Who are the leaders who can influence change in relation to this problem?
In the following section, I will endeavor to interview a broad array of individuals who I believe have a vital part to play in addressing the issues mentioned above. These leaders include:
- PC Sam Tennant - Greater Manchester Police liaison officer will be questioned in order to gain a clearer picture as to what the police are doing to tackle to problem, how they are encouraging others to report the crime, and who they are working with to increase awareness.
- Charlotte Leather – Public Development Advisor of anti-bullying will be questioned to uncover ways in which students and teachers are being informed of the homophobic hate crime issue.
- Joanne Dunning – Press Officer of the Lesbian and Gay Foundation will be questioned to reveal information on what role organisations such as the LGF play in reducing homophobic hate crimes.
Research findings
Who are the leaders who can influence change in relation to this problem?
The severity of homophobic hate crime in schools is reflected by a staggering one half of LGB students who contemplate suicide and 40% who have self-harmed because of frequent homophobic abuse (Rivers 2000) Therefore, Charlotte Leather; advisor of anti-bullying as part of the Manchester Healthy Schools Partnership in Manchester, assists “schools to build strategies for prevention and response to bullying” and encourages schools to “review their practices involving the whole school so that a shared understanding about behaviour is reached”. Leather also provides training for school staff. This is essential as 40% of teachers state they are unsure of what advice to give students and nine out of ten teachers have not been given adequate training to help students address the problem. (The Teachers Report 2007)
Furthermore, PC Sam Tennant is a liaison officer working for the Greater Manchester police whose job role requires “day time foot patrol” and “policing the Night Time Economy”. This has the potential to increase homophobic reporting because, research suggests that victims of crime are more likely to report it if they are placed within close proximity to police authorities. (Schnelle, 1975) PC Tennant also helps to assist the Lesbian and Gay Foundation to increase the various ways that victims can report the crime. This is because “engagement with the LGBT community is essential to allaying fears and misunderstandings”. (Homophobic and Transphobic Crime Toolkit 2008, pg.11)
Joanne Dunning is another key leader who works as a press officer for the LGF. Thus Dunning’s job role is “Mainly centred on communication” and largely requires “getting the LGF message out there”, which means sending out press releases about the work of the LGF in relation to homophobic hate crime, the campaigns involved in reducing the problem, how others can offer help, and highlighting the prevalence of the problem in news headlines.
Promoting acceptance of homosexuality:
Tennant states, “People are afraid of what they do not understand”, thus to tackle the problem of homophobic hate crime at its core, the same strategies employed to reduce racism must also be applied to homophobia. This point is reaffirmed by Leather who goes on to state, “Learning about homosexuality in school helps to remove the prejudice and discrimination that arises when people do not understand each other”. Correspondingly, Forrest et al (1997) emphasize, “Policies need to be supported by teaching [staff] within the curriculum that aims to alter negative attitudes”. This statement is corroborated by statistics, which highlight that only 6% of school policies within the UK address the problem of bullying in relation to homophobia. (DfES 2002)
Moreover, Dunning reveals the problem within schools has escalated to the point that LGB students feel pressured to leave education due to the fear instilled by perpetrators. This injustice is reaffirmed by statistics, which indicate that the majority of LGB students leave school after their GCSEs. (Rivers 2000) Hence to address this, Charlotte Leather highlights the work that Exceeding Expectations are conducting with students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen. This initiative has gained considerable positive feedback and is supported by numerous organisations such as the Manchester Healthy Schools department, Manchester City Council, Lesbian and Gay Foundation, and Hope Trinity Theatre. (Leather 2011)
Statistics highlight that a staggering 98% of LGB students hear the word ‘gay’ to address a student negatively. (Rivers 2000) Similarly, nearly half of teachers have heard their colleagues use homophobic words in conversation. (The Teacher’s Report 2007) This in turn leads to “victims of homophobic bullying... [are being] made more vulnerable to abuse if there is any acceptance among staff/pupils that a derogatory use of ‘gay’ is not a homophobic attack” (Anderson 2006) Therefore, two major goals within the initiative are to eliminate the negative views students or teachers possess regarding homosexuality and reduce the use of homophobic language, which is counteracted via subjecting students to workshops and information packs.
