LGBTI KIDS’ AGONY
Quarter of bullied pupils attempt suicide
MORE than a quarter of pupils bullied because of their sexuality or gender identification have attempted suicide, according to research.
In the study, nine out of 10 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or intersex children said they suffered homophobia in school.
Sixty-four per cent said they had been bullied because they are LGBTI. And of those, 27 per cent had made an attempt to kill themselves once. Fifteen per cent more revealed they had tried suicide a second time.
The figures were published by the Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) campaign, who are lobbying the Scottish Government to introduce LGBTI education into schools to tackle the problem.
Yesterday, it was announced that the issue is to be the focus o f a new Scottish Government working group.
Higher and Further Education Minister Shirley-Anne Somerville told MSPs: “We have listened carefully to concerns about the difficulties being faced by some young people in schools.
“There may be more that can done to improve the education experience for LGBTI young people. That is what this working group will consider and we look forward to receiving their recommendations in due course.”
The group will include education leaders, equalities experts and young people, as well as TIE representatives.
TIE surveyed 343 pupils and school leavers for their research.