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Objective: Using multiinformant, multilevel modeling, this study examines the association between teacher/staff perceptions of school environment and student reports of homophobic name-calling and sexual harassment. Method: Surveys were conducted with 1,447 teachers/staff and 3,616 6th grade students across 36 middle schools in the Midwest. Results: Bivariate associations revealed that when teachers perceive schools as committed to bullying prevention, students reported less homophobic name-calling perpetration, sexual harassment perpetration, and sexual harassment victimization. When adults reported positive staff/student interactions, students endorsed lower levels of homophobic name-calling perpetration and victimization and less sexual harassment perpetration. Higher teacher/staff reported gender equity was correlated with less homophobic name-calling perpetration and victimization and sexual harassment perpetration. In a model with all school environment scales entered together, school commitment to prevent bullying was associated with less sexual harassment perpetration; in addition, higher gender equity and intolerance of sexual harassment at the school level was associated with fewer experiences of homophobic name-calling perpetration and victimization and sexual harassment perpetration. Conclusions: Efforts to address gendered harassment should include support from the school administration and professional development opportunities for all teachers and staff. Adults in the school should create a culture that is intolerant of sexual harassment and supports equality between the girls and boys in the school.

Gendered harassment, including sexual harassment and homophobic name-calling, is prevalent in adolescents and is linked to negative outcomes including depression, anxiety, suicidality, substance abuse, and personal distress. However, much of the extant literature is cross-sectional and rarely are perpetrators of these behaviors included in studies of outcomes. Therefore, the current study examined the effects of longitudinal changes in gendered harassment perpetration and victimization on changes in mental health outcomes among a large sample of early adolescents. Given that these behaviors commonly occur in the context of a patriarchal society (males hold power), we also investigated the impact of gender on gendered harassment. Participants included 3,549 students from four Midwestern middle schools (50.4% female, 49% African American, 34% White) at two time points (13 and 17 years old). Results indicated that increases from age 13 to 17 years in sexual harassment perpetration and victimization and homophobic name-calling perpetration and victimization predicted increases in depression symptoms and substance use. Gender did not moderate these pathways. These findings highlight that negative outcomes are associated with changes in gendered harassment among adolescents and emphasize the importance of prevention efforts. Implications for school interventions are discussed.

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