The State (by state) of Policy for Australian GLBTIQ Students

Abstract

This paper considered the value of policies around homophobic bullying at the state level and school level for health and wellbeing outcomes for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex students. It provided a context for Western Australia's future policy provision by analysing the impacts of policies (and the lack thereof) in other Australian states. It outlined the prevalence of homophobic bullying in Australian schools and its impacts. It particularly highlighted links between the existence of protective policies and decreased risks of homophobic abuse (physical, verbal and other kinds), decreased risk of self-harm and decreased risk of suicide attempts for GLBTIQ students. Recommendations were provided around future actions Western Australian education leadership are urged to take based on these research findings, particularly around policy provisions at the state, sector and school level.