LGBT inclusive work in Hillingdon 8 th October 2012 Malin Stenstrom The Specialist Health Promotion...

LGBT inclusive work in Hillingdon

8th October 2012

Malin StenstromThe Specialist Health Promotion Team

London Borough of Hillingdon

LGBT inclusive work in Hillingdon

Local Research

• On-line questionnaire

• Focus groups– Young people (incl. LGBT)– Professionals

• Case studies

• National and international evidence

• Report of research available soon

On-line questionnaire

Open from 27th April until December 2012

Interim result, 7th June 2012:• Student survey

– 1420 students– 4,5 % (65) LGB (8,3 % Prefer not to say)

• Staff survey– 131 staff– 10% (13) LGB

Zero tolerance

• Over half (51%) of the students and four of five (82%) school staff agree that there should be zero tolerance to any form of homophobic bullying.

• LGB students (55%) and staff (92%) agree in a slightly higher extent.

• A third (31%) of LGB staff say that homophobic bullying has increased during their time in education, compared to 8% of straight staff.

Witnessed Homophobic Bullying• More than one third (38%) of LGB students

report witnessing homophobic bullying everyday while only 9% of the straight students and no staff report the same.

• Over half (54%) of LGB students and over a third (38%) of LGB staff hear the word gay in a negative term everyday.

• The majority of LGB staff report witnessing homophobic bullying between students (76%) and students to staff (43%).

Staff report on witness homophobic bullying more often than hear ‘Gay’ ie. they might not consider

calling someone ‘Gay’ to be homophobic bullying.

Total

Straight

LGBT

Victim of Homophobic Bullying• Over half (55%) of LGB students report to have

been a victim of homophobic bullying while only 6% of straight students have.

• Nearly all (96%) of straight staff have never been a victim of homophobic bullying while a third of LGB staff have experiences homophobic bullying from students (31%) and from staff (38%).

• LGB students are 9 times more likely to have experienced homophobic bullying and LGB staff 16 times more likely than their straight colleagues.

• For those that experienced homophobic bullying (6% of straight and 55% of LGB students) the most common form of bullying are: – verbal– rumours about oneself– people making noises or pulling faces– cyber and, – threats (36%).

• One in three (31%) LGB students have experienced sexual bullying compared to one in twenty-five (4%) of straight students.

How were you bullied?

0102030405060708090

100V

erb

ally

Ru

mo

urs

ab

ou

t m

e

Ph

ys

ica

lly

Cy

be

r

By

te

xt

Ha

ras

sin

g m

y f

am

ily

an

d f

rie

nd

s

Th

rea

ts

Be

ing

ex

clu

de

d

No

ice

s o

r p

ullin

g f

ac

es

Se

xu

ally

TotalStraightLGB

Students

• Two thirds (58%-69%) of LGB students say that homophobic bullying – makes them feel lonely and insulated, – give them bad self-esteem, – makes them depressed, and – makes them self-harm.

Effects of bullying

Impact on your life

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70S

elf

-es

tee

m

Fe

elin

g lo

nle

ya

nd

iso

late

d

De

pre

ss

ion

Em

oti

on

al w

ell-

eb

ing

Se

lf-h

arm

ing

Sc

ho

ol

att

en

de

nc

e

Ac

ad

em

icA

sh

iev

em

en

ts

Dru

g u

se

Alc

oh

ol c

on

su

m.

Se

xu

al r

isk

tak

ing

Me

nta

l we

ll-b

ein

g

TotalStraightLGB

Students

Staff challenge bullying

• 80% of the straight staff feel comfortable to challenge homophobic behaviour but only 38% of them challenging it every time.

• LGB staff are twice as likely to challenge homophobic behaviour from staff and students compare to straight staff.

Policy

• LGB staff are twice less likely to think that homophobic bullying is addressed in the same way as other forms of bullying than straight staff.

• Over half (56%) of the staff do not know if there is a school policy on homophobic bullying in their school.

Reported bullying

• Less than half (49%) of the students have reported the homophobic bullying, where LGB students are less likely to report (44%/ 56%).

• The majority of the staff (75%) have not reported homophobic bullying.

Students who reported“[I] reported to both the teacher and to a parent. Both

myself and the people who had bullied me were brought in for a meeting in which the bullying was talked about and it was agreed that it would come to a stop. I still didn't feel myself after this, and still didn't want to attend school. I ended up leaving school early and never completed my GCSE's.” (Female, Age 19+)

“[My] mother, she told [the] teachers, in primary school. This did not help as then teachers just told people to be nice to me, which resulted in more bullying - including being stabbed in the arm with a sharp pencil, and teachers [were] not doing anything other than yelling at the bully and give me anticipative to help. I had no help trying to fit in and I did have friends but felt alone. This only stopped when I had a fresh start in secondary school, but even then I had trouble socialising for a long time.” (Female, Age 14)

Why students didn’t report

“I didn’t want to talk to an adult about it because I felt embarrassed.” (Female student, Age 13)

“I'm afraid that once the teachers take action, people will see me as a "tattle tale" and not want to be my friend.”

(Female student, Age 13)

“Because it’s pointless as the teachers wouldn’t do or say anything because it’s just a joke.” (Male student, Age 14)

Most important subject to receive information and advice about

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70B

ully

ing

Sex

ual

Hea

lth

Gro

win

gu

p Sel

f-h

arm

LG

BT

TotalStraightLGB

Students

Where they go for support or advice on personal matters

010203040506070

Pa

ren

t

Fri

en

d

Fa

mily

me

mb

er

Te

ac

he

r

He

lp L

ine

KIS

S

Total

Straight

LGB

Students

Recommendations

1. For partners to commit to making Hillingdon a LGBT inclusive and affirmative borough

2. To support schools and services to proactively create a LGBT inclusive and affirmative environment

3. To collect and analyse data on LGBT in schools, health and other services

4. To offer a social network group for young LGBT people in a safe environment

5. To explore the option of a designated equality youth support worker to proactively promote LGBT rights for young people and be a support for relevant professionals/ families /relatives.

Currently

• LBH report to be signed off (available soon)

• Encourage more schools to promote the surveys

• Present results for professionals

• Develop training for professionals

Achievements

• Local evidence on LGBT’s health and well-being

• Findings inform JSNA and local commissioning eg CCP, ‘School Report’

• Professionals request support and training

• Professionals acknowledge the need and are committed to support this work

Pledge

1. What is your commitment to support this work?

2. What are you going to do pro-actively with this information?

3. What do you/your team need to support this work?

Professionals Commitments

“commitment to be LGBT affirmative, creating a safe environment for young people to talk if they want to” (LAC Nurse)

“To be more aware of services and refer young people to these services […]. To continue to advice my team on this area.” (Service Manager Mental Health service)

“To be more aware of LGBT people in my work, to listen” (CASH Nurse)

Next Step

• Awareness raising

• Workforce training

• Data collection on LGBT

• LGBT youth group

Learning points

• Create a vision and believe in it

• Trust that your work is important

• Focus on positive outcomes

• Find the solutions, not the barriers

• Network and learn from others

• Think positive!

• Be the change you like to see

Thanks!

Malin Stenstrom

MStenstrom@hillingdon.gov.uk

01895-250 257