Book Reviews / Educators, 27 Mar 22
Review by Richard Everson, Teacher Aide and LGBT member/supporter
How to stop homophobic and biphobic bullying: A practical whole-school approach
Jonathan Charlesworth. (2020). Hachette Group.
A teachers’ guide to challenging homophobic and biphobic bullying offers unique insights to address the issue at its core.

How to stop homophobic and biphobic bullying is a well-organised book that many schools around Aotearoa could use to strengthen their bullying policies, making sure that they are current and applicable to a digital landscape. The book talks about the need for schools to be mindful of the impact of cyberbullying, and that policies should reflect this new form of bullying that students sometimes can't escape. It thoroughly covers the harmful and often long term impact that homophobic bullying has, not just on those directly involved, but also students in the room that overhear it. 

It provides straightforward, easy to follow advice that school leaders can use. While the book is mainly focused on systems in the UK education sector, a lot of the key ideas and concepts can easily be applied to the NZ education system and should at least be considered. 

While school leaders can take a lot from this book, it would also be useful for teachers and parents to have a read to see what they can do to help make positive changes. I would highly recommend all schools in NZ to have a copy of this book available to staff, and use it to look at their policies to see what changes can be made.

Disclaimer: Please note these reviews are not intended as endorsements or recommendations from the Mental Health Foundation. This feature introduces resources that may be useful for individuals with an interest in bullying prevention, mental health and wellbeing topics.

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