In the schools of Bologna and Modena homosexual students are often insulted with offensive words such as “"fennel"” or “lesbian”, are mocked, offended or attacked, marginalized and isolated, but teachers rarely notice or intervene. This is the objective picture that emerges from the first scientific investigation into the phenomenon of anti-gay bullying, conducted on approximately 450 students and teachers from the schools of the two provinces.
More than half of boys and girls (53,5%), for example, hears offensive words like "often or continuously" being used at school “fennel” to indicate homosexual males or those perceived as such. Another 28% hear them used sometimes, 14.6% rarely, and 3.8% never. The situation changes dramatically if teachers and non-teaching staff are interviewed. Those who hear offensive words used against homosexual men frequently or continuously plummet to 9% of the total respondents. Insults against lesbians appear less pervasive. 16.71% of students hear offensive words like “lesbian” in reference to homosexual females or those who appear to be so, compared to 1.51% of teachers. However, a good 281% of students hear them sometimes (91% of adults), 34.31% of students rarely (25.41% of adults), and 20.91% of students never (64.21% of adults).
Two facts immediately catch the eye. The first is that those most targeted by verbal displays of contempt and aggression are homosexual males. The second is the net gap in perception of the phenomenon between children and adults who work in schools.
But it also happens that words lead to actions. More than 10% of students often or continuously see a boy mocked, offended or attacked at school because he is or appears to be homosexual, and rarely does anyone intervene to defend the victim. No one ever does it according to the 19.2%, rarely according to the 29.3%, and doesn't know according to the 22.7%. Furthermore, teachers don't notice it. In fact, to the same question about the frequent occurrence of episodes of derision or aggression, the 0% of the adults interviewed responded positively, while the 83.6% said they had never witnessed anything similar. Returning to the children, the 14.4% had sometimes witnessed cases of derision, insult or aggression (7.5% adults), the 24.9% rarely (9% adults), and the 48.6% never.
“Teachers tend to underestimating the phenomenon of anti-gay bullying — explains the sociologist Raffaele Lelleri, coordinator of the investigation — also because often the episodes occur far from their eyes and ears, as is clarified by other responses to the survey"”.
Offensive words towards gays are used especially during recess, According to 77.51% of those interviewed who heard them, between classes (60.51%), at the end of the morning (47.51%), and only to a lesser extent (25.81%) during class. As for locations, the preferred places for insults are corridors, gardens, and common areas (89.11%), the classroom (49.81%), bathrooms and changing rooms (32.81%), and the gym (29.11%).
“Thus, anyone who denies the very existence of the phenomenon is wrong. — continues Lelleri – or those who oppose the discussion of certain topics in schools, because they are considered 'sensitive'. The paradox is that, if in many schools one cannot talk about homosexuals, on the other hand, there is a lot of talk about 'fennel'”.
“The impression is that many adults also tend to minimize the seriousness of bullying based on contempt and hostility towards homosexual people. — comment Sergio Lo Giudice, teacher at the Copernico scientific high school in Bologna and national president of Arcigay — If a survey found that students regularly use words like ‘'dirty Jew'’ or ‘'disgusting nigger'’ One would rightly speak of an anti-Semitic or racist emergency. However, ridiculing or targeting homosexuals seems less serious. However, it's worth remembering that, up until 60/70 years ago, homosexuals were also deported and massacred in Nazi concentration camps, and even today they are persecuted, killed, or imprisoned in many countries around the world. It is dangerous to lower our guard and underestimate the culture of contempt toward entire categories of people.".
“Insults and acts of bullying, especially if continuous and systematic — Lelleri observes – can induce a strong sense of isolation, loneliness and inadequacy, in homosexual and bisexual boys and girls, or who are just beginning to become aware of their homosexuality or bisexuality, even when they aren't directed at them personally. They also have a detrimental effect on all students, including heterosexual ones. Under these conditions, young people absorb contempt and hostility toward homosexuals, even before they recognize themselves as such. The process of self-discovery and self-knowledge therefore risks becoming dramatic.
The investigation of Schoolmates It involves over 1200 students and teachers in Europe. In Italy it involved 437 people, including students (365), teachers (55), non-teaching staff (12), and other unclassified staff (5). The schools involved were the Galvani classical high school (102 interviewees) and the Copernico scientific high school (98) in Bologna, the Mattei technical institute (81) in San Lazzaro (Bo), the Tassoni scientific high school (79) and the Selmi technical institute for social activities (77) in Modena. The questionnaires were collected during 2006.
The Schoolmates project It began in 2006 and will conclude in 2008. It has received over €237,000, of which €186,000 has been allocated by the European Union under the "Daphne II" program to combat violence against women, children, and adolescents. The remaining €51,000 has been provided by partner organizations. In addition to Arcigay, which acts as the lead partner, the Spanish association Colegas, from Madrid, the Anti-Discrimination Office of the Municipality of Vienna in Austria, and the Kph association from Warsaw, Poland.