Homophobic Name-Calling Can Leave Scars

More than 44% of the students in the research said they had been called names like “homo” or “gay” in the previous month. While not as devastating as homophobic name-calling from a rival or stranger, it nevertheless had an impact on mental health.

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The data came from a large sample of children at 36 middle schools in the Midwest of the United States, and the findings were recently published in the Journal of School Violence.

Girls May be More Vulnerable to Homophobic Name-Calling

“We found that the mental health impact of homophobic name-calling was stronger for girls than for boys. This suggests that while homophobic name-calling may be more common among boys, girls may be more vulnerable to this type of victimization,” Dr. Lin said.

“Boys who are seen as ‘unmasculine’, regardless of their sexual orientation, were more often the target of homophobic name-calling. We also found adverse mental health impacts were more pronounced among racial and ethnic minorities,” he said.

The study reinforces prior findings on the long-term effects of homophobic bullying on mental health, including an increased risk of anxiety, depression, and suicide, and emphasizes the narrow boundary between bullying and teasing.

How Can We Prevent Bullying?

The study has significant implications for bullying prevention and intervention practice as well as policymaking, and it makes three critical policy and practice recommendations:

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  “First, at the school and school-district level, anti-bullying policies that provide clear definitions and examples of homophobic bullying and specify that these behaviors are not accepted, are strongly recommended, along with clear procedures for dealing with such behaviors.”
• “Second, at the classroom level, teachers should be educated on the detriments of homophobic name-calling and be trained to carry out timely interventions (including referrals to counseling and communicating with parents) as per school policies.”
• “Finally, regarding rehabilitation, supportive interventions involving communication are preferred over punitive measures such as suspension and expulsion. Tolerance and inclusion education, along with mental health counseling, should be the main focus.”

Dr. Lin and Associate Professor Philip Birch, a criminologist at UTS, are currently working with quantitative data from the Australian Institute of Family Studies’ ‘Tend to Men’ longitudinal study, which focuses on boys’ and men’s development, including topics such as violence, sexual orientation development, and bullying.

Dr. Lin warns that relying solely on social media platforms for youth socialization may worsen homophobic bullying and antisocial conduct, emphasizing the importance of educators developing techniques to support prosocial behavior.

“These findings are relevant for all educators and policymakers looking at bullying prevention and intervention during adolescence, which is a critical developmental stage where gender socialization takes place and interpersonal skills are developed.”

Reference :

1. Friendly Teasing or Traumatic Bullying? Examining the Conditioning Effect of Social Distance on the Negative Psychological Outcomes of Homophobic Name-Calling – (https:www.researchgate.net/publication/370794606_Friendly_Teasing_or_Traumatic_Bullying_Examining_the_Conditioning_Effect_of_Social_Distance_on_the_Negative_Psychological_Outcomes_of_Homophobic_Name-Calling)

Source: Medindia