Rethinking safe schools approaches for LGBTQ students: changing the questions we ask
Abstract
In this article the authors address the limitations of framing “the problem” of in-school LGBTQ harassment within dominant anti-bullying discourses. They offer a critical sociological framework as an alternative way of understanding the issues of LGBTQ harassment and propose a research agenda in which school culture and gender policing are the objects of inquiry.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The majority of anti-bullying interventions function in the binary opposition and do not include the cultural roots of aggression, as well as the role played by schools in the systemic marginalization of LGBTQ students.
“Therefore, the majority of anti-bullying interventions function in the aforementioned binary opposition and do not include the cultural roots of aggression, as well as the role played by schools in the systemic marginalization of LGBTQ students.”
The dominant understanding of LGBTQ students' school experiences has been shaped by discourses that reduce 'the problem' to bullies who express homophobic attitudes by targeting LGBTQ peers.
“The dominant understanding of LGBTQ students’ school experiences has been shaped by discourses that reduce “the problem” to bullies who express homophobic attitudes by targeting LGBTQ peers.”
Cites
(2000) · The Journal of Negro Education · Cited by 2,472 · see citing works
Lomotey, K. (2010) · Sage eBooks · doi:10.4135/9781412971966.n136 · Cited by 2,328 · see citing works
Pascoe, C. J. (2020) · University of California Press eBooks · doi:10.1525/9780520941045 · Cited by 1,376 · see citing works
What Can Be Done About School Bullying?: Linking Research to Educational Practice
Swearer, S. M., Espelage, D. L., Vaillancourt, T., & Hymel, S. (2010) · Educational Researcher · doi:10.3102/0013189x09357622 · Cited by 672 · see citing works
The Effectiveness of Whole-School Antibullying Programs: A Synthesis of Evaluation Research
Smith, J. D., Schneider, B. H., Smith, P. K., & Ananiadou, K. (2004) · School Psychology Review · doi:10.1080/02796015.2004.12086267 · Cited by 559 · see citing works
Ringrose, J., & Renold, E. (2010) · British Educational Research Journal · doi:10.1080/01411920903018117 · Cited by 323 · see citing works
Thurlow, C. (2001) · Journal of Adolescence · doi:10.1006/jado.2000.0371 · Cited by 272 · see citing works
‘This was my hell’: the violence experienced by gender non‐conforming youth in US high schools
Wyss, S. E. (2004) · International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education · doi:10.1080/0951839042000253676 · Cited by 218 · see citing works
Youdell, D. (2005) · Gender and Education · doi:10.1080/09540250500145148 · Cited by 216 · see citing works
Adolescents’ Acceptance of Same-Sex Peers Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression
Horn, S. S. (2006) · Journal of Youth and Adolescence · doi:10.1007/s10964-006-9111-0 · Cited by 182 · see citing works
Payne, E. C., & Smith, M. J. (2011) · Journal of LGBT Youth · doi:10.1080/19361653.2011.563183 · Cited by 119 · see citing works
Self-citationPascoe, C. J. (2003) · American Behavioral Scientist · doi:10.1177/0002764203046010009 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
Bullies, bullying and power in the contexts of schooling
Bansel, P., Davies, B., Laws, C., & Linnell, S. (2009) · British Journal of Sociology of Education · doi:10.1080/01425690802514391 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
Ringrose, J. (2008) · British Journal of Sociology of Education · doi:10.1080/01425690802263668 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
Wounds andReinscriptions: Schools, Sexualities and Performative Subjects
Youdell, D. (2004) · Discourse Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education · doi:10.1080/0159630042000290973 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Homophobia, transphobia and culture: deconstructing heteronormativity in English primary schools
DePalma, R., & Jennett, M. (2010) · Intercultural Education · doi:10.1080/14675980903491858 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Spinning our wheels: reconceptualizing bullying beyond behaviour-focused approaches
Walton, G. (2011) · Discourse Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education · doi:10.1080/01596306.2011.537079 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Th e Olweus Bullying Prevention Program: Implementation and Evaluation over Two Decades
Porter, W., Plog, A. E., Jens, K., Garrity, C., & Sager, N. (2009) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203864968-33 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
It's important to be nice, but it's nicer to be important: girls, popularity and sexual competition
*, N. D. (2004) · Sex Education · doi:10.1080/14681810410001678329 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Female Basketball Participation
