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Help religious pupils feel safe in sharing their faith, experts say
Teachers are being urged to do more to support pupils with strong religious beliefs, who can feel isolated and confused, and even become victims of bullying as a result of their faith.
Creating a culture where faith is openly discussed can help to reduce feelings of alienation, according to psychologists. Lisa Oakley, a senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University specialising in spiritual abuse, said that children with strong religious beliefs often felt isolated from their peers.
"At one point, most people in this country had some kind of faith and it was quite normal for children to talk about their views, but we're not there any more," she said. "Often children feel like they're part of the 'other' group; they're misunderstood and they can't share their faith. It can affect children's emotional development if they feel there is a significant part of themselves they cannot share."
The call comes as a prize-winning film examining the impact of fundamentalist religion on...