‘I Am the Hate that Dare Not Speak its Name’: Dealing with homophobia in secondary schools

Abstract

This paper describes the outcomes of a small‐scale project involving 19 secondary schools. The project investigated how effectively issues of homophobic bullying and sexualities were addressed through secondary schools' formal policies and areas of the curriculum. Outcomes indicate that sexual orientation was mentioned in two‐thirds of Equal Opportunities policies but was not mentioned specifically in any Anti‐Bullying policies. Staff highlighted the need for training in issues surrounding sexualities, homophobic bullying and clarification of Section 28. Implications for the work of educational psychologists are discussed, including raising awareness and clarifying issues in schools as well as informing whole school development work.