The success of Exceeding Expectations is outlined by Dunning who highlights the efficacy of the initiative by drawing attention upon the positive feedback received from questionnaires used to monitor the initiative. These questionnaires indicate that the majority of students gained considerable awareness after the workshops in comparison to before. (Dunning 2011)
On the other hand, only two fifths of teachers state that the head teacher in their school outlined clear leadership roles in relation to homophobic bullying. (The Teacher’s Report 2007) Hence, schools must take considerable action to tackle the problem in the long-run. For example, one way change can be advocated is by adopting a zero tolerance policy in relation to homophobia. This would involve the elimination of homophobic language from a student’s vocabulary and encouraging students to come forward when they hear such words. (Rivers et al 2004) The significance of doing this is recapitulated in statistical figures, which reveal that less than one quarter of LGB teachers have encouraged students to report homophobic bullying. (Rivers 2000)
Alongside this, it is useful to incorporate homosexual issues within subjects such as History, Citizenship and Drama lessons as a prime example of the prejudices faced by LGBs, in the same way racism commonly is. (Rivers et al 2004) This point is reaffirmed by PC Tennant who believes, “there is a role in Secondary Schools to discuss Homosexuality as part of ‘normal’ social development lessons”
The significance of doing this is identified in statistics, which reveal that merely two thirds of teachers address the problems surrounding homosexuality in lessons. (The Teachers Report 2007) In addition to this, another way leaders in school can help is by offering LGB students with peer support groups within schools to increase confidence, which may have deteriorated due to constant abuse. (Leather 2011)
Barriers to change/challenges
Charlotte Leather states, the “negative societal views about homosexuality” are mirrored by the concern that some parents express when they are informed of the Exceeding Expectations initiative, indicating that parents have a large part to play in inciting hate among their children. Thus, Exceeding Expectations can also endeavour to increase awareness by encouraging teachers, police officers, and members of the LGF to come forward to increase understanding and awareness among parents.
It is also important to note that Exceeding Expectations is only aimed at Key Stage three students. This is a problem because statistics reveal that the majority of homophobia related crimes in school occur among students, eighteen and below. (The School Report 2007) Thus, there is a need for more staff to ensure a higher number of students are able to undertake the initiative to increase awareness among a larger scope of young people.
However as PC Tennent states, “resources & finance are probably the biggest challenges” Moreover, funding is also required by organisations such as the LGF to run successfully. Although this is crucial, it is often difficult to convince policy makers and government agencies that homosexual people are deserving of the money more than others. As Dunning highlights, “LGB issues have only recently been bought to the forefront of discussion” and thus more needs to be done in order to increase recognition of issues such as homophobic hate crime and the devastating impact it can have on the victim.
In contrast to this, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation has offered a generous some of £147, 870 in 2009, so that Stonewall can endeavour to offer help to increase the work administered in schools to tackle homophobic bullying. (Paul Hamlyn Foundation 2009) Thus there are signs of advancement, despite the impediments encountered along the way.
The media:
On the one hand media can stir negativity and hate among the public due to its growing accessibility, which has led to the expression of many homophobic attitudes going unchallenged. (Society Today 2009) This in turn greatly influences the ignorant and naïve among the British public. For example, two out of three teachers highlight the significance of the media in inciting homophobic attitudes among students, (The Teacher’s Report 2007) which is imbedded in newspapers, television shows and song lyrics.
However, although there is still a long way to go before eliminating homophobic abuse from the media altogether, (Society Today 2009) the media still provides a significant means of dispersing a positive message as it “…can reach a large number of people and have a greater impact on thinking” (Dunning 2011) For example, the horrific public murder of Ian Baynham is a prime example of ways in which the public can be moved by the consequences of homophobia. In addition to this, Baynham’s case encouraged other victims to come forward and report crimes they had experienced, as the media demonstrated that homophobic hate crime was no longer taken lightly by the police and courts.
