The word Gay in our schools

[Mister M 1,608]

Repeatedly calling someone "pink", or joining in with a group that does so is bullying. If a group of children was bullying someone the word they used would be rather irrelevant. Especially at 7 years old.

 

 

 

Where does bullying come into it when the child was referring to JLS the man boy pop group?

Think even they could take being called GayLS.

 

censorship of certain words and preventing bullying in schools is hardly the same issue is it? Ban one word people will just use another one.

 

Perhaps it isn't exactly the same thing, but both are about establishing a culture of respect and good manners in school. For example if a child uses the word 'spazz' and is disciplined as a result, but then is heard to use the word 'mong', should the teacher shrug their shoulders and think so what? I would hope not. Or should teacher not discipline a child for using the f word, because the child will then use the c word?

[flamingjimmy 10]

This is what I am talking about, if you want to educate then educate about culture rather than instances within culture.

 

Saying this or that word is banned just means that if you don't say this or that (or don't get caught) then you can do what you wish.

 

The focus of the school should be on the incident rather than the wording.

 

You really are clutching at straws now, the incident was that a child used the word 'gay' as an insult. You can't seprate the wording from the incident, because the wording was the incident.

[flamingjimmy 10]

All these comments just show ppls different opinions on the word which in the first place was NOT used to bully anyone as it was asked as a question "who likes gay LS ".

Firstly, they're saying that JLS are gay, secondly they're saying that it's gay to like JLS. Now, I'm to understand that JLS are relatively popular in that age bracket and any classmates of your daughter who are fans would have been the target of the insult, obviously.

 

I know how this word can be interpreted but I for one will not stop her from using it as long as she uses it correctly and as I'm the parent here is it not up to me how I bring up my child.

Assuming that the other child did not lie, do you think the usage was appropriate?

[Suffragette1 10]

I haven't read through the entire thread, however, at my kids' primary school, the word 'gay' was frequently used as a term of abuse and even when it is not used in the homophobic sense and said in the context of something being 'lame', kids are growing up with the belief that 'gay' is negative and something undesirable which will engender ridicule and abuse. It speaks volumes to me that gay does not mean 'cool' for example, in the same way that the word 'sick' now does in jeuvenile parlance.

 

Good for the school's head for dealing with this issue swiftly. I had to raise an incident with my kids' school and make a formal complaint, along with my son, when he reported to me how a friend of his was being subjected to homophobic bullying. This was when they were 9.

[Bloggs 10]

Firstly, they're saying that JLS are gay, secondly they're saying that it's gay to like JLS. Now, I'm to understand that JLS are relatively popular in that age bracket and any classmates of your daughter who are fans would have been the target of the insult, obviously.

 

Assuming that the other child did not lie, do you think the usage was appropriate?

 

JLS or gay LS either way she wasn't saying they are homosexual she repeated something one of her other friends used so now who's interpreting it as homosexual insult as I said before gay can mean a number of things nowadays.

And I'm not saying wether the other child lied or not it was just another incident between my daughter and this bully and as always my daughter gets into trouble if it had been the other way round my daughter would have got told to stop telling tales. She is 7 for god sake still learning words was you never that age as some one previously said at that age children use words and do t fully understand what they mean and get confused that they have differant meanings personally I think who ever the child have been the school shouldn't have punished them at this age but explained why they think it's a bad word to use instead that was up to me and I didn't want to have to have this sort of discussion with my 7 year old just yet.

[Suffragette1 10]

JLS or gay LS either way she wasn't saying they are homosexual she repeated something one of her other friends used so now who's interpreting it as homosexual insult as I said before gay can mean a number of things nowadays.

And I'm not saying wether the other child lied or not it was just another incident between my daughter and this bully and as always my daughter gets into trouble if it had been the other way round my daughter would have got told to stop telling tales. She is 7 for god sake still learning words was you never that age as some one previously said at that age children use words and do t fully understand what they mean and get confused that they have differant meanings personally I think who ever the child have been the school shouldn't have punished them at this age but explained why they think it's a bad word to use instead that was up to me and I didn't want to have to have this sort of discussion with my 7 year old just yet.

