One in five gay teenagers claim to have been bullied by a teacher

A new study has found that gay pupils across the UK have experienced homophobic bullying at the hands of their teachers.

The shocking findings have been released today (March 9) by The National Aids Trust (NAT) in a report titled ‘Boys Who Like Boys’, which surveyed over 1000 gay and bisexual male students aged 14-19 across the UK.

The NAT found that one in five gay and bisexual students have been verbally bullied by at least one of their teachers, or another adult in their lives, because of their sexuality.

The study also found that a vast number of students across the UK have received very little education about the dangers of HIV. Over 27 percent were unaware of how the virus is contracted, while almost one third wrongly believe that the virus can be contracted through kissing.

“We are failing a generation of young men. It is vital that young MSM are equipped with the right information and knowledge to support their sexual health and emotional well-being,” said Deborah Gold, Chief Executive of NAT.

She continued: “Our research published today shows that this not the case. We have found significant gaps in HIV knowledge, sub-standard sex and relationships education at school, and endemic levels of homophobic bullying. As a result we continue to see high numbers of new HIV diagnoses and disproportionate levels of poor mental health and problematic drug and alcohol use.”

“It is our duty to ensure that young people are safe and supported in school, and leave school with enough knowledge and resilience to look after themselves. Currently this just isn’t happening – and it is a national shame,” she added.

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