Furthermore, the LGF also have a magazine and website where victims’ ordeals are shared with other LGBs. Here, the journey of the victim is often followed from beginning till end to ensure that if the case is unsuccessful, the need for more action is emphasised. This point is reiterated by the Homophobic and Transphobic Toolkit (2008) report, which emphasises the need for media strategies to highlight homophobic cases, so as to “enable appropriate messages” to get across to the public in turn “enabling fears to be allayed”. (pg. 11)
Thus, the LGF media sources are also a means of highlighting high profile LGB cases that often do not make it to news headlines, and “do not receive the coverage they deserve” (Dunning 2011) This can be seen in the case of James Parks who was brutally murdered by his homophobic offenders. Correspondingly, organisations such as the LGF have begun to encourage celebrities to help promote the cause. For example, Anthony Cotton who plays a homosexual man in the soap, Coronation Street has recently participated in the campaign ‘enough is enough’, which is aimed explicitly at tackling homophobic hate crime. In addition to this, LGF have also participated in road shows such as Bestival to reach out to a greater number of people. This as Dunning states is a “successful strategy in the bid to get the public involved” in tacking the issue.
Also, as PC Sam Tennant explains, the media have played a large part in making the problem of racism socially acceptable within the UK. Thus the same should be done in regards to homophobia. This point is recapitulated by Charlotte Leather who states that media attention drawn on recent homosexual storylines incorporated into popular soap operas such as ‘Eastenders’, evoke confidence among the LGB community to report crimes. One avid viewer of the soap Eastenders stated in regards to the homophobic messages conveyedin it, “anything that gets people talking can only be a good thing”, (The Gaurdian 2009)
Help and advice:
Research reveals that 48% of LGBs seek counselling due to being subjected to homophobic hate crime in comparison to only 25% of heterosexuals, which is nearly twice as high. (Woods 2009) Despite this, statistics point out that only two out of three homosexual men and women who report such crimes receive support after their ordeal. (Dick 2008) Hence, counselling is an important means of helping LGB victims, which the LGF acknowledge and provide.
The LGF also work closely with the GMP who have liaison officers such as PC Sam Tennant that drop into the LGF office once a week to interact with victims. As Sam Tennant states, “lack of confidence in the police dates back to the sixties when homophobic men were arrested” this in turn “has bred suspicion in the helpfulness of the police” among LGBs.. Thus, it is the job of the GMP to strengthen ties with the LGB community, as “strong links…are crucial to give clear information on case progression” so that victims are able to help police with investigations. (Homophobic and Transphobic Crime Toolkit 2008, pg.11)
The success of doing this is portrayed by PC Tennant who states that, homophobic offences are likely to carry heavier penalties in court, compared to those in relation to non-hate crimes. Organisations such as the LGF allow the GMP to work closely with victims to ensure that everything possible is done to expose the perpetrators of the hate crime they were subjected to.
The significance of police participation to tackle the problem is also emphasised by the Greater Manchester Police LGB Chairperson, Darren Haslam who last year stated, “hate crime is under reported” and thus, even if the police act in minor ways such as last year flying the LGB flag in Greater Manchester police stations, this is “encouraging people to report incidents” (GMP 2010) Furthermore, PC Sam Tennant identifies the progress that has recently been made regarding homophobic hate crimes, which now “carry a heavier penalty in court compared to non-hate orientated...”
Conclusions/outcomes
In conclusion, although statistics illustrate that there is an increase in homophobic hate crime; research conducted in this report reveals that leaders in Manchester are undertaking considerable action to counteract the issue. As PC Sam Tennant encouragingly states, “My division has indeed received an increase in reports”.
In addition to this, the primary research evidence gathered within this report indicates that homophobic hate crime is being tackled in numerous ways. For example, Charlotte Leather who works with the Manchester education system is attempting to address the issue within schools where homophobic hate crime often initiates. This work is executed by conducting workshops to increase awareness among students, and by training staff to successfully identify and deal with the issues. Moreover, research also suggests that leaders are working hard to provide help and advice for LGBs so as to increase confidence to report hate crime. This can be found in the form of counselling available at the LGF office, to websites and magazines available for LGBS to express their views and concerns, and also drop in sessions available for victims in the LGF office or Manchester police stations.