 

They are exposed to all kinds of language at school these days, much to my horror, and there is precious little that you can do about it. My 10 year old daughter informed me that she knows what a blow job is, the other day.

 

However, the only way that children will learn about what is acceptable and unacceptable language and behaviour, is to have it pointed out to them. Maybe this Head was a bit heavy handed, however, s/he did the right thing in drawing to your daughter's attention to the way in which the word was being used. It may have different meanings these days but no one uses it in its orginal sense. It is used either as a form of bullying or to describe something which is crap. The latter has connotations with the former, as I said, why does it not mean 'cool'?

[Bloggs 10]

At the end of the day I have gay friends who themselves can't believe she was punished in this way for using the word in the first place. The school have made it a homophobic issue now not us. I mean it's a word used all over the place daily. Kids playground banter is at this age just kids learning new words and thinking its funny to use them was you not once a child. Your all entitled to your options but please don't pull my daughter to bits for learning about the world.

[JFKvsNixon 11]

At the end of the day I have gay friends who themselves can't believe she was punished in this way for using the word in the first place. The school have made it a homophobic issue now not us. I mean it's a word used all over the place daily. Kids playground banter is at this age just kids learning new words and thinking its funny to use them was you not once a child. Your all entitled to your options but please don't pull my daughter to bits for learning about the world.

 

No one is pulling your daughter to bits, it a normal part of a child's development to get told off and punished. Children will sometimes push the boundaries, and punishment reminds them where those boundaries are.

 

Your daughter sounds and honest on open person for which credit must go to you, but also you need to trust the schools opinion sometimes as well.

[flamingjimmy 10]

At the end of the day I have gay friends who themselves can't believe she was punished in this way for using the word in the first place.

Oh well that makes it ok then, I didn't realise the entire gay community was represented by your gay friends, my mistake, now I know, I'll just come to you whenever there's a controversial issue surrounding homosexuality.

 

The school have made it a homophobic issue now not us. I mean it's a word used all over the place daily. Kids playground banter is at this age just kids learning new words and thinking its funny to use them was you not once a child. Your all entitled to your options but please don't pull my daughter to bits for learning about the world.

I don't think that's fair at all, no-one has said a single bad word about your daughter. Of course it's not her fault, she probably doesn't even begin to understand the connotations of what she said other than 'it will annoy the JLS fans', however that doesn't mean she shouldn't've been disciplined in order to prevent her from continuing to use the word like that.

[Bloggs 10]

They are exposed to all kinds of language at school these days, much to my horror, and there is precious little that you can do about it. My 10 year old daughter informed me that she knows what a blow job is, the other day.

 

Omg Suffragette1 that's just a prime example of how quick kids grow up these days.

I'm not oblivious to what goes off but in the it's all part of learning and they shouldn't be punished for that.

Edited June 14, 2012 by esme
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[Mister M 1,608]

They are exposed to all kinds of language at school these days, much to my horror, and there is precious little that you can do about it. My 10 year old daughter informed me that she knows what a blow job is, the other day.

 

Omg Suffragette1 that's just a prime example of how quick kids grow up these days.

I'm not oblivious to what goes off but in the it's all part of learning and they shouldn't be punished for that.

 

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Edited June 14, 2012 by esme
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[Bloggs 10]

Oh well that makes it ok then, I didn't realise the entire gay community was represented by your gay friends, my mistake, now I know, I'll just come to you whenever there's a controversial issue surrounding homosexuality.

 

I don't think that's fair at all, no-one has said a single bad word about your daughter. Of course it's not her fault, she probably doesn't even begin to understand the connotations of what she said other than 'it will annoy the JLS fans', however that doesn't mean she shouldn't've been disciplined in order to prevent her from continuing to use the word like that.

 

You yourself have said exactly what my point was she didn't understand, punishment I believe was not the way explanation would have been better. Don't be so silly my point about my friends was that they were gob smaked they don't speak for the countries gays but if they don't have an issue with it why should anyone else.