Boy Placed on Hate Registry
March 08, 2010
A 10-year-old boy has been placed on the UK hate registry for using a homophobic slur against another pupil.
The incident has become one of the country’s first public-made examples of how the register functions. Beginning this September, children as young as 5 could be placed on the list for use of homophobic language, leaving the student with a permanent record.
The mother of the 10-year-old in Weston-super-Mare was told her son would be placed on the list after the incident emerged.
Peter Drury is accused of calling another pupil “gay boy” outside of school.
Penny Drury, the boy’s mother, speaking to the Daily Mail said: “He doesn’t even understand about the birds and the bees, so how can he be homophobic?
“Peter is a very naive boy who didn’t know what he was doing and is now very upset as he is now in trouble. It doesn’t mean he is going to turn into a homophobic attacker when he is older.
“He must have picked up the word from somewhere and thought it to mean stupid.
“If I heard it I would have been the first to correct him and tell him not to use it, but putting him on a register seems way over the top.”
The school refused Mrs. Drury’s request to have her son’s name removed from the registry.
“I’m now worried if this is going to affect him applying for universities in the future. I just think the whole thing would be better sorted out by the teacher or parent explaining to them that their language is wrong and not to do it again.”
Michele Elliott of Kidscape, a children’s charity, told the Daily Express that the registry is punishing children for playground nonsense.
“Children are being criminalised and singled out from a very early age when they don’t know what they’re doing.”
The Department for Children, Schools and Families weighed in on the issue, saying: “Schools should take a common-sense approach to dealing with alleged racist or homophobic incidents by pupils.
“If a young child uses a slur, it should be judged whether or not they understand the meaning of the word and should be told why these words are hurtful as well as being appropriately disciplined.
“If bullying is not dealt with in schools, then this will send a powerful message to children that discrimination is acceptable not only in schools but in society as a whole.”
