LGBTIQ and Passive Bullying in Australian Schools

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the media portrays Health and Physical Education programs within the school environment. The paper will go on to consider whether this perception by the media is warranted, and how the new National Health and Physical Education Curriculum (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2014) assists teachers and support staff in providing students with a valued and ethical framework from which to scaffold a healthy life.

To aid in the preparation of this paper, the paper’s scope will maintain a narrow focus. This focus will be limited to the specific area of student mental health and well-being from the foundation years onwards.

Local level content

From the outset, the intention of this paper was to examine school health and physical education and the media from a local level. Despite being in close proximity to five government funded state schools and four private schools, this idea became an increasingly difficult task.

While local media provided copious articles on noteworthy first year enrolments; visiting sports people and, the results of individual school and interschool sporting achievements, little is written on other aspects of school life; including programs that promote student health and well-being. A brief look at each of the school’s websites (where available), indicated little more than a commitment to student mental health and well-being, through non-specific pastoral care measures and, the use of unqualified mental health practitioners such as Chaplaincy support. It can only be concluded from the lack of information available that;

a)      all schools in the area are undertaking the same health and well-being programs, and there is little need to promote program success,

b)     it is taken for granted that all schools have some form of a health and well-being program and, the quality of the overall program is of little concern,

c)      competition for enrolments in the area is particularly tough and schools are not wishing to reveal their pastoral care strategies or,

d)     by the very nature of the dominant demographic and industry (mining), the community would rather close its eyes and ignore mental health issues.  

With this in mind, news articles were collected on a state and national basis. To ensure non-selective article retrieval, a search term of ‘school health programs’ was used.

Summary of key themes and issues

In reviewing the selected newspaper items, twelve key themes and issues relating to teaching emotional intelligence from a strengths-based approach and the promotion of general student well-being were determined. The commonality of themes included:

·      Empowering individuals to engage effectively with others through the formation of peer networks

·      Reducing the stigma associated with mental illness

·      Building resiliency when faced with difficult or adverse situations and circumstances

·      Secondary school seen as being proactive in setting and promoting positive mental health standards

·      Prompts by organisations and individuals for easier access to qualified professionals such as Counsellors and psychological services rather than increased government funding to Chaplaincy Programs

·      Moves to make emotional resilience learning part of the National Curriculum

·      Improved mental health and well-being leads to improved academic performance

·      Mental distress has a huge impact on student learning

·      Acceptance of diversity

·      Connection between bullying and an increase in poor mental health and anxiety, particularly in students who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex or Queer (LGBTIQ)

·      Homophobia and transphobia encouraged through the use of casual language

·      Discussion of the Mind Matters program; a framework for schools that aims to promote mental health, prevent problems and enable early intervention (Mind Matters, 2014).

Reflection of Issues

Through having worked with Aboriginal students in remote communities, very few of the issues such as; the impact mental distress has on student learning; the stigma associated with mental illness; resiliency building, or even the appropriateness of government funded Chaplaincy over professionally qualified services came as a surprise.  However, one topic disclosed which did come as a revelation, and has prompted further research, was the discussion of passive bullying using casual language. In the article ‘Homophobic bullying commonplace in high school physical education classes, new research suggest’ (Silver, 2014), it is indicated that the casual language in seemingly harmless statements such as ‘you throw like a girl’ or ‘that is so gay’, can have detrimental mental health effects on students who identify as gender variant and sexually diverse.

Citing a 2014 study by Mental Health organisation Beyond Blue (Australian-first study of the mental health of transgender and gender diverse young people), Silver notes, LGBTIQ students have higher rates of reported mental health and well-being concerns than their heterosexual counterparts do. Silver goes on to reveal, that of this cohort, 80 per cent have been subjected passive bullying during physical education classes. Prompted by these statements, and the call of Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman for physical education teachers to intervene, further research in to the area of passive bullying during physical education (HPE) classes was undertaken.

