This book addresses policy research on homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools. It covers quantitative and qualitative research into policy impacts for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex students. It draws on a large-scale Australian study of the impacts of different kinds of policy at the national, state, sector and school level. The study covers over 80 policies, interviews with key policy informants and survey data from 3,134 GLBTIQ students. Since new guidelines were released by UNESCO, homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools has become a key area of interest around the world. There has been much pressure on educational leadership to engage with these issues since the UN released international human rights legislation on sexual orientation and gender identity that have implications for student rights. The book presents statistically significant correlations between specific types of state and school level education policies that explicitly named homophobia/ GLBTIQ student issues, and lowered incidence of homophobic bullying, lowered risk of suicide and self-harm for these students. It includes stories from policy makers on how the policies came to be (through lawsuits, ministerial inquiries and political activism), right through to the stories of students themselves and how they individually felt the impacts of policies or policy lacks. International contexts of homophobic and transphobic bullying are discussed, as well as recent transnational work in this field. The book considers the different types of collaborations that can lead to further policy development, the transferability of the research and some of the benefits and problems with transnational policy adoptions.
"From her work with UNESCO, Dr Tiffany Jones is qualified to write with authority about GLBTIQ policy. The book's promise to problematize the power of policy provides a much needed perspective on international and Australian GLBTIQ policy, interrogating the assumption that GLBTIQ policy is an unquestioned good. The topic is clearly timely and the international focus is important given the contemporary and widely varying discourses and actions surrounding the rights of GLBTIQ individuals and groups across the globe. The use of Australian as a particular case study is also wise as moving between the general to the particular can be daunting without some sort of specific grounding in geographical context. Australia provides that grounding so that Dr. Jones can move her examination of policy across the international through Australia to particular schools and individuals. In contested social issues and conditions, such as those surrounding issues of GLBTIQ rights and sexuality education, the chance to hear the voices of those for whom policy is intended is the most powerful. This book will appeal to both policymakers and academics."Professor Kathleen M. BrownProfessor of Educational Leadership, UNC School of Education"This book is a very exciting and important project that examines extensively the policy issues surrounding GLBTIQ policy issues, and a very thorough study of policy efficacy. It will appeal to university professors, researchers who study policy or GLBTIQ issues, policy analysts, international scholars, law-makers. I'm very impressed. I look forward to buying thebook!"Professor Charol ShakeshaftProfessor and Chair of the Department of Education Leadership, Virginia Commonwealth University
