Current Media Releases Lobby calls for WA government to end homophobic school bullying
Lobby calls for WA government to end homophobic school bullying
Researchers finds homophobic violence and abuse rife in Australian schools
25 May 2005
Western Australia's peak gay and lesbian human rights lobby group has called on the State Government and Education Department to immediately convene a working party of educators, teachers and students to devise and implement a plan to eliminate homophobic violence, bullying and prejudice in WA's schools.
Gay and Lesbian Equality WA (GALE) says Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich should take immediate action to form the working party in the wake of today's release of a large-scale survey on homophobia in schools published by researchers at the Australian Research Centre in Sex Health and Society at La Trobe University.
The report showed that young people perceived to be gay, lesbian or bisexual with schools are suffering from alarming levels of abuse from fellow school students, including severe bashings and rape.
The report also mirrors results from the prior survey conducted by the same research centre six years ago: finding one in two students surveyed saying they had been verbally abused, and one in six being physically assaulted.
GALE Convenor Rod Swift said that the WA Education Department and the minister has a duty of care to eliminate the culture of homophobia in schools for the sake of students, and called on the minister to set up the working group.www.l
"The Education Minister, Ms Ravlich, has a responsibility to provide an education system to our students that is free from harassment, violence and bullying towards any student perceived to be gay," Mr Swift said.
"The report has recommended a zero tolerance approach to homophobia in all schools, and we urge the Minister and Education Department to implement this recommendation forthwith."
"A working party of stake-holders should be immediately formed to develop a program to tackle this unacceptable level of abuse of our children."
"Western Australia needs a way forward to reduce homophobic bullying in schools and GALE believes that a working party focused on practical outcomes is the best way to develop a response to this problem."
MEDIA COMMENT:
Rod Swift Convenor GALE 0417 890 111
WEBSITES:
Writing Them In Same-Sex Attracted Youth Survey http://www.latrobe.edu.au/ssay/
Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society http://www.latrobe.edu.au/arcshs/
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