Vast majority of primary-age children report hearing derogatory comments at school

Homophobic language is prevalent among young children, with three-quarters of nine- to 11-year-olds reporting they have heard it, as revealed by new research.

The charity Just Like Us conducted a survey involving over 31,000 pupils across the UK, including 4,307 primary school children aged nine to 11. An overwhelming 78 percent of these primary school children reported hearing homophobic language, and 80 percent of secondary school pupils reported the same, according to ‘Independent’.

Some primary school children identified TikTok as the platform where they heard the term “gay” used as a negative insult. Others mentioned that children were repeating such language without understanding its meaning.

TikTok stated that its community guidelines prohibit content that includes hateful slurs or attacks individuals or groups based on gender, gender identity, sex, or sexual orientation. The survey was conducted in June as part of educational efforts by VotesForSchools, a platform that involves children in social and political issues.

A child in Sandhurst shared with researchers: “We mainly hear people call each other ‘gay’ as an insult or a joke. This is because we see it trending on TikTok.”

A viral trend on TikTok, called ‘English or Spanish?’, involves the creator approaching random people and saying: “Whoever moves first is gay.” These videos, some with over 11 million likes, show participants freezing to avoid being labeled as gay.

The trend is named ‘English or Spanish’ because the trend's original creator asked people for their nationality first to issue the challenge in the appropriate language.

Charlie, 35, from Hertfordshire and a parent of two young boys, told The Independent: “It feels like it’s currently fashionable for children to use the word ‘gay’ as an insult or joke. They've turned it into games at school. The ‘English or Spanish’ trend has become more prominent in recent months.

“I have close relatives who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. I’ve had conversations with my boys about why these games aren’t funny. It’s being used in very negative ways, and it shouldn’t be.”

Her 11-year-old son Reggie stated: “My friends say it’s just a joke. Some students also say, ‘Last one to the line is fat, ugly and gay,’ when the bell rings. Students also made fun of a classmate who likes pink. I intervened and told them it’s okay to like what they want.”

Matt, an LGBTQ+ parent, recounted how his nine-year-old son Jacob was involved in a TikTok game where participants guessed things, and wrong answers led to being called gay.

Matt explained: “Initially, Jacob tried to join in but felt uncomfortable over time. When he eventually opted out, one friend said, ‘Well, you’re gay.’ Jacob responded, ‘No, I’m not, but my foster carers are gay, and what’s wrong with that?’ His friends said nothing after that, but Jacob felt upset and angry. He thought the game and comments were hurtful and didn’t understand why being gay was used as an insult.”

Matt added: “It’s disheartening that even in 2024, homophobic language persists.”

Laura Mackay, chief executive of Just Like Us, emphasised: “Homophobic language should not be dismissed as ‘just a joke’ because it has real-life consequences, affecting the self-esteem and feelings of shame among LGBT+ young people and those from same-sex families. We are concerned about reports from young people about games on TikTok that use ‘gay’ as an insulting term.”

TikTok collaborates with organisations like GLAAD and Stonewall to shape its policies, and between April and June 2024, it removed 88% of videos violating hate speech policies before they were reported.