Schools should be a safe haven from discrimination

Schools should be a safe haven from discrimination

Bullying is disrupting the education of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, inflicting problems that last for life

Millions of Thai public school students headed back to class last week, ideally, to a safe and nurturing learning environment. However, the reality for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) students in Thailand is often far from ideal.

School run: Almost a quarter of bullied pupils describe themselves as ‘depressed’.

For many of these youngsters, returning to school means re-entering a world where dealing with the fear of being bullied and of verbal, physical and even sexual abuse, all too often overwhelms their ability to learn, leaving them vulnerable to long-term social problems and health risks.

A study conducted by Plan International, Unesco and Mahidol University was released to coincide with yesterday’s International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia and contains disconcerting findings on the issue. In total, 31% of students who identified themselves as LGBT reported having experienced physical abuse, 29% were targets of verbal abuse and 24% said they faced sexual harassment because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The study, the first of its kind in Thailand, collected data from more than 2,000 students from five provinces in four regions through a computerised, self-administered survey. A further 450 people, including students, teachers and school administrators shared insights through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions.

Those surveyed spoke of being exposed to a range of abusive behaviours at school that fit the commonly accepted definition of bullying. This included abuse that was verbal (name-calling, both online and in person), physical (slapping and kicking), social (being excluded or ostracised) and sexual (unwanted touching) in nature.

Many LGBT students said that even going to the toilet at school was an ordeal, since they were not accepted at washrooms designated for either sex. Those who didn’t identify with their biological sex expressed frustration at being prevented from wearing the uniforms and hairstyles to match their gender identity.

According to the study, 7% of those bullied said they had attempted suicide in the past year, while 23% suffered from depression. Anxiety, low self-esteem, withdrawal and social isolation were some of the other toxic side effects of bullying on these young people.

These psychological after effects pose other threats to their physical well-being. Victims of bullying are more susceptible to engaging in illegal drug use and unprotected sex, increasing their risk of exposure to HIV. Fear of further discrimination and abuse means they are often less likely to access potentially life-saving HIV and sexual and reproductive health services and information.

Safeguards for young people and efforts to respond to this complex issue need to be increased. After interviewing administrators and teachers for the study, researchers found that most schools lack a general anti-bullying policy, let alone one that focuses on LGBT students. Bullies are often punished at the discretion of teachers. In some cases, victims said they were accused of inviting the bullying behaviour upon themselves.

Change, however, appears to be within reach. During the course of the study and since its completion, teachers and school administrators expressed a wish to have access to learning materials that can help them respond more effectively to the needs of the LGBT community and improve their learning environment.

Unesco and its partners responded to that call by launching lesson plans last week that can be used all year round to bring discussions on sexual and gender diversity into the classroom. Further work to build teacher capacity to address these issues is also under way through a strengthened partnership between Unesco and Plan Thailand, with support from the Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Swedish International Development Agency. The idea is to promote a “whole-school approach” to tackling bullying, that aims to make all schools safe havens for learning.

We need to raise awareness around this often ignored or discounted issue. To that end, Unesco Bangkok, UN Aids Asia and the Pacific, and regional youth networks Youth Voices Count and Youth Lead joined up last week for the first “School Rainbow” campaign. Chalk rainbows have been drawn in front of schools throughout Bangkok by students, teachers and school staff, as well as members of the community to show support to end discrimination and bullying targeting young LGBT people.

It is hoped that the rainbows appearing throughout the city will serve as a symbol of respect for diversity, and also as a symbol of renewal for the system in which we educate our children.


Gwang-Jo Kim is director of Unesco Bangkok, Unesco’s Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education; Steven J Kraus is director of UN Aids Asia and the Pacific; Maja Cubarrubia is director of Plan International’s Thailand office.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT