Gay and Gender Bullying

Gender school bullying is the most common bullying that has been happening in today's society. Sexist or sexual bullying is when a person or a group repeatedly harms another person, or intentionally makes them unhappy because of their sex or because they may not be conform to typical gender norms. The Internet and mobile phones have provided new opportunities for bullying through emails, online chat lines, personal web pages, text messages, social media, and transmission of images. Gender bullying has caused many students to hurt themselves or even become suicidal. Gender bullying is something really important and needs to stop.

Most bullying happens in school or even in the victim's own homes. Many schools are unaware of bullying when it’s happening because students tend to stay quiet about it. When students that are getting bullied don’t take action and tell someone about it, they tend to hurt them themselves, or have suicidal thoughts. There have been many students that have died because of gender bullying. If you have a friend that needs help or that is feeling alone, you should be there for them. Gender harassment is any unwanted behavior that enforces traditional, heterosexual gender norms. Teachers, parents and youth need more information and resources about how to address forms of bullying and harassment that are influenced by gender. The subject of gender and sexuality in relationship to bullying has largely been ignored. Gender bullying must be examined to make schools safer and more inclusive for all students. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and questioning students experienced more bullying and more sexual harassment than heterosexual students.

Many LGBT students should stand up for themselves instead of doing nothing, which can be worse than the act itself. Students should start activities or clubs to make LGBT students feel comfortable adst school. Students should encourage their teachers to address homophobia and transphobia in the classroom by posting safe-space posters, stopping hate speech, and supporting gay-straight alliances. Students around the school should also watch what they say to others and do not use words associated with being LGBT as euphemisms for stupid and explain to friends and peers why they shouldn’t. Students should support their LGBT peers by making them feel comfortable and do not harass them (Meyer).

Most LGBT students tend to never report harassments, bullying, or threats because they are either afraid to let their parents know that they are different or they just are scared to snitch. But most times, when kids say nothing about getting bullied or harassed, they begin to think badly of themselves or think that they are not normal. It is best to let someone know what's going on so that they will not feel alone. LGBT students are the ones who get bullied at school the most. It important for LGBT students to let their parents know if they are getting bullied so that they can take action and do something to fix the situation. In Victoria Rawlings, article she states that 80% of students will experience some kind of gender-based bullying during their primary and high school studies, regardless of their sexuality or gender identity, which means that most LGBT students will experience bullying during their high school experience. Most LGBT students get called names like gay, fag, lesbian or they get beaten by bullies. Students often feel fearful, hurt, or ashamed and need encouragement to discuss bullying. Students will only reveal that they are being bullied if they feel safe. If a student tells you that he/she is being bullied or has witnessed bullying, report the experience and tell the student you are sending this information to the counselor or administrators. You should also encourage a safe and inclusive environment in the classroom. This can include creating guidelines and rules that support all students and letting students know that it is safe for them to share their thoughts and feelings.

Most LGBT student who are bullied tend to get themselves into violence by fighting for themselves. Bullies like to push people's button until it gets to the point where they end up fighting for themselves. Some kids might be fighting for themselves to protect themselves or others get into a fight for them. It is not fair for kids who get sexuality harrassed at school because they are different from others. Violence of this kind can manifest in school environments when gender roles are clearly defined by language and culture. Many school districts should have programs that provide schools with crucial resources that disrupt violence and aggression based on gender and sexuality in schools. Violence is no way to solve problems like bullying. The way to settle things like this to talk to someone and let them know they are being physically harassed.

Similarly, transphobic bullying can happen when students do not fit into binary gender understandings. Many teachers often fail to intervene in these instances because they see them as inevitable or not serious. Teachers have suggested that some students who were at risk of gender-based or homophobic bullying had exceptional strengths that protected them from emotional or psychological damage from such incidents. Teachers often failed to recognise that homophobic language or epithets like “slut” or “faggot” are very harmful to LGBT students. Many teachers do not take gender bullying seriously. Each of these positions is equally concerning as they allow bullying that relates to gender and sexuality to go unchecked in school environments (N.M. Malik).

