Polling conducted by YouGov, commissioned by the global children’s charity Theirworld, surveyed 545 individuals aged 16-24 in the UK, with 337 still in education. The results, published during Pride Month, indicate that LGBTQ+ youth continue to face significant levels of bullying and discrimination in educational settings.
Key findings include: - 47% of LGBT+ youth reported experiencing bullying and/or discrimination at school or university due to their sexual orientation. - Half (49%) of these individuals did not report the incidents. - Among those who did report, 72% felt that staff responded inadequately. - 25% of LGBT+ students faced bullying and/or discrimination based on gender identity. - Forms of bullying reported include verbal abuse (73%), harassment (53%), online abuse (31%), threats of violence (24%), physical abuse (16%), and sexual abuse (15%). - 27% of respondents felt or currently feel unsafe in secondary school, compared to 6% at university or college, and 9% at sixth-form college.
Theirworld’s president, Justin van Fleet, emphasized the need for schools to be inclusive environments where all students feel secure and respected.