In their 2014 report ‘Growing Up Queer’, Robinson, Bansel, Denson, Ovenden and Davies add credence to Silver’s claims. Moreover, their research goes beyond the effect of casual language on mental health, and examines the impact of passive and overt bullying in HPE classes. Overwhelmingly, students also reported exclusion from sporting activities by HPE teachers or, active marginalisation from their peers. Marginalisation of LGBTIQ students by HPE teachers included; social isolation, humiliation, not being permitted to change with other students, forced participation in gendered sport (for example, netball for females and football for males) and, violation of trust through direct homophobic and transphobic comments being made at students,

Robinson et al. (2014, p. 5) posit, young people were of the opinion that government funded state school teachers were more accepting of sexual diversity than students were, whereas the opposite was found to be true in the private school sector. As a consequence of their status, the health and well-being of sexually diverse students was further put at risk by increased rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal ideation. In addition to mental health, these students were further marginalised through heteronormative sex education programs in schools, which focused on reproductive sex, rather than sexuality education that promoted sexual health.

Linking Media content with the Curriculum

With 19 per cent of students reporting severe levels of distress (Trounson, 2011), and mental health issues amongst students predicted to escalate when compared to the general population, many of the points illustrated by the selected news articles support a common underlying thread. If educational institutions are to assist students in developing a true sense of self and proper health literacy skills, the common thread of making emotional resilience learning part of the National Curriculum must come as a matter of urgency.

As noted in The Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education (2012, p. 7), one of the Aims of the curriculum is to enable students to promote their own health, wellbeing, as well as that of others across the lifespan. It is suggested that the acquisition of these skills and knowledge will underpin the competence and confidence required by all students in order for them to engage in healthy and active life-styles. Further, to promote opportunities for students to develop self-efficacy, the curriculum will go on to address health and well-being topics such as human biology, gender, sexuality, culture, ethnicity, pro-social behaviours, and the impact socioeconomic status, physical and psycho-social environments has on the individual (Shape of the Australian Curriculum, 2012, p. 2).

What is of concern here is the negative impact some teachers and support staff will have on students’, given the possibility of their own attitudes and personal belief systems surrounding sensitive matters such as bullying, mental illness and gender diversity. Such a point in case is the example of the School Principal who referred to the school’s new well-being program as ‘Operation Nutcase’ (Prisk and Koziol, 2014). Although the Principal’s intention was a well-meaning, tongue in cheek attempt to break down the barriers, his reference to students with mental health issues, poor socialisation skills, lack of resilience and undue anxiety as ‘moron’s and village idiots’ caused both staff and parental alarm. Add to this the examples of passive bullying, the expectation of specific gender roles, and inaccurate media images that perpetuates unfavourable stereotypes, that can lead to the rejection, marginalisation and neglect of people with mental illnesses, there must be an expectation that such educational programs will be well structured and monitored closely for equity, quality, and absence of personal biases.

In examining the Health and Physical Education curriculum (2012), a critical inquiry approach and experiential learning for future mental health and well-being is introduced to students in its most basic form during the Foundation years. This is achieved by assisting students in developing an awareness and understanding of the self (ACPPS001) and, the effective formation and maintenance of appropriate  social relationships (ACPPS004), (ACPPS005) and (ACPPS006).

This theme is then carried through to years 1 and 2 with the ongoing development of personal and social skills, relationships, and problem-solving strategies. As students progress through each year level, the content descriptors and achievement standards in the area of Personal, Social and Community Health become more complex and explicit in its teaching. For example, in years 7 and 8 students begin to examine the impact on mental health through (ACPPS070) which takes into consideration physical changes on gender, cultural and sexual identities.

According to Queensland Health, the World Health Organisation (2001, p. 1) propose that health and education are inherently linked and an essential part of lifelong learning. They go on to suggest health promoting schools are committed to the development of the whole individual, the curriculum and the wider community.

While there can be no denying the importance of general health and its link to mental health and well-being in all sectors of the community, what does become of concern, is the methodology used to convey this message to students.

Stevenson (2012) indicates there has been significant debate in recent times regarding the Federal government’s commitment of nearly half a billion dollars towards the National School Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Program (NSCSWP). Elliot and Smith (2014), state that while this non-essential funding is being made available, $30 billion is being taken out of education and specialist school health programs in the long term.