In an article, California Anti-Bullying Laws & Policies stated that “The following groups are listed under California anti-bullying laws and regulations: disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation or association with a person or group with one of more of these actual or perceived characteristics” means that gender bullying is part of California's laws & policies. School staff are required to immediately intervene if they see student harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or bullying. Many kids don’t realize that bullying others or harassing others because of their sexualilty is against the law. California schools must take bullying or harassment seriously and create an action plan to address bullying. If bullying or harassment happens based on a student’s color, race, national origin, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or religion, it may also violate civil rights and discrimination laws. This kind of bullying is serious and can violate other laws, including federal and state civil rights laws (A federal government website).

Schools should have a supporting responsibility to step in and address bullying or harassment. Schools should consider the impact that bullying and accusations of bullying will have on all students and proceed in a manner that helps to create an overall environment for all students. Schools should refer students who have been bullied, who have engaged in bullying, and who observe bullying to counselors and should resolve conflict through restorative justice and positive behavior interventions and supports. Also, schools should avoid relying on zero tolerance policies, which don’t improve school climate, are worthless in stopping bullying and harassment, and are often applied unfairly. Students should confide in a person they feel is trustworthy when experiencing bullying. Bullies tend to pick on students they believe are unsupported. Supporters can also help students gain confidence to speak out against the bullying behavior.

All LGBT students have the right to be themselves in or out of school. They should be free to be themselves in front of anyone. Knowing your rights is the first step in making sure you’re treated equally, and youth across the state are taking steps to uphold their rights and be themselves. When LGBT students are at school they have the right to be treated fairly and with respect by other students and all school employees, including teachers, the principal, custodians, and bus drivers. Public, charter, and non-religious private schools that receive state or federal funding are legally required to protect against harassment of LGBTQ students. If you’re being harassed or see it happening to someone else, you should report it immediately to the principal, a counselor, or another school official. Your school is required to let you express your opinion, including about LGBTQ issues, on badges, buttons, armbands, bulletin boards, printed materials, petitions, and school publications. Your school also can not prevent you from doing a class project about an LGBTQ topic or book, so long as it meets the requirements of the assignment. The important part is to let your own colors out and to always be yourself no matter what other say (Artem).

In conclusion, many LGBT students should fight for their rights and do not back down until you got the respect you deserve. No one should be treated differently because of sexuality. To the LGBT students who live in California there are now laws among the most progressive in the country, and many groups exist to actively support LGBTQ youth. School should be a safe place for students to express themselves instead of being of afraid of showing their true colors. It’s important to always feel comfortable coming to your school and not worry if you are going to get harrassed. Also if you are being harassed or witness anyone getting bullied because of their sexualilty, you should let someone know. Please don't keep these things to yourself. LGBT students matter too!

Works cited

Meyer, Elizabeth J., Gender, Bullying, and Harassment: Strategies to End Sexism and Homophobia in Schools, Teachers College Press, 1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027- https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED527279

Artem Cheprasov, Anti-Bullying: Definition & Policy, What Is Anti-Bullying?

https://study.com/academy/lesson/anti-bullying-definition-policy.html

A federal government website managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201, Sexuality and gender based bullying in schools,-

http://vivid.blob.core.windows.net/eoc-sitefinity/fact-sheets/lgbti-teachers-fact-sheetedd84d5bde9f62fcb668ff0000be6566.pdf?sfvrsn=2

N. M. Malik and K. M. Lindahl, published in The Parent's Guide to Psychological First Aid Helping

Children and Adolescents Cope with Predictable Life Crises, Coming Out as Gay or Lesbian: Common Questions from Parents, Copyright 2009, University of Miami. All Rights Reserved, http://www.psy.miami.edu/comingout/coming_out_art.phtml

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