Homophobic name-calling among teens may have negative effects on mental health: study

Homophobic name-calling among teenagers, whether friendly teasing or painful bullying, can have harmful effects on mental health, according to a study. University of Technology Sydney (UTS) sociologist and criminologist Dr Kai Lin said there was a belief that homophobic name-calling, especially “teasing” between friends, was relatively harmless, although the study’s findings suggest that It’s not like that .

“Those who experienced homophobic name-calling, regardless of intent, reported a range of negative psychological and behavioral consequences,” Dr. Lin said. “These include depressive symptoms and a sense of lack of belonging at school.”

More than 44 percent of the teens in the study reported that they had been called names such as “homo” or “gay” in the past month. About 17 percent of homophobic name-calling was from a friend, and although it was not as harmful compared to a rival or a stranger, it still had an impact on mental health.

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The data accompanying the results were drawn from a large sample of students in 36 midwestern middle schools in the US.

A recent study published in the Journal of School Violence revealed that boys who are seen as ‘masculine’ are more often the target of homophobic name-calling, regardless of their sexual orientation. However, the mental health effects of homophobic name-calling were found to be stronger on girls than on boys.

“This suggests that while homophobic name-calling may be more common in boys, girls may be more vulnerable to this type of harassment,” Dr Lin said. “We also found that adverse mental health effects were more pronounced among racial and ethnic minorities,” she added.

The study has important implications for bullying prevention and intervention practice and policy making, and recommends creating anti-bullying policies at the school and school-district level, educating teachers, and developing interventions involving communication.

Dr. Lin warns that leaving youth socialization primarily to social media platforms could lead to an increase in homophobic bullying and antisocial behavior and stresses the need for educators to develop strategies that encourage prosocial behavior.