There is almost a complete lack of studies addressing school-based violence and verbal abuse among Japanese gay and bisexual men. Therefore, Japanese researchers and practitioners have not been able to develop mental health prevention interventions to mitigate their problems stemming from harassment at school. The purpose of this study is to underscore the reality of school harassment for this population, by estimating the prevalence rate of school-based violence and verbal abuse among Japanese gay and bisexual men. We collected data from a large sample of Japanese gay and bisexual men (N=1,025), who completed questionnaires via the internet. Participants reported on their experiences of harassment and bullying during school, and completed several psychological inventories (depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and loneliness). Findings indicate high prevalence of harassment and bullying at school, and regression analyses show that these experiences predict psychological health. Implications for culturally-sensitive prevention intervention are discussed.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to: 1) Estimate the prevalence of experiences being bullied at school among Japnese gay and bisexual men; 2) Estimate the association between verbal abuse and sexual orientation; 3) Identify strategies to reduce mental health problems among Japanese gay and bisexual men who are targets of bullying and harassment.
Keywords: Depression, Gay Men
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.