Homophobic Bullying "Ignored" In Schools

There a claims that homophobic bullying is being ignored in Welsh schools.

A new report says more needs to be done to monitor and tackle abuse against young people who are gay, bisexual or transgender.

In the last 5 years, 40 Welsh schools said they’d received 262 reports of homophobic bullying.

AM Lindsay Whittle published the report:

“I don't believe the full extent of the problem in schools has yet to be identified.

“What this survey indicates is that the Welsh Government and local authorities must ensure all schools understand the importance of monitoring homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.”

Andrew White is head of Stonewall Cymru and says findings back up the charity’s own research:

“Even though 100% of young people hear words like ‘gay’ being used in the negative just to describe a pair of trainers in the playground, very few of them, something like 12%, would say that teachers have actually challenged that.”

However school pupils at Ysgol Plasmawr in Cardiff have taken it upon themselves to stop any abuse at their school.

17-year-old Heledd Wilshaw is part of a group called “Digon”:

“We started by tackling the use of the word ‘gay’ in contexts that it really shouldn’t be used in.

“We’ve done lots of different things like PSE lessons that the pupils themselves have taught and assemblies.

“I think they’ve really helped.”

The Welsh Government says by law, all schools have to have policies in place to deal with bullying and they should take it extremely seriously.