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Insults, mockery, physical attacks, rumors, or lies: violence based on gender and sexual orientation continues to shape the daily lives of some apprentices in Switzerland. This is the troubling finding of a study conducted by researchers from the University of Lausanne, the University of Geneva, the Canton of Geneva, and the Vaud University of Teacher Education.
To measure the extent of the problem, the researchers surveyed 1261 heterosexual and LGBTQI+ students in initial vocational training in Switzerland, collecting data over a three-year period. Their study identifies four forms of violence: physical (injuries, blows, or assaults), verbal (insults, mockery), psychological (spreading lies or negative rumors), and finally digital (rumors or hurtful comments disseminated via social media or other electronic means).
The survey’s main findings show that heterosexual female students and LGBTQI+ students are significantly more likely to experience all forms of violence than their male and heterosexual counterparts, with physical and verbal violence being the most prevalent. “On average, the risk of experiencing violence is nearly twice as high for female students as for male students. Furthermore, non-heterosexual students are five times more likely to experience violence than heterosexual students,” explains Lavinia Gianettoni, a researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences at the University of Lausanne and one of the study’s authors. “These high prevalence rates suggest that incidents of violence are not isolated acts, but are part of a normative climate that legitimizes hostility toward women and non-heterosexual people,” adds the researcher.
Significant disparities by field of study
The study also highlights significant differences in the types of violence experienced depending on the field of study. In male-dominated fields (e.g., technical disciplines), female students are particularly vulnerable. They report significantly higher levels of physical, verbal, and psychological violence than their male counterparts. In gender-balanced fields, female students report being victims of verbal violence more often than male students, but the differences are less consistent for other forms of violence. In female-dominated fields (e.g., healthcare and nursing), the gaps between women and men are generally less pronounced. The results are even more striking regarding sexual orientation: non-heterosexual students report significantly higher rates of violence based on sexual orientation than their heterosexual peers, across all forms of violence and in all fields of study.
Violence also occurs in schools and workplaces
A significant portion of gender-based violence occurs outside of students’ educational settings. However, a substantial proportion of such violence takes place in educational settings: approximately 20% of physical violence reported by apprentices occurred at school, and nearly 25% within the training company. Verbal violence follows a similar pattern, with about 25% of incidents reported at school and 30% in the workplace. In contrast, violence based on sexual orientation is distributed more evenly across different settings.
Peers and coworkers are the main perpetrators of violence: they are reportedly involved in approximately 30% of cases of physical and verbal violence and in 35% of cases of psychological violence. Teachers or supervisors account for a smaller but significant proportion (15% of physical violence and 10% of verbal violence).
An Urgent Need for Action
In light of these findings, the authors emphasize the urgent need to implement targeted interventions aimed at reducing the structural causes of violent behavior toward LGBTQI+ students in educational settings. The top priority is to ensure an environment where victims feel safe to report incidents and receive appropriate support. Second priority: all members of the education system must commit to a zero-tolerance stance toward all forms of violence. Finally, prevention efforts must be strengthened through large-scale, high-impact awareness campaigns. The researchers emphasize the need to remind people that behaviors often trivialized — such as sexist or homophobic jokes — already constitute forms of violence. Educational programs should also highlight the psychological and academic consequences of such violence, while addressing the sexist and homophobic ideologies and rigid conceptions of masculinity that fuel them.
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Blondé, J., Gianettoni, L., Guilley, E., Gross, D. & Foretay, T. (2025). Prevalence of Sex-Based and Sexual Orientation-Based ViolenceExperiences in Vocational Education and Training. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605251384951