On the other hand, Joanne Dunning rightly points out that although some evidence suggests that homophobic hate crime is slowly decreasing, this could merely be an indication of the amount of people who feel confident enough to report the crimes due to leaders increasing awareness. Thus, it is unclear whether the problem is in fact proving. Moreover, when looking at high profile cases such as that of Ian Baynham, he was beaten to death for merely holding hands with his partner in public. Hence, a society that does not allow a homosexual individual to display the most trivial form of affection toward their partner, is a society in the eyes of Dunning, that is far from providing equality and human rights.
The main barriers to change that leaders face are increasing understanding of the issue and funding. The former issue is currently being addressed, but the latter is difficult to overcome due to current cut-backs in government funding. This has in turn led government agencies to prioritise the distribution of the money they give to certain initiatives and organisations, thus it remains a challenge to convince such agencies that the problem of homophobic hate crime and the effect it has is an issue that require the support of such agencies. (Dunning 2011)
Suggestions/recommendations
Firstly, training police officers and staff to deal specifically with cases such as homophobia related hate crimes will increase victim confidence. This can be implemented by appointing LGB liaison officers to specific areas high in homophobic hate crime, in turn forming a strong cohesive relationship of trust with the LGB community. In addition, the lack of development in the reporting of homophobic hate crime indicates the demand for more LGB help and support schemes. Thus, another means of making a difference is to encourage the police to employ anti-social behaviour orders in relation to homophobic hate crimes so perpetrators are less likely to reoffend.
Moreover, it is also useful to adopt a gay-friendly work environment within the GMP, to ensure the police force welcome homosexual employees. This will create diversity and hence eliminate discrimination. In addition to this, some police forces have also joined the Stonewall’s Diversity Champions Scheme which provides police forces with information on how they can become less discriminatory towards people of different sexual orientation. (Dick 2008)
Part Two: Research Portfolio
In my opinion, the problem of homophobic hate crime is slowly showing signs of improvement within the City of Manchester. This opinion is largely induced by the research findings I gathered for the conduction of my report, which reveal the numerous ways that leaders are attempting to tackle the problem. In addition, although statistics reveal homophobic hate crime is prevalent within the UK, I think in comparison to other cities and even parts of the world, Manchester is showing considerable signs of advancement by endeavouring to uphold each individual’s human rights.
I was especially encouraged by PC Sam Tennant, who stated, “Manchester deals with a proportionate amount of homophobic hate crime when compared to other cities”. In addition, Tennant spoke with determination when he revealed that the problem of homophobia shall one day be eliminated in the same way as racism has been. In addition, I believe the police play the utmost crucial role at decreasing homophobia related hate crimes as only they are capable of ensuring perpetrators are caught and punished. Hence, it is relieving and hopeful to see that Tennant and his colleagues are working hard to increase reporting and awareness in order to get one step closer to achieving justice.
Due to the prevalent ‘gay scene’ within Manchester, there was not much problem accessing the various leaders I needed for my research, as two out of the three were situation on the famous ‘Canal Street’. In addition, each leader I approached was informative and helpful. Moreover, replies to all the questions I required were given, which I used exhaustively within my report.
One piece of research I would have liked to carry out was surveying the LGB community on Canal Street to determine how safe they feel in Manchester and how aware they are that help and support is available. This is because, although I found numerous useful secondary resources that I utilised alongside my primary research, many of the resources were from research conducted in 2008 and there was no specific research conducted in the City of Manchester regarding the personal opinions and experiences of the LGB community. However this was not carried out as it raised ethical concerns regarding the well-being of the participants, who naturally, would be apprehensive answering such personal questions.
Moreover, it is also important to acknowledge that homophobic hate crime is still a fresh issue, which has only just gained attention from government agencies. Despite this, the Crown Prosecution Service has recently stated that it shall endeavour to work with other leaders such as the government and court to increase the accuracy, quality, and abundance of data in relation to homophobic hate crimes. (Crown Prosecution Service 2009-2010) Moreover, the CPS have also claimed to initiate a new research report in 2011, which shall be specifically designed to highlight ways that homophobic hate crimes can be reduced greatly, and what action can be undertaken to do this. (Crown Prosecution Service 2009-2010)
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