Sexual bullying is an element of bullying that involves aggression centered around a person’s body, sexuality, or sex that is typically observed in youth populations. [1][2] It is a form of sexual harassment with the key difference being the intention of the perpetrator, a repetition of behavior, and a clear power imbalance between bully and victim. [3][4] Sexual Harassment is any unsolicited physical, verbal, or psychological behavior or attention and is illegal via the U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. [5]
Types of Interactions
editPhysical and verbal bullying
editSexual bullying can involve sexually suggestive gestures, unconsented physical contact, sexual assault, or rape. Additionally, sexual bullying can occur with abusive and sexualized insults, spreading sexually-related rumors, pressuring someone to do something sexual that is unconsented, sexism in all forms, unwanted sexual innuendos and upskirting.[7]
The AAUW Educational Foundation 1993 journal Hostile Hallways provides a list of examples of how sexual bullying manifests which includes : making sexual comments about someone’s body or appearance, being teased for being or appearing to be LGBTQ+, being coerced into committing sexual acts, being flashed, having your clothes pulled off, being touched or brushed against in a sexual manner, or having sexual rumors be spread about you.[8]
Sexual cyberbullying
editSexual cyberbullying is a form of cyberbullying that involves using technology, such as cell phones, social media, and other online tools, to harass or coerce someone in a sexually explicit manner.[9]
This can include requesting explicit photos or messages, sending unwanted sexually explicit photos or messages, sharing sexually explicit messages and photos online without consent, threatening to send private photos online with the goal of receiving consensual sex, and publicly making unwanted sexually explicit comments.[9]
Case studies
editStudents
editA study by the National Union of Teachers in the United Kingdom indicated that sexual bullying starts at the primary school level and usually takes the form of verbal insults by boys directed at girls and women. The insults are generally centered on girls' sexual status, and include terms such as 'bitch', 'slag', 'tart' and 'slut''.[10]
Boys are mainly sexually bullied if they are viewed by their peers, especially females, if they do not act in a promiscuous way that conforms to a traditional view of masculinity.[7]
LGBT
editAccording to a 2016 UNESCO study, a significant proportion of LGBT students experience homophobic and transphobic violence in school globally. The proportion of LGBT students affected ranged from 16% in Nepal to 85% in the United States. LGBT students are also more likely to experience such violence at school than at home or in the community.[11]
LGBT students report a higher prevalence of violence at school than their non-LGBT peers. In New Zealand, for example, lesbian, gay and bisexual students were three times more likely to be bullied than their heterosexual peers and in Norway 15–48% of lesbian, gay and bisexual students reported being bullied compared with 7% of heterosexual students.[11]
Appearance
editResearch suggests that physical appearance plays a role in sexual bullying among youth. A 2010 study that observed sexual bullying in 5 European Countries found that 85% of participants had experienced at least one form of sexual bullying victimization and the female adolescents experienced more sexual bullying victimization including sexual harassment, sexual assault, and being bullied for their appearance compared to their male counterparts.[2]
Another study, using the Comprehensive Assessment of school bullying (CASB) measured students’ self-perceived attractiveness and whether or not they were involved in sexual bullying by way of being a perpetrator, victim, observer, or if they had friends that were perpetrators of sexual bullying. 80% of female students and 66% of male students reported that they were average looking compared to their peers. Among those that self-reported as average looking, they were found to be both perpetrators and victims of sexual bullying, observers of sexual bullying, and having friends that commit sexual bullying all at a higher rate of those that reported being either above or below average attractiveness.[12]
Associated effects and risks
editVictims of sexual bullying may struggle with depression, anxiety, isolation, low self-esteem, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues. In some cases, sexual bullying can lead to self-harm or even suicide.[7]
The American Association of University Women identified behaviors of sexual bullying victims including : negative-self talk via guilt or self-blaming, physically avoiding peers via changing their seat in class or staying home from school, feeling embarrassed, feeling fear, becoming unable to identify when unwanted sexual interactions are taking place, accepting sexually bullying as an unavoidable occurrence, and emotional withdrawal from romantic relationships.[8]
Bullied sexual minority females are more likely to experience depression and suicidal ideation than their sexual minority male and heterosexual counterparts.[13] Female victims of bullying and sexual harassment have also displayed significantly impacted physical health and symptoms of PTSD. [14]
Students that reported being bullied because of their sexuality reported having difficulty with sleep and intense feelings of loneliness.[15] Additionally, those facing sexuality based bullying can become perpetrators of sexual bullying as a method of proving themselves to be heterosexual to their bullies and peers.[14]
The Center for Victim research found a relationship between adolescent sexual violence and teen dating violence. Those that engage in sexual bullying as a young child are more likely to be perpetrators of teen dating violence and sexual harassment later in life.[16]
The existence of sexual bullying amongst school children has been described as, “manifestations of sexual power struggles,” (Duncan 1999), as youth discover there are social benefits to being dominant and masculine. Both male and female students enact violence on their peers as a self-protective measure to avoid being seen as a weak, easy, feminine target. [17]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Brown, Lyn Mikel; Chesney-Lind, Meda; Stein, Nan (December 2007). "Patriarchy Matters : Toward a Gendered Theory of Teen Violence and Victimization". Violence Against Women. 13 (12): 1249–1273. doi:10.1177/1077801207310430. PMID 18046042 – via Sage Journals.
