Queer Black pupils twice as likely as white peers to have never felt safe at school, damning study finds
In Just Like Us’ last two surveys, it found that Black queer youth struggle more than their white peers in school. (Robin Utrecht/Getty)
Black LGBT+ school pupils are less likely to feel safe at school than their white peers, new research has found.
LGBT+ young people’s charity Just Like Us reported that just 52 per cent of Black queer students stated they felt safe in school on a daily basis in the past year, compared to 57 per cent of Asian pupils and 59 per cent of white respondents.
Black LGBT+ pupils were twice as likely as white peers to say they have never felt safe in school. Six per cent of Black respondents chose this answer, compared with three per cent of white pupils.
CEO of Just Like Us Dominic Arnall told The Independent: “Our independent research devastatingly shows that Black LGBT+ young people are struggling significantly more than their peers when it comes to safety at school and tension at home, and this is having a huge impact on their mental health and wellbeing.”
The study spoke to almost 3,000 secondary school aged pupils from across the country, 1,140 of whom were LGBT+. It will form a part of a larger report on LGBT+ inclusion in education, which Just Like Us plans to publish in June 2021.
In February, Just Like Us also looked into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black LGBT+ young people, which found similarly concerning results. Over 60 per cent of Black queer youth said they worried on a daily basis, compared to 51 per cent of white LGBT+ youth.
The survey also found Black LGBT+ youth were more likely to struggle with depression, anxiety, panic attacks and addiction. Arnall called the results “devastating”.
UK Black Pride also recently announced a survey to find out more about the experiences of Black LGBT+ people and LGBT+ people of colour in the UK.
Lady Phyll, the co-founder of UK Black Pride said: “Our communities remain overlooked and underestimated, but it may be that the right people aren’t doing the asking. So we’re stepping up to ask what the communities we represent feel, need and find joy in.”
