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LGBT bullying at ‘high rate’ in Scotland’s schools

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

rainbow flag

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pupils are still experiencing high rates of bullying in schools, according to campaigners.

LGBT Youth Scotland said the pupils were also not confident about reporting abuse to staff.

The charity called for strong leadership from schools and local authorities on the bullying.

The Scottish government said a new anti-bullying strategy had been developed with LGBT organisations.

Homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying at school can have a devastating impact on young people’s mental health and cause them to leave education early, according to the charity’s research.

LGBT Youth Scotland said its study went on to show transgender youngsters have a particularly difficult time at school and face even higher levels of bullying than their LGB peers.

The organisation has teamed up with the Time for Inclusive Education campaign to highlight the issue and demand further action. It coincides with anti-bullying week.

Move school

The charity said there was good work being carried out, but demanded more guidance and resources for teachers, as well as improved regulation and inspection of schools over the bullying of LGBT pupils.

Megan McIntyre, a member of LGBT Youth Scotland’s national youth council, said homophobic bullying was not always taken seriously.

She said: “I had to move school because they wouldn’t deal with bullying at all. Once I moved, my new school wasn’t much better.

“As a result, my attendance dropped as I didn’t want to be there. I wasn’t in a good place.”

Fergus McMillan, the charity’s chief executive, said: “We want to see an education where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people report feeling included in their school, have their lives reflected in the curriculum and are free from homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.

“We, therefore, support the principles of the Time for Inclusive Education campaign and call on school leadership and policymakers at all levels to focus on fully implementing the Equality Act (2010) to eliminate discrimination and promote equality of opportunity for all.”

Teacher education

The Scottish government said all bullying, including prejudice-based bullying, was “unacceptable”.

A spokeswoman added: “Respect for All, the refreshed national anti-bullying strategy for children and young people, which has been developed in collaboration with organisations including LGBT Youth Scotland and Stonewall Scotland, will take a holistic approach to tackling this issue.

“Last week, Deputy First Minister John Swinney wrote to the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities and Human Rights Committee to welcome their input into the process and agreed to put the publication on hold to allow for meaningful engagement.

“We have also committed to a programme of teacher education on equality for all… providing funding where necessary and have updated relationship teaching guidance.”

[Source:- BBC]

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Education

Online bullying counselling on increase, says Childline

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Child sitting on stairs (posed by model)

The number of children and young people needing counselling about online bullying has increased by 88% over five years, according to a helpline.

The NSPCC’s Childline service said it counselled more than 4,500 children in the past year compared to about 2,400 in 2011-12.

The total number suffering online abuse is thought to be far higher.

Some children as young as seven told Childline how they were tormented, abused and scared to go to school.

The charity said online trolls caused misery and humiliation for thousands of children.

‘Wreck lives’

Childline’s president Dame Esther Rantzen said the figures should be a wake-up call.

“Bullying can wreck young people’s lives, especially now that the bullies don’t stop at the school gates,” she said.

“Cyber-bullying can follow them home until it becomes a persecution they cannot escape.

“It is imperative that adults, parents and teachers, intervene to protect them, because we have learned over the years from Childline callers that bullying does not stop on its own, left alone it gets worse.

“Schools must take this problem seriously, and above all children must ask for help.”

The report is being released at the start of Anti-Bullying Week which is coordinated by the Anti Bullying Alliance.

The group is working with parents, schools and other organisations to help combat the problem.

‘Hurts so much’

One young person who contacted Childline said: “It might sound like not much of a problem but there’s a group of people I play with online and they told me to kill myself. I won’t kill myself but it upsets me.

“My parents don’t realise how upset it’s making me and they tell me to stand up for myself or just not play anymore but they don’t know how hard that is.

“I don’t know why they have suddenly started picking on me but it hurts so much.”

Advice given by young people on dealing with bullying includes:

  • Tell an adult you can trust
  • Keep a diary of what the bullies do including dates and descriptions
  • Write a letter to your headteacher
  • Don’t react, show the bullies you don’t care and they will often lose interest                                                                    [Source:- BBC]
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Education

Hull College chief accused of ‘bullying’ local MP over staff strike

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

karl-turner-ucu.jpg

A Hull College chief executive has been accused of using “bullying” tactics towards its staff and local MP, following an on-going row over staff pay at the institute.

Shadow Attorney General Karl Turner criticised Chief Executive, Gary Warke, for sending him a letter of complaint regarding his support of striking staff members.

The dispute came into place after Mr Turner, who represents the Kingston upon Hull East constituency, addressed members of the University and College Union (UCU) during their one-day walkout over pay and lesson observations on Tuesday.

In a personal letter sent to the MP, Mr Warke expressed “sincere disappointment” at Mr Turner’s decision to support the strike and said it was “inappropriate and disrespectful” that he had not informed management of his intentions to appear at the demonstration.

Mr Turner published the letters of correspondence in a blog postand said: “Imagine my surprise to have received a veiled threat from Hull College Chief Executive, Gary Warke, who took it upon himself to accuse me of making political capital out of an issue which matters a lot to my constituents”.

“Whilst Mr Warke may feel that he can bully and intimidate his staff at Hull City College, he cannot do it to me, an elected Member of Parliament”.

The MP has also written to the college’s board of governors to ask them to investigate the chief executive’s conduct.

Tuesday’s strike rally was organised by the UCU with staff members of Hull College, in protest over pay rates and a “controversial” lesson observation system implemented by the college.

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Uncategorized

University College London faces bullying accusations after ‘threatening student journalist with dismissal’

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

2-UCL-Halls-of-Residence-rent-protest-Sarah-Benamar.jpg

University College London has been accused of bullying after a student journalist was warned she could face dismissal for obtaining classified forecasts showing that the university expected to generate increased income from student accommodation.

The free speech row comes amid an increasingly bitter “rent strike” at the university, as hundreds of students withhold money in protest at rising accommodation fees.

An internal report detailing financial forecasts for the next three years was left openly accessible to university staff and students via a UCL executive’s Microsoft Outlook Calendar last month.

It is understood that the document contained forecasts that the university would make an increased cash surplus from its student accommodation this year.

Student-journalist Rebecca Pinnington, one of many UCL students and staff able to access the document, was threatened with disciplinary action – potentially including expulsion or court action – after publishing an article revealing its existence on UCLU news website Pi Media.

No figures from the document were disclosed in the article, but Ms Pinnington told The Independent that she was threatened with repercussions if she published confidential information.

“I felt intimidated, anxious and scared,” said Ms Pinnington, 21, who is president of the student-run website. “As a student journalist I felt sad because this was information that was interesting and integral to student life, but it was made very clear that if I were to publish anything more I could lose my degree.”

In a meeting set up with UCL Vice Provost Rex Knight, Ms Pinnington was asked to sign an agreement to “immediately deliver up or destroy all copies of the UCL Confidential Information” in her possession.

[Source:- IndependentEducation]

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