Karen Franklin, Ph.D.

Abstract

Antigay behaviors by young adults: Prevalence, patterns and motivators in a noncriminal population.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Vol. 15 #4, April 2000.

 

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This is the first empirical research into prevalence rates of, and motivations for, antigay harassment and violence by normal young adults. In an anonymous survey of 484 students at six community colleges in Northern California, one in ten respondents admitted physical violence or threats against presumed homosexuals, and another 24% reported antigay namecalling. Young men were significantly more likely to commit antigay behaviors. Factor analyses of assailant motivations revealed four themes: peer dynamics, antigay ideology, thrill-seeking, and perceived self defense. When compared with nonassailants, assailants: (a) held more negative attitudes toward homosexuals, (b) reported more negative social norms among their friends, (c) had higher levels of masculinity ideology, and (d) reported greater likelihood to drink alcohol in social settings. Beliefs about gender norms appeared central to antigay behaviors, with assailants expressing a cultural permission to engage in violence based on homo-sexual innuendo. The findings from this exploratory study suggest that antigay harassment and violence is culturally normative among many young adults, particularly young men. Because of this, prevention efforts might be more effective if focused on educational campaigns targeting adolescents and preadolescents, rather than on criminal prosecutions under special hate crimes laws.
 

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