Bullying Targeting Secondary School Students who are or are Perceived to be Transgender or Same-Sex Attracted

Access to education in a safe environment is a universal human right. However, the exercise of this right is often compromised by the presence of violence and bullying in schools, making them unsafe. Given its often gendered nature, bullying is considered a subtype of school-related gender-based violence.

In particular, students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) tend to be disproportionately bullied at schools. In many Western and Asian contexts, over half of LGBT students report having been bullied because of their same-sex attraction or because of their transgender expressions. Thailand is often perceived as very accepting of sexual/gender diversity, but in fact LGBT people are usually only tolerated, not accepted. There was previous evidence of school bullying in Thailand, but only anecdotal evidence pointed at the presence of school bullying specifically targeting students who are or are perceived to be LGBT, or on mechanisms to counter it in Thai schools.