More than three-quarters of primary school pupils have heard homophobic language, research has found.
A survey by the charity Just Like Us revealed that 78 per cent of pupils aged 9 to 11 reported they have heard homophobic language.
A larger majority (80 per cent) of secondary school students aged 11 to 18 reported they have heard homophobic language.
Many of the primary pupils reported having heard homophobic language on social media platform TikTok, and that it was intended as a “joke”, Just Like Us said.
‘Much work to do’
The charity’s chief executive Laura Mackay said the number of children reporting hearing homophobic language is “deeply concerning”.
“The experiences shared by young people in our survey highlight the urgent need for education and open dialogue about the impact of homophobic language,” she added.
James Bowen, assistant general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said: “No child or adult should have to hear homophobic language in school. Leaders do all they can to create safe learning environments for all, and to tackle harmful attitudes and language.
“Unfortunately, such attitudes still exist in wider society, and this can have an impact in schools, too. There is still much work to do to eradicate homophobic language both in and beyond schools.”
One primary pupil said as part of the survey: “Because I’m a boy and have long hair I have been called ‘gay’ before as an insult.”
Another pupil said they often heard people call each other “gay” as an “insult or a joke” because they had seen it on TikTok.
Just Like Us has now published resources for primary and secondary schools to help them tackle homophobia.
Ms Mackay added: “We believe that education is vital for fostering understanding and acceptance, and by empowering teachers with the knowledge and confidence to lead discussions around diversity, we can help all young people become allies and advocates for change.”
In conjunction with VotesforSchools, Just Like Us surveyed 31,875 pupils in June 2024. This included 4,307 primary school pupils.
The Department for Education was contacted for comment.
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