Heteronormative violence in schools : Focus on homophobia, transphobia and the experiences of trans and non-heterosexual youth in Finland

Abstract

Non-heterosexual and trans youth face violence and threat of it in many forms in their schools. Part of this violence is based on the assumption or knowledge of these young people’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. In the chapter will be analysed the responses and stories of non-heterosexual and trans youth, and the data is a survey produced by the Finnish lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex human rights organisation Seta and Youth Research Network. The survey data consists 1861 responses, out of which 994 were non-heterosexual women, 380 non-heterosexual men, 404 transmasculine respondents and 83 transfeminine respondents. This data is analysed intersectionally based on sexual orientation, gender identity and the presumed gender at birth. The usefulness and problems in using the concepts of homophobia and transphobia is discussed, when analysing the stories on violence against trans and non-heterosexual youth in educational contexts. They leave out of focus a part of violence, which is linked to and or based on heteronormative practises. They are rather psychological and medical concepts, which often focus on individual behaviour and emotions, and they do not always take into account the larger societal issues and contexts.