UNITED KINGDOM - Anti-gay feeling is running high among Haringey school children.New research by Middlesex University says: "There exists a high level of homophobia among school age children."
The conclusion was published in Hate Crime in Haringey 2005, a university report commissioned by the Haringey Safer Communities partnership. It was based on a workshops with school children aged 12 to 13.
Dr Goodman, principal lecturer in social sciences and research leader, said: "It was a very unsafe arena to talk about themselves in a way other than as heterosexual."
The report notes that "on sexuality a more worrying picture emerged" and that a "lack of tolerance was experienced in more than one session" from both boys and girls.
"Justification for these attitudes came from biblical references and church teachings," it reads.
It acknowledges, however, that the council has been "pre-emptive in tackling homophobic bullying" and schools "were proactively tackling the subject of sexual orientation". But adds there is still much work to do.
Councillor George Meehan, executive member for children and young people, said: "Haringey takes the issue of all forms of discriminatory incidents in schools seriously. One incident is one too many."
But he added: "It remains the case, however, that homophobic incidents are a small proportion of reported incidents."
He pointed out the council had been collecting and publishing data for five years to inform anti-bullying strategies and highlighted conferences held with young people on the issue.
These include the Tackling Homophobic Bullying in Haringey in 2004 and this month's Safer Solutions: Young Peoples Conference canvassing the views of school students.
from Journal 24
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