Longitudinal Associations of Homophobic Name-Calling Victimization With Psychological Distress and Alcohol Use During Adolescence

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.03.018

Journal of Adolescent Health

Volume 59, Issue 1, July 2016, Pages 110-115

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.03.018 Get rights and content

Abstract

Purpose

Homophobic victimization, and specifically name-calling, has been associated with greater psychological distress and alcohol use in adolescents. This longitudinal study examines whether sexual orientation moderates these associations and also differentiates between the effects of name-calling from friends and nonfriends.

Methods

Results are based on 1,325 students from three Midwestern high schools who completed in-school surveys in 2012 and 2013. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the associations among homophobic name-calling victimization and changes in anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and alcohol use one year later, controlling for other forms of victimization and demographics.

Results

Homophobic name-calling victimization by friends was not associated with changes in psychological distress or alcohol use among either students who self-identified as heterosexual or those who self-identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB). In contrast, homophobic name-calling by nonfriends was associated with increased psychological distress over a one-year period among LGB students and increased drinking among heterosexual students.

Conclusions

Homophobic name-calling victimization, specifically from nonfriends, can adversely affect adolescent well-being over time and, thus, is important to address in school-based bullying prevention programs. School staff and parents should be aware that both LGB and heterosexual adolescents are targets of homophobic name-calling but may tend to react to this type of victimization in different ways. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms through which homophobic victimization increases the risk of psychological distress and alcohol use over time.

Section snippets

Participants

Students enrolled in three midwestern public high schools were invited to complete in-school surveys in Spring 2012 (Wave 1) and Spring 2013 (Wave 2) for a study on social networks and adolescent risk behavior. The Wave 1 survey was completed by 2,009 9th–11th grade students; of those who completed Wave 1, 1,420 students (70.68%) also completed the Wave 2 survey. Those who completed Wave 1 only tended to be slightly older (mean [M] = 15.97, standard deviation = 1.01, p < .001) and were more

Results

Table 1 compares heterosexual and LGB students on baseline rates of victimization, psychological distress, alcohol use, social marginalization, and demographic characteristics. Results indicate that LGB students reported significantly more homophobic victimization (from both friends and nonfriends) and aggression victimization. On average, LGB students reported significantly more depressive symptoms and had significantly lower peer-nominated popularity than heterosexual students, as well as

Discussion

Given the pervasiveness of homophobic name-calling during adolescence, it may be easy to dismiss these behaviors and commentary as harmless banter. However, the use of homophobic epithets is strongly associated with bullying behavior [23], and its effects can be far from benign for youth who are on the receiving end. Prior research has shown that being the target of homophobic epithets is associated with higher psychological distress [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12]. To the best of our

Funding Sources

Work on this article was supported by grant R01DA033280-01 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (PI: Harold D. Green). This research uses data from grant # 2011-90948-IL-IJ from the National Institute of Justice (PI: Dorothy Espelage).

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Original articleLongitudinal Associations of Homophobic Name-Calling Victimization With Psychological Distress and Alcohol Use During Adolescence

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Section snippets

Participants

Results

Discussion

Funding Sources

J Adolesc Health

Soc Networks

J Appl Dev Psychol

Child Abuse Negl

The 2013 National School Climate Survey: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in our nation’s schools

LGB and questioning students in schools: The moderating effects of homophobic bullying and school climate on negative outcomes

J Youth Adolesc

Homophobic name-calling among secondary school students and its implications for mental health

J Youth Adolesc

Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence

Psychol Bull

How does sexual minority stigma “get under the skin”? A psychological mediation framework

Psychol Bull

Sexual orientation and adolescent substance use: A meta-analysis and methodological review

Addiction

Victimization and suicidality among Dutch lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths

Am J Public Health

Relations between peer victimization subtypes, family violence, and psychological outcomes during early adolescence

Psychol Violence

Predicting psychosocial consequences of homophobic victimization in middle school students

J Early Adolescence

Original article
Longitudinal Associations of Homophobic Name-Calling Victimization With Psychological Distress and Alcohol Use During Adolescence