Education Sector Responses to
Homophobic Bullying:
UNESCO’s Approach and Activities
Mr Scott Pulizzi
Section of HIV and Health Education, Division of
Education for Peace and Sustainable Development,
Education Sector, UNESCO
Why address homophobic bullying in
educational institutions?
• Bullying is often sexual or gender-based
• Many learners across the world are affected by homophobic
bullying: young people who do not conform with gender
norms, not just young LGBT
• Homophobic bullying infringes upon their right to quality
education
Homophobic bullying in educational
institutions: the UN perspective
“Homophobic bullying is … a moral
outrage, a grave violation of human
rights and a public health crisis”.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki
moon, 8 December 2011
“All human beings are born free and
equal in dignity and rights” Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1
Why address homophobic bullying in
educational institutions?
Negative educational consequences for
victims
• Access to school denied
• Poor academic achievement
• School dropout
Learning environment for all learners is
undermined when homophobic bullying is
not addressed
Homophobic bullying: consequences on
health and well-being
Homophobic bullying in educational
institutions also affects the mental
and physical health and well-being
of many young students:
– Low self-esteem, higher rates of
depression and suicide
(attempted and completed)
– Higher rates of drug use
– Heightened sexual health risks,
including the contraction of HIV
Why has UNESCO engaged with the issue of
homophobic bullying in educational institutions?
• UNESCO — UN Agency in charge of the global initiative
Education for All (EFA)
• LGBT youths have the same right to quality education
as all other youths in the world
• UNESCO is working to address violence and bullying in
schools as well as gender-based violence in general
Homophobic bullying in educational
institutions: the UN perspective
“In the school setting homophobia is a direct
violation of the right to quality education. It leads
to absenteeism, poorer academic performance
and achievement, and sometimes to suicide. The
right to quality education is not the privilege of a
few ones. It is a universal right. All students – all of
them – have the right to quality education in a
safe environment”
Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO International Day Against Homophobia and
Transphobia, May 2012
UNESCO’s role in promoting sexuality
and HIV education
• Quality sexuality education
programmes contribute to the
prevention of homophobia and
homophobic bullying
• The UNESCO International Technical
Guidance on Sexuality Education
recommends that sexual orientation
and gender identity be integrated into
national sexuality education curricula,
teacher training, and teaching
materials
Objectives of our activities related to
homophobic bullying in educational institutions
• Inspire and motivate more and
better coordinated action to
prevent and address
homophobic and transphobic
bullying
• Provide practical guidance for
the development and
implementation of policies
that are age-appropriate,
adapted to a range of sociocultural contexts and linked to
broader anti-bullying efforts
and quality learning initiatives
UNESCO’s activities at global level
International Consultation on
homophobic bullying in educational
institutions organized by UNESCO in
Rio de Janeiro in December 2011:
first to ever address homophobic
bullying in educational institutions
organized under the auspices of the
United Nations
UNESCO’s activities at global level
Good Policy and Practice
publication launched in May
2012 on IDAHO “Combating
homophobia IN and
THROUGH education”
Already available in Chinese,
English, French, Spanish and soon
in Korean and Portuguese
Objectives of the publication
• Review available evidence on the
nature and extent of homophobic
bullying in educational institutions
• Identify and share examples of
best practice in terms of policy
frameworks, interventions and
practical tools to prevent and
address homophobic bullying in
educational institutions that
currently exist and are used in
different regions in the world
What best practice in the education sector?
The education sector response
should be both about
preventing homophobic and
transphobic bullying and
addressing its consequences
What best practice in the education
sector?
Importance of a system-wide
approach
• Policies
• Curricula and materials
• Teacher and education
personnel training and
support
• Services for learners
• Partnerships between
education sector and civil
society
What best practice in the education
sector?
• Different entry points to approach homophobic bullying in the
education sector:
– Some are universal and can be used in any context, regardless
of legal status of homosexuality and atypical gender identity,
and social stigma: right to education for all in a safe learning l
environment; respect for all, inclusion and non discrimination
(universal human rights); prevention of gender-based violence
against all learners who do not conform with gender norms
– Some are more specific to settings where LGBT rights are
acknowledged and protected: respect for sexual
diversity/atypical gender identity and sexual minorities
• Always use rights-based approach and rights-based frameworks
Best practice policies – Key findings
• Need for policies as a reference for enforcement
• Different kinds of policies: general anti-bullying, specific to antihomophobic bullying, prohibition of anti-LGBT discrimination
• Education sector policies and school policies
• Policies include several components: education about gender,
diversity and discrimination; systems/procedures for reporting and
for taking corrective action with offender and bystanders; support
systems for victims, bullies, bystanders and staff
• Policies need to be shared by the whole school community
• Steps for successful development of policies: establish evidence +
raise awareness + mobilize at all levels + refer to existing policies
and policy frameworks
Best practice curricula and materials –
Key findings
• Different approaches to address issues related to homophobic
bullying in curricula that depend on the context and are not
exclusive:
– Integration in life skills-based sexuality education
– Integration in human rights, civics or citizenship education
– Mainstreaming across a range of subjects (history, arts,
literature, etc.)
