Embracing Difference, Ending Bullying Impact Report 2024

This report by Diversity Role Models reveals the urgent need for stronger strategies when it comes to creating inclusive classrooms. The research shows a clear link: Increased emphasis on teaching children about diverse identities in schools leads to a decrease in bullying based on protected characteristics.

One finding of the report is that school staff and governors generally have a much more favourable perception of their schools’ environment and the bullying levels than the students themselves. We also found that bullying based on sexual orientation and gender expression significantly increased from primary to secondary school.

It also found that bullying based on sexual orientation and gender expression significantly increased from primary to secondary school.

In primary schools, the predominant forms of bullying revolved around looks (15%) and perceived differences more broadly (14%). Bullying escalated in secondary schools. For secondary students, the most prevalent forms were: looks (34%), sexuality (32%), gender expression – i.e. not behaving like a typical boy or girl (31%) or for being a girl (31%).

The trends in prevalence were similar across the three years of data collection, suggesting these were persistent problems.

Secondary students from marginalised identities and/or those with multiple and intersecting identities consistently reported higher levels of bullying.

Senior levels of school governance – senior leadership team (SLT) and governors – tended to perceive their schools more positively than students or staff. 90% of SLT respondents and 93% of school governors told us that bullying was rare in their school, while 89% of SLT respondents and 93% of school governors said that prejudiced language was also rare.

Around half of the parent and carer respondents stated they were not sure, or they disagreed that bullying was rare, and 59% felt that prejudiced language was rare in their school. The views on these issues worsened with secondary-school-age parent and carers.

There was also a mismatch between the views of students, parents and staff and SLT and governors on how safe students feel in schools. Only 58% of primary students reported feeling safe in their schools. By contrast, 83% of governors felt all students were safe.

Staff attributed bullying to: social media; parental attitudes and behaviours; challenges related to home and friendships; lack of empathy and awareness among students of the impact of their words and actions

The Department for Education selected Diversity Role Models in 2021 to implement the Embracing Difference, Ending Bullying programme over three years.

Key Findings:

• In primary schools, the predominant forms of reported bullying revolved around looks (15%) and perceived differences more broadly (14%).
• Secondary students from marginalised identities and/or those with multiple and intersecting identities consistently reported higher levels of bullying.
• 90% of SLT respondents and 93% of school governors told us that bullying was rare in their school, while 89% of SLT respondents and 93% of school governors said that prejudiced language was also rare.
• Only 58% of primary students reported feeling safe in their schools. By contrast, 83% of governors felt all students were safe.
• 1 in 5 primary and secondary students said teachers didn’t inform them, or they weren’t sure if teachers regularly informed them, about their school’s anti-bullying rules.
• 1 in 3 secondary students did not feel that teachers consistently helped when someone was being bullied.
• 76% of parent/carers agreed that their school would respond appropriately to any incidence of bullying.
• Overall, students leaned towards being positive on visibility of diversity in their schools with 83% of primary and 76% of secondary students agreeing their schools celebrated difference.
• Students consistently identified disability and LGBTQ+ as the protected characteristics which were least covered by the school curriculum across the three years. Staff also identified LGBTQ+ as the least taught area over the three years.
• Feedback was overwhelmingly positive throughout the evaluation, 89% of staff reported they had increased confidence and 88% of staff stated the training enhanced their knowledge and understanding of the protected characteristics.
• Post-intervention evaluation showed sustained improvements in understanding diversity and difference (100% agreement).

Link: Embracing Difference, Ending Bullying Impact Report 2024