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School counsellors' responses to homosexuality and to lesbian and gay students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2016

Adriana Fallone  and
Daphne Hewson
Adriana Fallone
Affiliation:
District School Counsellor, NSW
Daphne Hewson*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Macquarie University
*
Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, phone (02) 9850 8019 fax, (02) 9850 8062, email Daphne.Hewson@mq.edu.au
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Extract

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.

Type
Professional Issues
Information
Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools , Volume 6 , Issue 1 , November 1996 , pp. 31 - 42
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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