Abstract
In order to assess the determinants of homophobia among Belgian adolescents, a shortened version of the Homophobia scale (Wright et al., 1999) was included in a representative survey among Belgian adolescents (n = 4,870). Principal component analysis demonstrated that the scale was one-dimensional and internally coherent. The results showed that homophobia is still widespread among Belgian adolescents, despite various legal reforms in the country aiming to combat discrimination of gay women and men. A multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that boys, ethnic minorities, individuals with high levels of ethnocentrism and an instrumental worldview, Muslim minorities, and those with low levels of associational involvement scored significantly higher on the scale. While among boys an extensive friendship network was associated with higher levels of homophobia, the opposite phenomenon was found among girls. We discuss the possible relation between notions of masculinity within predominantly male adolescent friendship networks and social support for homophobia.
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Appendix: Variables Included in the Multivariate Model
Appendix: Variables Included in the Multivariate Model
Gender | Boys = 0, Girls = 1 | Boys: 50.1% (n = 2429), girls: 49.9% (n = 2417). Missing information: 24 |
Religious denomination | Dummy variables 1 = yes | 24.6% non religious; 63.8% Catholic; 5.2% Muslim; 1.4% Protestant; 1.0% Orthodox Christian |
Importance of Religion | How Important is Religion for You? (0–10 scale) | Mean: 3.57 (SD 3.10) |
Associational Involvement | Membership of 16 different associations (0 = no, 1 = yes) | Mean: 1.55 memberships. Most frequently mentioned: Sports (42%), Music and culture (23%), Youth Associations (21%) |
Number of Friends | How many good friends do you have? 7 categories, 0 to 15+ | Average: 3.72 (SD 1.40). Average boys: 3.95 (SD 1.51); Average girls: 3.50 (SD 1.24) |
Well-Being at School | Subjective Well-Being at School. 4 Likert Items. Strongest Item: “Other pupils in class take my feelings into consideration” (factor load .86) | Four items are one-dimensional: Eigenvalue 2.78, 69.5% explained variance. Cronbach’s alpha for four item: .85 |
News Broadcasts | Interest in News Broadcasts: Scale from 1 = Never to 5 = Every Day | Average 3.79 (SD 1.05) |
Educational Goal | What do You think Will be Your final Educational Goal? | Not finish High School (5.4%); Finish High School (26.2%); Some college (47.0%) University (21.4%) |
Education Mother | Educational Level of Your Mother: 1: Lower Secondary to 4: University | Average: 2.52 (SD 0.99) |
Education Father | Educational Level of Your Father: 1: Lower Secondary to 4: University | Average: 2.59 (SD 1.10) |
Books at Home | Number of books at home: 1: no books to 7: more than 500 | Average: 4.06 (SD 1.59) |
Postmaterialism | Preference for Postmaterialist Items: Freedom of Expression More Important than Law and Order, range 0–2 | Average: 0.75 (SD 0.53) |
Ethnocentrism | Hostile Attitude toward Ethnic Minorities. Three Items, Strongest Item: “Belgium has become a Worse Place to Live in because of the Presence of Migrants from Other Countries” (factor load .89) | Three items are one-dimensional: Eigenvalue 2.30, 76.8% explained variance. Cronbach’s alpha for three items: .85 |
Generalized Trust | Do You Think Most People can be Trusted (2 items, 0–10 scales) | Average: 8.63 (SD 3.59) |
Instrumentalism | Instrumental Conception of Society: Six Items, Strongest Item: “You have to take of yourself, and not bother about others” (factor load .84) | Six items are one-dimensional: Eigenvalue 3.52, 58.7% explained variance. Cronbach’s alpha for six items: .86 |
Citizenship Status | Do you have Belgian citizenship status? | No: 4.7%; Yes: 95.3% |
Born outside Belgium | Are you born outside Belgium? (added: Netherlands, France, Germany, Luxembourg) | No: 94.3%; Yes: 5.7% |
Parents born outside Belgium | Is one of your parents born outside Belgium? (and neighboring countries) | No: 81.3%; one parent: 8.5%; both parents 10.2% |
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Hooghe, M. The Impact of Gendered Friendship Patterns on the Prevalence of Homophobia Among Belgian Late Adolescents. Arch Sex Behav 40, 543–550 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-010-9635-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-010-9635-y