New research reveals more than half of primary school principals are aware of homophobic bullying in their school.

The study is being released to coincide with International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia.

The research – which was carried out among more than 2,800 hundred principals in Irish primary schools – found that 57 per cent had to discipline pupils about the use of homophobic language.

Director of the Anti-Bullying Centre DCU Dr James O’Higgins-Norman, says this is the first study that has examined homophobic behaviour at primary Schools.