Log of Homophobic Incidents

To begin the process of addressing homophobia in schools it may be a good idea to record the number of incidents.

An incident log for example can be used to take a snapshot of homophobic language, behaviour or violence expressed by pupils or staff. Issues from the log could inform staff training or policy discussions.

It is important to develop an incident log that records all homophobic language and homophobic violence by pupils and staff.

This includes calling someone gay with a derogatory meaning or comments that question an individual’s masculinity or femininity.

Recording homophobic incidents highlights the range of incidents from low-level abuse to more serious bullying and harassment.

Too much tolerance of low-level abuse can pave the way for more serious incidents.

When compiling an incident log it is important to pinpoint where action is most needed and where it is most likely to be effective and it will help to think about the following:

• Is there a particular issue around misuse of language?
• Have there been any violent incidents?
• Are particular groups of individuals involved?
• Are there particular places in the school where it occurs?
• Are any staff involved in using homophobic language?

INCIDENT LOG HEADINGS

1. Date of Incident
2. Type of Incident (Verbal or Physical Abuse)
3. Perpetrator and target person being bullied

(Taken from: Stand Up For Us – Challenging Homophobia in Schools (Dfes 2004)