Church of England schools have announced they plan to hand out forms allowing students and teachers to report homophobic and transgender bullying.



The Daily Mail reports that the forms will be given to 5,000 schools in efforts to allow students to report teachers or any other adults who are perceived to be bullying.



A template form gives school staff 11 boxes in which to identify the kind of bullying they say they have seen or suffered -- and identify the perpetrator.



Options available include "gender identity - transphobic;" "gender - sexist bullying;" "sexual orientation - homophobic;" "sexual orientation - biphobic," alongside boxes for religious, racist and culture or class bullying.



In addition to identifying the "person responsible for bullying" along with the "target," "witnesses, supporting evidence and details of anyone else involved" are also to be supplied. After filling out the sheets, students can hand them to a member of staff or put them in a "bullying box" in the classroom.



While the move has been praised by the LGBT community, Andrea Minchiello Williams of Christian Concern warned the guidelines infringe on religious liberty.



"Rather than taking the proper course of protecting children against bullying, this is the policing of thought," she said. Anyone who questions this guidance risks being cast as a bully, and their career will be at risk. These people have become bullies themselves - they are pushing children and teachers to accept their ideology and think as they do."

