Understanding Discrimination Against Gay People: Predictors of Homophobic Behavior Against Gay Men Among High School Students in Switzerland

Background and Purpose

The impact of discrimination and micro-aggressions on the wellbeing of gay men and, in particular, adolescents, has been well documented by research. For the prevention of homophobic behavior towards gay adolescents, however, the focus has to shift on to those who discriminate: For the design and tailoring of prevention and intervention, it is important to understand the factors underlying homophobic behavior such as, for example, verbal abuse.

Thus, the present study aims to assess homophobic – in the sense of verbally abusive – behavior towards gay people among high school students. Furthermore, it aims to establish the predictors of the reported behavior by testing an explanatory model.

This model posits that homophobic behavior is determined by negative attitudes and knowledge. These variables are assumed to be predicted by the acceptance of traditional gender roles, religiosity, orientation toward social dominance, contact with gay men, and by the perceived expectations of parents, friends and teachers. These variables in turn are assumed to be determined by students’ gender, age, immigration background, ability-based school type, and the discussion of gay issues in class.

Method

From August to October 2016, we visited 58 high school classes in 22 public schools in a county in Switzerland, and asked the 8^th and 9^th year students on three ability-based school types to participate in a survey on gender and gay issues. For data collection, we used an anonymous self-administered questionnaire filled in during class. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling (Generalized Least Square Estimates method).

The sample included 897 students aged 12–17, 334 in the 8^th and 563 in the 9^th year, 51.2% female, 48.8% male, and 50.3% with an immigration background.

 

Results

A total of 85.4% of the participants reported having made homophobic statements in the 12 month before the survey, 4.7% often or very often.

Analysis showed that respondents’ homophobic behavior was predicted directly by negative attitudes (β=0.20), as well as by the acceptance of traditional gender roles (β=0.06), religiosity (β=–0.07), contact with gay people (β=0.10), expectations of parents (β=–0.14) and friends (β=–0.19), gender (β=–0.22) and having a South-East-European, West-Asian or Central-Asian immigration background (β=0.09). These variables were predicted, in turn, by gender, age, immigration background, ability-based school type, and discussion of gay issues in class (GFI=0.995, AGFI=0.979, SRMR=0.0169, CMIN/df=1.199, p>0.213, adj. R² =0.384).

Conclusion

Findings evidence a high prevalence of homophobic behavior in the responding high school students. The tested model explained 38.4% of the assessed homophobic behavior. However, data did not fully support the model. Knowledge did not turn out to be a predictor of behavior. Except the perceived expectation of teachers and orientation toward social dominance, the social-cognitive variables were not fully mediated by attitudes. Equally, gender and immigration background predicted homophobic behavior directly.

These findings demonstrate the importance of prevention and provide leverage points for interventions addressing anti-gay bias in adolescents – including those in social work settings such as, for example, in school social work, open youth work or foster care.