Shakib, S. (2003) · American Behavioral Scientist · doi:10.1177/0002764203046010008 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Walton, G. (2005) · Journal of School Violence · doi:10.1300/j202v04n01_06 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
TOMBOY RESISTANCE AND CONFORMITY
Carr, C. L. (1998) · Gender & Society · doi:10.1177/089124398012005003 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
School Staff Responses to Gender-Based Bullying as Moral Interpretation
Anagnostopoulos, D., Buchanan, N. T., Pereira, C. M., & Lichty, L. F. (2008) · Educational Policy · doi:10.1177/0895904807312469 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Citing Discourses: Making Sense of Homophobia and Heteronormativity at Dynamic High School
Ngo, B. (2003) · Equity & Excellence in Education · doi:10.1080/10665680303513 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Sherwin, G., & Jennings, T. E. (2006) · Teaching Education · doi:10.1080/10476210600849664 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Sluts: Heteronormative Policing in the Stories of Lesbian Youth
Payne, E. C. (2010) · Educational Studies · doi:10.1080/00131941003614911 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Self-citationLugg, C. A. (2006) · Educational Policy · doi:10.1177/0895904805285374 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Safety, celebration, and risk: educator responses to LGBTQ professional development
Payne, E. C., & Smith, M. J. (2012) · Teaching Education · doi:10.1080/10476210.2012.699520 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Self-citationCreating a Positive School Climate and Developing Social Competence
Alsaker, F. D., & Gutzwiller‐Helfenfinger, E. (2009) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203864968-8 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Meyer, E. J., & Stader, D. L. (2009) · Journal of LGBT Youth · doi:10.1080/19361650902905624 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Reduction of Stigma in Schools: An Evaluation of the First Three Years.
Payne, E. C., & Smith, M. J. (2010) · Issues in teacher education · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Self-citationConversations on race in teacher education cohorts
Daniel, B.-J. M. (2009) · Teaching Education · doi:10.1080/10476210902730497 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Payne, E. C. (2007) · Educational Studies · doi:10.1080/00131940701309054 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Self-citationTo Lynch a Child: Bullying and Gender Nonconformity in Our Nation's Schools
Higdon, M. J. (2011) · Indiana Magazine of History (Indiana University) · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Quiet Please! There's a Lady on the Stage--Boys, Gender and Sexuality Non-conformity and Class
McInnes, D., & Couch, M. A. (2004) · Discourse Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education · doi:10.1080/0159630042000290937 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Payne, E. C. (2009) · Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks · doi:10.1057/9780230622982_15 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Self-citation
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Bragg, S., Renold, E., Ringrose, J., & Jackson, C. (2018) · Sex Education · doi:10.1080/14681811.2018.1439373 · Cited by 178 · see citing works
Payne, E. C., & Smith, M. J. (2017) · Educational Administration Quarterly · doi:10.1177/0013161x17723426 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Self-citationFormby, E. (2015) · Sex Education · doi:10.1080/14681811.2015.1054024 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Payne, E. C., & Smith, M. J. (2013) · QED A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking · doi:10.1353/qed.2013.0012 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Self-citationGreytak, E. A., & Kosciw, J. G. (2014) · Teaching Education · doi:10.1080/10476210.2014.920000 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Sandwick, T., Fine, M., Greene, A. C., Stoudt, B. G., Torre, M. E., & Patel, L. (2018) · Urban Education · doi:10.1177/0042085918763513 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
“The student drives the car, right?”: trans students and narratives of decision-making in schools
Frohard‐Dourlent, H. (2017) · Sex Education · doi:10.1080/14681811.2017.1393745 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Supporting LGBT Lives? Complicating the suicide consensus in LGBT mental health research
Bryan, A., & Mayock, P. (2016) · Sexualities · doi:10.1177/1363460716648099 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Horton, C. (2022) · British Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjep.12540 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
School toilets: queer, disabled bodies and gendered lessons of embodiment
