Global News

[ad_1] Homophobic name-calling among teenagers, whether friendly teasing or traumatic bullying, can have a damaging impact on mental health, according to a study. Dr Kai Lin, a sociologist and criminologist from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), said there was a belief that homophobic name-calling, particularly “teasing” among friends, was relatively harmless, however the study findings show that is not the case. “Those who experienced homophobic name-calling, regardless of intention, reported a range of negative psychological and behavioural outcomes,” Dr Lin said. “These included depressive symptoms and a decreased sense of belonging at school.” More than 44 per cent of teenagers in the study reported being called names such as “homo” or “gay” over the previous month. Around 17 per cent of homophobic name-calling was from a friend, and while this was not as damaging as from a rival or stranger, it still had an impact on mental health.  cre Trending Stories Also r