In their reports, Elliot and Smith, and Stevenson all agree that chaplains are over-stepping their boundaries and taking on mental health professional roles such counsellors, psychologists and guidance officers for which they are not trained. Citing the Australian Psychology Society (APS), Elliot and Smith note that during school-based programs such as before school care, and breakfast and lunch programs, chaplains spend much of their time taking students away from supervision and providing counselling. The APS says this is practice with dangerous consequences given increased levels of youth mental health issues and rates of youth suicide. They argue that despite DEEWR guidelines regarding religious proselytising and counselling by chaplains within school grounds, governments will continue with the cheaper, vote-buying option.

This paper has examined Health and Physical Education (mental health) in schools as reported by the media. While many of the issues raised by the media were of little surprise, much was revealed about the link between mental health, bullying and sexually diverse youth. Concern was also raised about the role and possible negative impact untrained school support personnel such as Chaplains could have on overall student mental health and well-being.

From the report by Robinson et al. (2014), an indication was also given regarding the use of casual language, and the effect passive and overt bullying in HPE classes had on the mental health of LGBTIQ students. This form of bullying included exclusion from sporting activities by teachers or, active marginalisation from their peers, social isolation, humiliation, forced participation in gender specific sports, and direct homophobic and transphobic comments being made.

Although progress has been made in the development of a National Curriculum for Health and Physical Education in schools, much of what is taught is at the discretion of individual schools and limited by teacher understanding. For issues such as sexuality, gender diversity, and bullying to be included within the context of the curriculum, specific teaching modules would need to be developed to ensure accurate content and an unbiased view.

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2012). Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education. Version 3. Retrieved from http://www.acara.edu.au/hpe.html

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2014). The Australian Curriculum: Heath and Physical Education. Version 7. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/health-and-physical-education/Curriculum/F-10?layout=3&y=5-6&s=MPA&s=PSCH&c=1&c=2&c=3&c=4&c=5&c=6&c=7&p=1&p=2&p=3

Beyond Blue. (2014). Australian-first study of the mental health of transgender and gender diverse young people. Retrieved from http://www.beyondblue.org.au/about-us/news/news/2014/09/29/australian-first-study-of-the-mental-health-of-transgender-and-gender-diverse-young-people

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. (2012). Talking about mental illness: Teacher's Guide: Section 1: Information About the Program http://www.camh.ca/en/education/teachers_school_programs/resources_for_teachers_and_schools/talking_about_mental_illness/Pages/tami_teacherguide_part1.aspx

Commonwealth of Australia, (2004). Risk and Resilience: A teacher's guide to mental health. Retrieved from http://www.dcita.gov.au/cca

Elliot, T., & Smith, A. (2014). God in the classroom – no thanks. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/god-in-the-classroom-8211-no-thanks-20140627-zsobq.html#ixzz3ExQbBdrQ

Mind Matters. (2014). Schools reap rewards from focus on mental health. Retrieved from http://www.mindmatters.edu.au/about-mindmatters/news-updates/article/2014/05/05/schools-reap-rewards-from-focus-on-mental-health)

Prisk, T., & Koziol, M. (2014). Orange school principal calls students with mental health issues ‘morons’ and ‘village idiots’. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/orange-school-principal-calls-students-with-mental-health-issues-morons-and-village-idiots-20140828-109c9e.html

Queensland Health. (2001). A toolbox for creating healthy places to learn work and play. Central Public Health Unit; Queensland Health: Brisbane, Australia

Robinson, K. H., Bansel. P., Denson, N., Ovenden, G., & Davies, C. (2014). Growing up Queer: Issues facing young Australians who are gender variant and sexuality diverse. Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre: Melbourne, Australia.

Silver, K. (2014). Homophobic bullying commonplace in high school physical education classes, new research suggests. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-09/homophobic-bullying-commonplace-in-school-pe-classes/5660234

Stevenson, C. (2012). Faith in schools: The dismantling of Australia's secular public education system. Retrieved from ABC Religion and Ethics, http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2012/10/22/3615647.htm

Trounson, A. (2011). Mental health issues among students to escalate. Retrieved from http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/mental-health-issues-among-students-to-escalate/story-e6frgcjx-1226111953584