MEDIA ALERT – Phnom Penh, 16 December 2015
CCHR to launch research report entitled “LGBT Bullying in Cambodia’s Schools”
The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (“CCHR”) is delighted to announce that it will hold a press conference at 9am on Thursday 17 December 2015 at Hall A (5th Floor), South Campus – Pannasastra University of Cambodia, Phnom Penh to mark the launch of its report entitled “LGBT Bullying in Cambodia’s Schools” (“the Report”).
The Report is produced by CCHR’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (“SOGI”) Project and is the outcome of nation-wide research on the bullying faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (“LGBT”) people during their attendance at school in Cambodia, and its long-term effects. The Report was commissioned after a large gap was identified in what was known about the experiences of LGBT students in schools in Cambodia.
The Report presents the findings of the nation-wide survey, focus group discussions, interviews, and from desk research comprising studies from around the world, and also offers recommendations on how to systematically address the issue of bullying based on Sexual Orientation Gender Identity/Expression (“SOGIE”) in the Cambodian education system.
A significant body of research suggests that homophobic and transphobic behavior is prevalent in educational institutions across the globe, and CCHR’s research revealed that such behavior is also commonplace in Cambodia’s schools. CCHR’s research revealed that out of its sample of 245 participants who identified as LGBT, an astonishing 93.59% reported bullying because of their SOGIE. CCHR’s research suggests systemic failure on the part of schools in providing a safe environment for Cambodia’s LGBT youth, with a shocking 16.67% of participants reporting at some point being bullied by their teachers. CCHR’s research further revealed that the effects of LGBT bullying can be severe, and found that 12.82% of participants failed to complete high school because of SOGIE-related bullying. Furthermore, a considerable number of participants reported suffering mental health problems later in life as a result of being bullied.
CCHR hopes that the release of the Report will stimulate further research into the experiences of Cambodia’s LGBT youth and provide a timely reminder to the Cambodian Government that LGBT people face continual discrimination because of their SOGIE and that immediate action should be taken to implement anti-discrimination legislation. CCHR further hopes that the launch of the Report will trigger Cambodian schools to take the lead in promoting a culture of acceptance and tolerance within the school gates and beyond.
What: Report Launch
When: Thursday 17 December 2015 @ 9am – 11am
Where: Hall A (5th Floor), South Campus South Campus–Pannasastra University of Cambodia, No. 184 Maha Vithei Preah Norodom, Phnom Penh.
For more information, please contact CCHR’s SOGI Project Coordinator, Nuon Sidara via telephone at +855 (0) 979 666 566 or e-mail at sidara.nuon@cchrcambodia.org or CCHR Consultant Pat de Brún via telephone at +855 (0) 8953 6215 or e-mail at pat.debrun@cchrcambodia.org.
Please also find the media alert attached in PDF format in Khmer and in English.
Notes to the Editor:
CCHR, founded in November 2002, is a non-aligned, independent, non-governmental organization that works to promote and protect democracy and respect for human rights throughout Cambodia.
CCHR is a member of International Freedom of Expression Exchanges (IFEX), the global network for freedom of expression. CCHR is also a member of the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) SOS-Torture Network.
The Cambodian Human Rights Portal www.sithi.org is the 2011 winner of the Information Society Innovation Fund Award in the category of Rights and Freedoms and the 2013 winner of the Communication for Social Change Award, awarded by the Centre of Communication and Social Change at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.
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The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) is a non-aligned, independent, non-governmental organization that works to promote and protect democracy and respect for human rights throughout Cambodia. For more information, please visit www.cchrcambodia.org.