Combatting homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in educational system
Problem description
In the last 20 years in Croatia numerous steps were made towards combatting homophobia, biphobia and transphobia and the protection of LGBTIQ human rights, in the legislation as well as in the institutional and social field.
Despite that, the spread of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia and violence towards LGBTIQ+ persons still represents the key societal problem and LGBTIQ+ persons still experience frequently emotional, verbal and physical violence, and live in fear that they will be physically attacked, hurt, shunned, kicked out of their home or let go from their work.
This societal injustice is present in the education system as well, and is being perpetuated by institutional homophobia, biphobia and transphobia (through the invisibility or marginalisation of LGBTIQ contents in school programmes, homophobic and transphobic contents in school books, the non-existence or non-implementation of action plans and policies for combatting violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, homophobic, biphobic and transphobic speech in schools, LGBTIQ+ topics being put in a negative context in the education system...) and individual homophobia, biphobia and transphobia of different actors (such as negative attitudes of students and school staff towards LGBTIQ persons and so on) which is attested by many practical examples as well as research data.
According to research on youth's political literacy (Baketa, N., Bovan, K. i Matić Bojić, J. 20211, a third of the questioned secondary school students in Croatia still think that "homosexuality is a form of disorder or disease“and that gay people should be forbidden public appearances because that makes them affect youth in a negative way, while 20% of them think that gay people should be forbidden to work with children. Although schools as educational institutions are a place where students should get reliable information about LGBTIQ+ topics, in practice it is not like that.
The analyses of school books and curricula (Hodžić, LORI, 2022)2 show that LGBTIQ contents in school materials are „mostly invisible, not present enough and/or marginalized. The only exception are the newer editions (from 2020 and 2021) of the Ethics textbook from the publisher „Školska knjiga“, which showcase multiple LGBTIQ topics and gender equality in a affirmative and comprehensive way.“ Although the mentioned textbooks represent a positive and important step in the right direction, LGBTIQ+ contents are not mandatory, which means there is no systemic implementation and that the information is not available to all students. Furthermore, because there is no systemic education and preparation of teachers for these topics, teaching quality of the mentioned topics is also questionable. It is common knowledge that, if a teacher hesitates or feels uncomfortable while saying words such as „lesbian“ or „transgender person“, those emotions are communicated towards the students which can bring to negative associations regarding these terms, even if it wasn't the intention of the teacher.
Consequently, LGBTIQ+ youth have to deal with a lot more stress and negative life experiences compared to their cisrodne and heterosexual peers. Apart from usual challenges during adolescence which their heterosexual peers also experience, queer youth need to confront themselves with accepting a very stigmatized identity, social exclusion and other negative consequences. Apart from the challenge of accepting oneself as an LGBTIQ person, research systematically shows that LGBTIQ+ students are common targets of harassment and peer violence in schools and that they are being exposed to discriminatory experiences.
According to UNESCO-a (2021.) (2021), 54% of LGBTIQ persons at least once experienced violence in schools based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, 83% of students heard negative comments towards LGBTIQ student at least sometimes, while 67% was at least once a target of negative comments themselves. Therefore, it is not surprising that majority of LGBTIQ students in schools fell unsafe.
The data is similar in Croatia. The survey of European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (2020) shows that only 4% of LGBTIQ youth in Croatia is completely open about their own sexual orientation and/or gender identity in schools, while 63% completely hides their identity.
Research about the experiences and needs of LGBTQ youth in education (Štambuk, M., Rainbow Families, LORI, 2022)3 showed that 77% of participants was exposed to homophobic, biphobic and transphobic comments of their peers in secondary school multiple times or often, while 20% experienced verbal violence from school staff in secondary school at least once.
Additionally, more than half of youth was at least once exposed to LGBTIQ topics being mentioned in a negative context during class or in school materials. The research has also shown that 77% of young queer persons does not know whom they can report the violence to in school if they experience it, which means that violence, slurs and hate speech usually stay unreported because of the students’ fear of a homophobic reaction of the person they are asking for help.
Homophobic, biphobic and transphobic violent behaviour leave direct, long-lasting effect on youth’s psychosocial health, as well as on their ability to succeed in education. Students that experienced homophobic and transphobic violence have a bigger chance of worse grades in school and numerous negative mental health outcomes (increased anxiety, fear, stress, loneliness, loss of self-respect and self-esteem, self-harm, depression and suicide) as consequences of experienced violence.
Although the consequences are very serious, for LGBTIQ youth there usually is not an adequate system of psychosocial support. LGBTIQ students do not ask teachers and school staff (psychologists, pedagogists) for help due to strong fear of coming across rejection and judgement. On the other hand, school staff does not have enough information or adequate knowledge for adequate psychosocial support for LGBTIQ+ youth, and often internalize the existing societal homophobic and transphobic views of their own homophobia and transphobia.
Furthermore, while other children can ask for help within their family circle in case they experience violence, LGBTIQ youth do not have that possibility if their family doesn't know or accept their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
Concerning the lack of support and people they can talk to, LGBTIQ youth are often left to themselves and need to handle the challenges of growing up as „different“ , negative societal and peer attitudes, institutional homophobia present in the education system, everyday exposure to negative messages from their environment and often discrimination and violence. Eliminating homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in educational system and protecting LGBTIQ youth is one of the main goals we should aspire to.
What needs to be done on a systemic level?
Homophobic, biphobic and transphobic violence should be approached as a complex social issue that can be solved using a strategic approach and by all social and institutional bodies taking responsibility, which can in the end contribute to the creation of a sustainable, accepted and efficient way in which the state and society should deal with the acknowledged problem.
National policies, programmes and initiatives in Croatia recognize the importance of protecting children and youth from harassment as well as the importance of providing a safe environment and the contribution to their emotional, physical and educational wellbeing.
In February 2020, the Croatian government adopted Action plan for violence prevention in schools for 2020 - 2024 which for the first time explicitly mentions the duty of developing and implementing a prevention programme for homophobic and transphobic violence that LGBTIQ youth experience because they don't fit in with the traditionally accepted social norms of sex, gender and sexuality.
LORI Programme Combatting homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in school system is included in the official List of prevention programmes published by the Ministry along with the Action plan.
In all schools, it is necessary to establish measures for fighting against all forms of homophobic violent behaviour among the secondary school students, to ensure the implementation and monitoring of prevention plans and to ensure support for LGBTIQ+ students.
Following good examples of EU and western countries, schools should be familiar with the problem of peer harassment and violence based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity in schools, equal opportunities for every person, and be developing strategies which will ensure the protection of LGBTI youths human rights. Head teachers, teachers and school staff are obligated to prevent and stop every form of violence in schools and, if necessary, work together with the police and social services. It's important that schools ensure a safe place where persons who feel victimized can take shelter and that it, by their own example (by the behaviour of their employees), provide a model of nonviolent and positive behaviour, and respect towards students while also adequately monitoring places that students say are potential spots for attacks and intimidation.
It is necessary to implement education about LGBTIQ+ topics into schools and remove current homophobic and transphobic contents from school textbooks. Educational institutions should insist on using affirmative language on an everyday level and react to hate speech and discriminatory comments of school staff and students. Furthermore, education for sensitising school staff and student about LGBTIQ+ topics - led by LGBTI organisations, is also necessary in schools, and various sources of support for persons that experience violence because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity should also be ensured.
LORI work in this field so far:
Aimed at combatting homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in educational system, LORI has conducted numerous activities and projects since 2012, including direct work with students, teachers and other school staff in terms of educating about LGBTIQ+ topics, eliminating peer violence and sensitising for acceptance of LGBTIQ+ youth. More about the programme is available here.