Teachers’ perspectives on principal support for addressing homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic bullying in Australian high schools

Research has suggested that the attitudes and priorities of school principals may influence how teachers and other staff support gender and sexuality diverse students, and handle bullying where it arises. The present study presents qualitative data from an online survey disseminated to staff working in Australian high schools (N = 62). The aim was to understand how participants regard the leadership of their principal team (including deputy/vice and assistant principals) in this space, and what additional support leadership could offer to assist staff in effectively addressing homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic bullying. Using reflexive thematic analysis, five themes were developed. Results suggest that there is a strong desire for explicit communication from leadership about expectations for dealing with prejudiced bullying. While wellbeing staff and classroom teachers may have the most day-to-day involvement with bullying intervention, participants indicated that principal involvement in creating a safe climate for gender and sexuality diverse members of the school community, and intervening in bullying where necessary, can fortify the efforts of other staff. Principal support may be particularly crucial in when considering religious and cultural sensitivities.