NSW School Counsellors were surveyed regarding their attitudes towards homosexuality and their experience and willingness to work with gay and lesbian students. Most counsellors showed low to moderate homonegativism, but 16.6% scored in the high range. Less knowledge, experience, and past training on homosexuality issues were significantly related to homonegativism, as was unwillingness to participate in future activities and workshops dealing with lesbian and gay students' issues. Many counsellors had a poor knowledge of existing support services. Counsellors who were willing to provide supportive services for gay and lesbian students expressed a need for resources, information kits and curriculum material, inservice training, executive support and a positive Departmental policy.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
American Psychiatric Association (1973). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSMIII). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
2.
BeckettL. & DenboroughD. (1995). Homophobia and the sexual construction of schooling. Dulwich Centre Newsletter, (2/3), 109–121.
BuhrkeR.A. (1989). Incorporating lesbian and gay issues into counselor training: a resource guide. Journal of Counseling and Development, 68, 77–80.
5.
CassV. (1979). Homosexual identity formation: a theoretical model. Journal of Homosexuality, 4, 219–235.
6.
CoxG. (1994). The count and counter report: a study into hate related violence against lesbians and gay. Sydney, Lesbian and Gay Anti-Violence Project.
7.
FassingerR. (1991). The hidden minority: issues and challenges in working with lesbian women and gay men. Counseling Psychologist, 19, 157–166.
8.
FassingerR. (1993). And gladly teach: lesbian and gay issues in education. In DiamantL. (Ed.) Homosexual issues in the workplace. Washington, Taylor & Francis.
9.
GarnetsL., HancockK.S., CochranS.D., GoodchildsJ. & PeplauL.A. (1991). Issues in psychotherapy with lesbians & gay men. American Psychologist, 46, 964–973.
10.
GriffinJ. (1994). The School Watch Report: A study into anti-lesbian and gay harassment and violence in Australian Schools. Sydney, Jones-Pritchard.
11.
HerekG.M. (1984). Beyond “homophobia”: a social psychological perspective on attitudes towards lesbians and gay men. Journal of Homosexuality, 10, 1–21.
12.
HerekG.M. (1995). Psychological heterosexism in the United States. In D'AugelliA. & PattersonC., (Eds.) Lesbian, gay and bisexual identities over the lifespan. New York, Oxford University Press.
13.
HerekG.M. & BerrillK.T. (Eds.) (1992). Hate crimes: confronting violence against lesbian and gay men. California, Sage.
14.
HewsonD. (1993). Heterosexual dominance in the world of therapy. Dulwich Centre Newsletter, (2), 14–21.
15.
HudsonW.W. & RickettsW.A. (1980). A strategy for the measurement of homophobia. Journal of Homosexuality, 5, 357–371.
16.
KitzingerC. (1987). The social construction of lesbianism. London, Sage.
17.
KitzingerC. (1995). Social constructionism: implications for lesbian and gay psychology. In D'AugelliA.R. & PattersonC.J. (Eds.) Lesbian, gay and bisexual identities over the lifespan. New York, Oxford University Press.
18.
KitzingerC. & PerkinsR. (1993). Changing our minds: lesbian feminism and psychology. New York, New York University Press; London, Onlywomen.
19.
Lesbian and Gay Anti-Violence Project (1992). The off our back report: a study into anti-lesbian violence. Sydney, Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby.
20.
MacDonaldA.P., HugginsJ., YoungS. & SwansonR.A. (1973). Attitudes towards homosexuality. Journal of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, 40, 161–166.
21.
MasonG. (1993), Violence against lesbians and gay men. (Report No. 2). Canberra, Australian Institute of Criminology.
22.
MorganK.S. & BrownL.S. (1993). Lesbian career development. In GarnetsL.D. & KimmelD. (Eds.), Psychological perspectives on lesbian and gay male experiences. New York, Columbia University Press.
23.
MorganK.S. & NerisonR.M. (1993). Homosexuality and psychopolitics: an historical overview. Psychotherapy, 30, 133–140.
24.
PellegriniA. (1992). S(h)ifting the terms of hetero/sexism. In BlumenfeldW.J. (Ed.) Homophobia: How we all pay the price. Boston, Beacon Press.
25.
PriceJ. (1982). High school students' attitudes toward homosexuality. Journal of School Health, 52, 469–474.
26.
RemafediG (1987). Homosexual youth: a challenge to contemporary society. Journal American Medical Association, 258, 222–225.
27.
RemafediG, FarrowJ.A. & DeisherR.W. (1993). Risk factors for attempted suicide in gay and bisexual youth. In GarnetsL.D. & KimmelD. (Eds.), Psychological perspectives on lesbian and gay male experiences. New York, Columbia University Press.
28.
RothS. (1985). Psychotherapy with lesbian couples: individual issues, socialization and the social context. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 11, 273–286.
29.
RudolphJ. (1988). Counselors' attitudes toward homosexuality: a selective review of the literature. Journal of Counseling and Development, 67, 165–68.
30.
Savin-WilliamsR.C. (1995). Lesbian, gay male and bisexual adolescents. In In D‘AugelliA. & PattersonC., (Eds.) Lesbian, gay and bisexual identities over the lifespan. New York, Oxford University Press.
31.
SearsJ.T. (1988) Attitudes, experiences and feelings of guidance counselors in working with homosexual students. Paper presented at the American Educational Rsearch Association Meeting, New Orleans. ERIC Doc. No. 296210.
32.
SearsJ.T. (1992). Educators, homosexuality, and homosexual students: are personal feelings related to professional beliefs?Journal of Homosexuality, 22, (3/4), 29–79.
SteinE. (1990). Forms of desire: sexual orientation and the social constructionist controversy. New York, Routledge.
35.
TelljohannS. & PriceJ.H. (1993). A qualitative examination of adolescent homosexuals' life experiences: ramifications for secondary school personnel. Journal of Homosexuality, 26, (1), 41–56.
36.
UribeV & HarbeckK.M. (1992). Addressing the needs of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth: the origins of PROJECT 10 and school based intervention. Journal of Homosexuality, 22, (3/4), 9–28.
37.
Van de VenP. (1994). Comparisons among homophobic reactions of undergraduates, high school students and young offenders. Journal of Sex Research, 31, 117–124.