Slater, J., Jones, C., & Procter, L. (2016) · Gender and Education · doi:10.1080/09540253.2016.1270421 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Gilbert, J., FIELDS, J., Mamo, L., & Lesko, N. (2018) · Harvard Educational Review · doi:10.17763/1943-5045-88.2.163 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Chmielewski, J. F., Belmonte, K. M., Fine, M., & Stoudt, B. G. (2016) · Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks · doi:10.1057/978-1-137-51257-4_10 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Frohard‐Dourlent, H. (2015) · Sex Education · doi:10.1080/14681811.2015.1022819 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Riggs, D. W., & Bartholomaeus, C. (2018) · TSQ Transgender Studies Quarterly · doi:10.1215/23289252-4291529 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Safety, celebration, and risk: educator responses to LGBTQ professional development
Payne, E. C., & Smith, M. J. (2012) · Teaching Education · doi:10.1080/10476210.2012.699520 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Self-citationA multicultural, gender, and sexually diverse affirming school‐based consultation framework
Brown, J., Naser, S. C., Griffin, C. B., Grapin, S. L., & Proctor, S. L. (2021) · Psychology in the Schools · doi:10.1002/pits.22593 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Schooling While Black: Analyzing the Racial School Discipline Crisis for Behavior Analyst
Sevon, M. A. (2022) · Behavior Analysis in Practice · doi:10.1007/s40617-022-00695-8 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
The persistence of policies of protection in LGBTQ research & advocacy
Roberts, L. M., & Marx, R. A. (2018) · Journal of LGBT Youth · doi:10.1080/19361653.2018.1479325 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Knowledge Production and Power in an Online Critical Multicultural Teacher Education Course
Cutri, R. M., Whiting, E. F., & Bybee, E. R. (2019) · Educational Studies · doi:10.1080/00131946.2019.1645016 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Forsberg, C. (2019) · Journal of Youth Studies · doi:10.1080/13676261.2019.1580351 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Queer youth and mental health: What do educators need to know?
Bryan, A. (2017) · Irish Educational Studies · doi:10.1080/03323315.2017.1300237 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
A Sociological Critique of Youth Strategies and Educational Policies that Address LGBTQ Youth Issues
Bryan, A. (2019) · International Journal of Bullying Prevention · doi:10.1007/s42380-019-00047-1 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Getting dirty and coming clean: Sex education and the problem of expertise
Gilbert, J. (2021) · Curriculum Inquiry · doi:10.1080/03626784.2021.1947732 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Preparing Educators for a Diverse World: Understanding Sexual Prejudice among Pre-Service Teachers
Foy, J. K., & Hodge, S. (2016) · Prairie Journal of Educational Research · doi:10.4148/2373-0994.1005 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Stańczykiewicz, B., & Senczyszyn, A. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1493745 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Using the Sociological Perspective to Reduce Bullying in Schools: The Case for a School Sociologist
Donoghue, C., Raia‐Hawrylak, A., Harger, B., Ohanian, N., Shahin, S., & Steimle, A. (2023) · International Journal of Bullying Prevention · doi:10.1007/s42380-023-00177-7 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Violence against LGBTQ Students
Payne, E. C., & Smith, M. J. (2018) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781118966709.ch19 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Self-citationSchool Experiences and Educational Opportunities for LGBTQ Students
Pearson, J., & Wilkinson, L. (2018) · Handbooks of sociology and social research · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-76694-2_9 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Adults Set the Tone for Welcoming all Students
Slesaransky-Poe, G. (2013) · Phi Delta Kappan · doi:10.1177/003172171309400509 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Playing gender(s): the re/construction of a suspect ‘gender identity’ through play
Brito, S., Carneiro, N. S., & Nogueira, C. (2021) · Ethnography & Education · doi:10.1080/17457823.2021.1922927 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
The Logic of Deferral: Educational Aims and Intellectual Disability
Taylor, A. (2017) · Studies in Philosophy and Education · doi:10.1007/s11217-017-9595-y · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Normalcy, Intersectionality and Ableism: Teaching About and Around ‘Inclusion’ to Future Educators
Slater, J., & Chapman, E. L. (2017) · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · doi:10.1057/978-1-137-54446-9_22 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Elliott‐Engel, J., Westfall-Rudd, D. M., Kaufman, E. K., Seibel, M., & Radhakrishna, R. B. (2021) · Journal of Extension · doi:10.34068/joe.59.04.14 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Structural Liberalism and Anti-Bullying Legislation