• Need to work with younger learners: homophobic bullying occurs in
primary schools, and values and attitudes are formed early on
• Contents and methods should always be age-appropriate
Best practice staff training and support –
Key findings
• Staff can be part of the problem and they are part of the solution,
but often they do not know what to do and should be trained and
supported
• Training should be for all school staff
• Teacher training should address role of staff in: stopping namecalling, and addressing gender-based stereotypes and violence;
promoting social inclusion and supporting diversity; working as a
team to make schools a safe and healthy environment
• Terminology used may vary depending on settings but even in
contexts where homosexuality is illegal and sexual diversity cannot
be discussed, teachers can deal with these issues
• To be covered both during pre-service and in-service teacher
training
Best practice services for learners – Key
findings
• Support for different types of learners in various areas:
– Victims: psychological, reporting cases of bullying and protection
from retaliation
– Bullies: cooperative learning, opportunities to exert power in
positive ways
– Bystanders: education to intervene and report, and protection
from retaliation
• Support can be provided by school counsellors, nurses and
teachers, in the school and with referrals if needed
• Peer support groups help create a safer environment, e.g. gaystraight alliances in various countries
Best practice partnerships between education
sector and the community – Key findings
• Mobilization of a range of stakeholders and collaboration between
them essential to successful interventions to address homophobic
bullying: parents’ associations, teacher unions, student unions AND
NGOs including LGBT, human rights, sexual and reproductive health
organizations
• Involvement and collaboration at various stages: evidence
gathering, advocacy, mobilization, development of policies and
guidelines, design of interventions, implementation of interventions
including training and development of materials, enforcement of
policies, evaluation of programmes
UNESCO’s activities at global level
In collaboration with the IDAHO
Committee, UNESCO developed
a lesson plan for teachers to
deal with homophobia and
transphobia in the classroom
Activities for both primary and
secondary education, that can
be adapted to the cultural
context
UNESCO’s activities at global level
UNESCO is a member of the
Steering Committee of the
Fund for Human Rights,
Sexual Orientation and
Gender Identity.
The Fund provide NGOs from
developing and emerging
countries with grants for their
activities related to sexual
orientation and gender
identity
What is UNESCO doing to support education
sector responses to homophobic bullying at
country level?
• Expand the evidence base
• Share existing best practice
• Raise awareness, advocate and
motivate more and better
coordination, particularly
between government and civil
society
• Mainstream issues related to
homophobic bullying in
educational processes
UNESCO’s activities at country level
Sharing existing best practice of
school-based interventions
In Thailand we produced a film
that describes examples of
school-based interventions to
prevent and address
homophobic and transphobic
bullying
In Latin America we produced
My School is Healthy and Cool
with the Pan American Health
Organization
UNESCO’s activities at country level
Expand the evidence base on
the nature and scope of
homophobic bullying,
particularly in settings where
there is no or little data
available = first step for effective
advocacy and evidence-based
programming
Currently studies conducted in
Asia (Thailand, Viet Nam) and
Latin America (Chile,
Guatemala, Peru)
UNESCO’s activities at country level
Raise awareness, advocate and
motivate more and better
coordination :
In Asia we developed a series of
publications to raise awareness
on the needs and rights of
sexual minorities
In South Africa UNESCO
supported the organisation of
the first national colloquium on
homophobia in schools
UNESCO’s activities at country level
Mainstream issues related to
homophobic bullying in
educational processes
In Brazil we produced a video
to be used in schools to
promote respect for diversity
We organize trainings in
various regions for all
education stakeholders
UNESCO works with a broad range of
stakeholders
• Governments (ministries of
education)
• Education community: teachers
unions
• Civil society organizations: local
NGOs in developing countries and
NGOs with proven expertise in
the area, e.g. BeLonG To Youth
Services in Ireland, Stonewall in
the UK, GLSEN in the USA
Information and resources on UNESCO’s
Clearinghouse website
http://hivaidsclearinghouse.unesco.org/
Over 200 documents and videos on the Clearinghouse website
addressing homophobic bullying in educational institutions.
THANK YOU
unesco.org/AIDS
s.pulizzi@unesco.org
Scott Pulizzi
HIV and Health Education
Division for Peace and Sustainable Development
Education Sector, UNESCO