Product Code Database
Sexual bullying is bullying that involves aggression centered around a person’s body, sexuality, or sex that is typically observed among adolescents. 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. Sexual Harassment is defined as any unsolicited physical, verbal, or psychological behavior or attention and is illegal via the U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The AAUW Educational Foundation 1993 journal Hostile Hallways provides a list of examples of sexual bullying in school, which includes making sexual comments about someone's body or appearance, teasing others for being or appearing to be LGBT, flashing, pulling others' clothes off, touching or brushing against another in a sexual manner, or spreading sexual rumors.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 or afraid, becoming unable to identify when unwanted sexual interactions are taking place, accepting sexually bullying as an unavoidable occurrence, and emotional withdrawal from romantic relationships.
Bullied sexual minority females are more likely to experience depression and suicidal ideation than their sexual minority male and heterosexual counterparts. Female victims of bullying and sexual harassment have also displayed significantly impacted physical health and symptoms of post-traumatic-stress disorder (PTSD).
Students that reported being bullied because of their sexuality reported having difficulty with sleep and intense feelings of loneliness. Additionally, those facing sexuality based bullying can become perpetrators of sexual bullying by way of proving themselves to be heterosexual to their bullies and peers.
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.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
The existence of sexual bullying amongst school children has been described as, “manifestations of sexual power struggles,” , 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.
|
|