Vaught, S. E. (2014) · Equity & Excellence in Education · doi:10.1080/10665684.2014.900393 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Baiocco, R., Micoli, A., Antoniucci, C., Rosati, F., Pellegrini, V., & Pistella, J. (2025) · Sexuality Research and Social Policy · doi:10.1007/s13178-025-01150-3 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Postfeminist Educational Media Panics, Girl Power and the Problem/Promise of ‘Successful Girls’
Ringrose, J., & Epstein, D. (2017) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-981-10-4075-7_26 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Micoli, A., Rosati, F., Innocenzi, E., Baiocco, R., & Pistella, J. (2025) · Sexuality Research and Social Policy · doi:10.1007/s13178-025-01164-x · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Queering School Leadership Preparation Curricula for Gender Justice in Public Schooling
Wilcox, S. M. (2022) · Journal of School Leadership · doi:10.1177/10526846221149213 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Primary school teachers' conceptions of pedagogical responses to concepts of diverse sexualities
van Leent, & Lisa, J. (2014) · Office of Education Research; Faculty of Education · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Lee, C., Walshe, N., & Branton, H. (2024) · Social Sciences · doi:10.3390/socsci13120662 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Wright, G. W., Gaskin, A., & Barron, V. (2025) · Journal of Science Teacher Education · doi:10.1080/1046560x.2025.2548632 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
LGBTIQ+ Youth and Experiences with Violence in Education
Perger, N. (2018) · Ars & Humanitas · doi:10.4312/ah.12.1.88-103 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Orienting Toward Possibility: Girls and Bisexuality at School
Mamo, L., Fields, J., Gilbert, J., & Pereira, D. (2021) · Health Promotion Practice · doi:10.1177/15248399211045019 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) students and online education in Australia
Fletcher, J., Jones, T. M., & Bergen, P. V. (2025) · Children and Youth Services Review · doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108258 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Foreword: queer teaching – teaching queer
DePalma, R. (2017) · Irish Educational Studies · doi:10.1080/03323315.2017.1289699 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Education and Management: Providing LGBTQ Students with Better Support in School Settings in China
Lyu, J. (2024) · Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media · doi:10.54254/2753-7048/42/20240792 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Cisgender Administrators and Educators
Bartholomaeus, C., & Riggs, D. W. (2017) · Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks · doi:10.1057/978-1-349-95309-7_6 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Journal, P. (2016) · Prairie Journal of Educational Research · doi:10.4148/2373-0994.1014 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Non-normative Sexuality Studies
Roy, A. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/obo/9780199756384-0238 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Tollafield, K. A. (2015) · SensePublishers eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-6300-148-9_31
Immigration, Undocumented Students, and Sexuality Education in Schools: Collapsing Borders
Patel, L., & Saenz, L. P. (2016) · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · doi:10.1057/978-1-137-40033-8_16
Cisgender Parents of Transgender Young People
Bartholomaeus, C., & Riggs, D. W. (2017) · Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks · doi:10.1057/978-1-349-95309-7_4
Poirier, J. M., Mattheis, A., & Temkin, D. A. (2017) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/obo/9780199756810-0190
Goodrich, K. M., & Luke, M. (2015) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781119222774.refs
Bartholomaeus, C., & Riggs, D. W. (2017) · Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks · doi:10.1057/978-1-349-95309-7_1
(2025) · Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks · doi:10.1108/978-1-83708-448-720251015
Parra, M. R., Marchant, M. J. V., Figueroa, M. I., & Contreras, J. (2026) · Pedagogy Culture and Society · doi:10.1080/14681366.2026.2752546
- Authors
- Payne, E., & Smith, M.
- ORCID
- Smith, Melissa
- Venue
- Multicultural Perspectives
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2012-11
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 187-193
- ISSN
- 1521-0960 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-7892
- OpenAlex
- W2062433431
- Cited by
- 58
- References
- 36
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 7.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Multicultural Perspectives (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender, Sexuality, and Education
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
- Keywords
- LGBTQ students, school harassment, school safety, school culture, gender policing, critical sociology, research agenda
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
