A new study into the mental health of LGBTI youth in Australia, released today by Beyond Blue, has come to some worrying conclusions, finding that teenagers, especially boys, are engaging in homophobic bullying at an alarming rate.
The findings, based on a study of 14-17 year-old boys, show that:
– One in five said they find it hard to treat same-sex attracted people the same as others.– Six in 10 said they had witnessed first-hand people being bullied for their sexuality
– Four in 10 said they had seen people bullied for the same reason on social media.– A quarter said terms such as ‘homo’, ‘dyke’ and ‘confused’ are ‘not really that bad’.
– Four in 10 agreed (or did not disagree) that they felt anxious or uncomfortable around same-sex attracted people.
– 23% think it’s okay to say something they don’t like is ‘gay’– 38% wouldn’t be happy if a same-sex attracted person was in their friendship group.
Back in 2012, Beyond Blue launched the Stop Think Respect Left Handed campaign, highlighting, with simple yet heartbreaking efficiency, the ease with which people are singled out for being different:
This year, they are relaunching the ad, planning to run it in cinemas and online for the next seven weeks, in an attempt to reach a new generation, and target attitudes towards LGBTI people, especially among young males.
Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman hopes that the ad will hammer home the subtle and not-so-subtle ways that LGBTI people are “made to feel like crap just for being themselves” over the course of the average day.
“Research shows that young males hold more homophobic attitudes than the general public, and this latest study shows that, no matter what other gains have been made for LGBTI people, homophobia remains common among teenage boys.”
This is particularly concerning given young LGBTI people are already three to six times more likely to be distressed than their straight peers, with high levels of distress having a strong link to depression, anxiety and suicide.
“If we want to reduce their distress, we must reduce the discrimination they face,” Harmon said.
If you would like more information about the campaign or you want to talk about personal issues, you can speak to trained mental health professionals 24/7 via the Beyond Blue Support Service on 1300 22 4636 or via web chat from 3pm to midnight every night
Image supplied
