You\u27re So Gay! : Do Different Forms of Bullying Matter for Adolescent Males?

This study examined effects of adolescent males\u27 perceptions of being bullied because of verbal taunts related to gender nonconformity (i.e., They say I\u27m gay ). Participants included 251 ninth- (n = 77), tenth- (n = 96), and eleventh- (n = 78) grade students in a private, all-male college preparatory school. Participants were divided into two groups based on whether they were bullied by being called gay. Out of the 251 participants, 121 (48%) reported having been bullied and 127 (50%) stated that they had not been bullied during the past year (2% did not report). Of the 121 participants who had been bullied, 32 (26%) reported that they had been bullied because others called them gay (Group 1) and 89 (74%) reported that they had been bullied for other reasons, exclusive of being called gay (Group 2). Consistent with predictions, the boys who were bullied because they were called gay experienced greater psychological distress, greater verbal and physical bullying, and more negative perceptions of their school experiences than boys who were bullied for other reasons. Implications for school-based intervention services for bullying are discussed

Does Theory of Mind Mediate Aggression and Bullying in Middle School Males and Females?

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between theory of mind, gender, physical aggression, relational aggression, and bullying. Specifically, this research study was guided by the question: Does theory of mind mediate the relations between gender and physical aggression, gender and relational aggression, and gender and bullying? Three main hypotheses were made following Baron and Kenny’s (1986) mediation model steps. The first hypothesis sought to identify whether gender differences existed in aggressive and bullying behaviors. Specifically, it was hypothesized that (a) adolescent females will endorse higher levels of relational aggression compared to adolescent males, (b) adolescent males will endorse higher levels of physical aggression compared to adolescent females, and (c) adolescent males and adolescent females will report similar engagement in bullying behaviors. The second hypothesis was that adolescent females will have higher theory of mind scores than adolescent males. Finally, it was hypothesized that theory of mind will mediate the relationship between gender and relational aggression, gender and physical aggression, and gender and bullying. Participants for the study included 810 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students from three Midwestern middle schools who participated in a larger longitudinal investigation examining school experiences in the United States, Japan, Korea, Australia, and Canada. Analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM) with latent variables. Results revealed a significant direct effect between gender and physical aggression. As hypothesized, males were more physically aggressive than females. There was also a significant direct effect between gender and theory of mind. Also as hypothesized, females had higher theory of mind scores than males. No indirect effects were identified. Additionally, theory of mind did not emerge as a mediator in the model. Implications of the results are discussed as well as the applicability of the study findings to aggression and bullying prevention and intervention efforts. Study limitations and future research are identified