students bullied because of their sexual orientation has fallen by almost a third. Despite this, the study, conducted between November 2016 and February 2017, also found that most students have experienced anti-LGBT bullying. Around half (52%) of all LGBT young people have heard homophobic language “frequently” or “often” at school, while almost half (46%) said they’ve heard transphobic language.   Less than a third of bullied LGBT students (29%) said that teachers intervened when they were present during the bullying and two in five pupils (40%) revealed they were never taught anything about LGBT issues at school. As a result of the bullying, over two in five trans students (45%) and one in five (22%) lesbian, gay and bisexual students have attempted to take their own life. Stonewall’s study also revealed that many pupils were bullied online as two in five (40%) said they had been the target of homophobic, biphobic and transphobic abuse on the internet. Meanwhile, nearly all of the students surveyed (97%) have seen homophobic, biphobic and transphobic content online and two in three (65%) think that online platforms are unlikely to do anything about it. Ruth Hunt, Chief Executive at Stonewall, said: “It is clear that much remains to be done until every young person in Britain can grow free to reach their full potential.” “As we look ahead, we must keep sight of our shared mission: to create a world where every young person can grow up happy, healthy and supported to reach their full potential.” “While much has changed over the past decade, it is clear we cannot be complacent in the fight for equality. So let’s reflect on what’s been achieved, establish what needs to be done, and work together to create a world where every young person can be themselves.” More stories: The secret world of cottaging explored in new photography exhibition Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to meet people living with HIV in first public engagement as a couple