- ^ a b Turner-Moore, Rhys; Milnes, Kate; Gough, Brendan (October 27, 2021). "Bullying in Five European Countries: Evidence for Bringing Gendered Phenomena Under the Umbrella of 'Sexual Bullying' in Research and Practice". Sex Roles : A Journal in Research. 86 (1–2): 89–105. doi:10.1007/s11199-021-01254-1 – via Springer Nature Link.
- ^ "What Is Bullying". stopbullying.gov. 24 September 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Gruber, James; Fineran, Susan (August 12, 2015). "Sexual Harassment, Bullying, and School Outcomes for High School Girls and Boys". Violence Against Women. 22 (1): 112–133. doi:10.1177/1077801215599079. PMID 26270385 – via Sage Journals.
{{cite journal}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ "Sexual Harassment". U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Rivers, Ian; Duncan, Neil (2012). Bullying: Experiences and Discourses of Sexuality and Gender. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. ISBN 978-1-135-12737-4. OCLC 823390345.
- ^ a b c "What is sexual bullying | Family Lives". www.familylives.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
- ^ a b American Association of University Women Educational Foundation (1993). Hostile Hallways : The AAUW Survey on Sexual Harassment in America's Schools. Washington: American Association of University Women.
- ^ a b Ehman, Anandi C.; Gross, Alan M. (January 2019). "Sexual cyberbullying: Review, critique, & future directions". Aggression and Violent Behavior. 44: 80–87. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2018.11.001. ISSN 1359-1789. S2CID 149619539.
- ^ "NUT policy statement on preventing sexual harassment and bullying". National Union of Teachers. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 25 Apr 2010.
- ^ a b Out in the Open : Education Sector Responses to Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity/expression. Paris, France. 2016. ISBN 978-92-3-100150-5. OCLC 1001011761.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Cunningham, Nancy J; Taylor, Mathew; Whitten, Michael E; Hardesty, Patrick H; Eder, Katheryn; DeLaney, Nancy (August 4, 2010). "The Relationship Between Self-Perception of Physical Attractiveness and Sexual Bullying in Early Adolescence". Aggressive Behavior. 36 (5): 271–281. doi:10.1002/ab.20354. PMID 20623494.
- ^ Dunn, H. K.; Clark, M. A.; Pearlman, D. N. (2015). "The relationship between sexual history, bullying victimization, and poor mental health outcomes among heterosexual and sexual minority high school students: A feminist perspective". Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 32 (22): 3497–3519. doi:10.1177/0886260515599658. PMID 26268273. S2CID 5891812.
- ^ a b Gruber, James E; Fineran, Susan (April 5, 2008). "Comparing the Impact of Bullying and Sexual Harassment Victimization on the Mental and Physical Health of Adolescents". Sex Roles : A Journal in Research. 59 (1–2): 1–13. doi:10.1007/s11199-008-9431-5 – via Springer Nature Link.
- ^ Jomar, Rafael Tavares; Fonesca, Vitro Augusto de Oliveira (2021). "Effects of Sexual Orientation-Based Bullying on Feelings of Loneliness and Sleeping Difficulty Among Brazilian Middle School Students". Jornal de Pediatria. 97 (2): 233–241. doi:10.1016/j.jped.2020.03.005. PMC 9431996. PMID 32304650 – via Science Direct.
- ^ Center for Victim Research. (2021, Nov 18). Bullying as a Developmental Precursor to Sexual and Dating Violence Across Adolescence [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/gBUtj4HBiKo?si=QCP7iDyjgK5vzJxq
- ^ Neil, Duncan (1999). Sexual Bullying: Gender Conflict and Pupil Culture in Secondary Schools. London: Routledge. ISBN 9780203019108.