HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING IN SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT: EXPERIENCES OF VICTIMS AND WITNESSES BELONGING TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS STAFFS

This paper aims at better understanding homophobia in school environment by analysing experiences of victims and witnesses belonging to secondary schools staff. In order to collect our data, we sent a questionnaire to 170 members of secondary school staffs characterized by a large diversity (sex, age, status, teaching discipline for the teachers, sexual orientation...). The results show that more than half of our subjects have experienced homophobic bullying, as victim or as witness. These acts are often oriented towards the students but also towards the staff members. The perpetrators are frequently the students themselves but it happens that adults also exhibit this kind of behaviours. The main homophobic acts against the staff members are teasing and name-calling. None of them experienced physical violence. The witnesses show various reactions according to their sexual orientation. Heterosexuals and bisexuals are more inclined to face the perpetrators while homosexuals firstly support the victims