Discover how to detect and what to do in a case of homosexuality and school harassment, a reality that although it seems invisible is very present in the classroom.

Homosexuality and bullying is a reality that 8 out of 10 homosexual children suffer in school age, according to the study Homophobic Bullying, psychologist Ian Rivers. Homophobic bullying in classrooms is the harassment suffered by a child or adolescent because of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Exclusion, isolation, insults, attacks or threats are some of the acts of physical and psychological harassment to which the youngest can be exposed in their educational center.

Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash

A reality that has also been found by the State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals, and Bisexuals (Felgtb), noting that more than half of young homosexuals suffer or have suffered bullying because of their sexual orientation, a percentage of harassment even higher in the case of transgender children. How to recognize homophobic bullying? What to do if your child suffers bullying?

How to know if your child is being harassed?

Detecting that your child is being harassed is not always easy, especially in stages such as adolescence where they tend to be more reserved with their intimacy. However, in situations of harassment, there are a number of signs that should not be underestimated, especially when there is an obvious change in behavior, decrease in academic performance or school absenteeism.

As a consequence of school bullying on the basis of the child's sexual orientation or gender identity:

• The child tends to isolate himself socially for fear of rejection.
• They arrive late to class or are the last to leave.
• They change routes often to go to school.
• They are quiet, sad, absent, worried and aggressive.
• They show school phobia (they do not want to go to class).
• Low school performance and loss of interest in homework.
• Low self-esteem and insecurity in itself.
• Nightmares night.
• Feeling of shame
• Episodes of anxiety.
• In the most serious cases, self-harm.

How to help your child if he suffers from homophobic bullying?

Any type of harassment has a tremendous negative impact on the emotional development of the harassed person, and when it occurs in the classroom it also interferes with their educational development.

Having the support of the family is key to help your child if he suffers from homophobic bullying, and above all, do not hesitate at any time to encourage communication and trust, and in this way to really know what happened and how it feels. Let your child know that sexual orientation or gender identity should never be a source of shame or guilt, much less cause for discrimination or harassment.

Spend more time with our son doing together the activities that you like the most. This will allow you to establish a climate of confidence to encourage you to express your emotions and feelings. To gain security, we can propose extracurricular activities such as karate or judo, which also favor self-control and help channel emotions.

As parents, once the situation of bullying is detected, you should immediately contact the school so that the appropriate measures are taken, and if the harassment persists, consult a lawyer. Nor should we hesitate to ask for professional help from a psychologist to deal with the situation in the best way for your child.

The article is provided by Thomas Kucharski, a father and an entrepreneur. I have a daughter, who is 10 years old. I take her to school every day and we talk a lot. I hope it stays the same way when she'll become a teenager ;-) of The Mercen