Violence and bullying in schools, including physical, psychological and sexual harassment, is a global issue which negatively impacts both students’ learning, and their mental and emotional health. UNESCO has recently published two reports which focus on SOGIE (Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression or Identity) based school violence and bullying, in Asia and in Europe.
The “School-related violence and bullying on the basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity or Expression (SOGIE) – Synthesis Report on China, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam” (2019) discusses the scope of the issue in these countries, as well as its consequences, such as poorer academic performance, lower self-esteem and increased mental health issues, as well as more broadly the socio-economic consequences.
Additionally, the report “Safe at school: Education sector responses to violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or sex characteristics in Europe” (2018) gives an overview of this kind of violence in European schools.
These reports promote developing awareness and understanding of the issue, whilst simultaneously identifying the best practices and policies to prevent and address discrimination and violence of this kind.
The work of UNESCO in recent years regarding SOGIE in education is outlined in the document “The Role of the United Nations in Combatting Discrimination and Violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex People”, which also provides a snapshot of the work of a number of other United Nations entities on the subject.
International Juvenile Justice Observatory (IJJO). Belgian Public Utility Foundation
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Phone: 00 32 262 988 90. Fax: 00 32 262 988 99. oijj@oijj.org
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