“Pray That God Will Change You”: The Religious Social Ecology of Bias-Based Bullying Targeting Sexual and Gender Minority Youth—A Qualitative Study of Service Providers and Educators

Newman, Peter A.; Fantus, Sophia; Woodford, Michael R.; Rwigema, Marie-Jolie

doi:10.1177/0743558417712013

Cited by 38 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 56 publications

(94 reference statements)

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“…However, previous studies have reported negative effects of religious education on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (or questioning) (LGBTQ) adolescents. Although gender discrimination is not unique to religious schools, hostile messages promoted by religious denominations and groups can foster victimization of LGBTQ adolescents [70–72]. These religiously-based messages of discrimination can contribute to social exclusion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Religious education can contribute to adolescent mental health in school settings

Estrada

Lomboy

Gregorio

et al. 2019

Int J Ment Health Syst

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Background Mental disorders contribute substantial burden to the society due to their widespread occurrence and debilitating effects. A quarter of the world’s population are children and adolescents, a significant number of whom experience mental disorders as early as the age of 14. Some interventions have been found to effectively reduce the risk factors and reinforce protective or preventive factors. However, there is still a need to put emphasis on mental health promotion strategies such as religious education. This paper aims to discuss the importance of religious education in promoting mental health. Discussion Religious education can be instrumental to improving adolescent mental health. Specifically, it can: (1) help develop healthier reaction to stimuli through the internalization of religious morality; (2) reinforce religious coping mechanisms which reduce the impact of stresses, enhance coping skills, and promote a less risky lifestyle; (3) increase awareness regarding religious beliefs and practices and their influence on the individual, the family, and the community; and finally, (4) promote connectedness which can enhance self-esteem and well-being. However, negative health outcomes such as discrimination and social isolation can also develop, especially among religious or gender minority groups. Conclusion It is important to reflect on the crucial role of religious education on adolescent mental health. School-based mental health education and promotion strategies can maximize the benefits of religious education by putting emphasis on effective implementation of religious education to positively influence adolescent mental health.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, non-acceptance of LGBTQ views (i.e. not accepted or permitted in school work) can also undermine academic achievement [72]. Despite, these unintended negative outcomes, religion remains an important aspect of human life, and if implemented properly, religious education can positively influence adolescent mental health.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Religious education can contribute to adolescent mental health in school settings

Estrada

Lomboy

Gregorio

et al. 2019

Int J Ment Health Syst

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“…Sex communication is similarly impacted by non-accepting tenets of major religious groups (Newman et al, 2018). Especially among certain subpopulations of LGBTQ individuals, the influence of religion through internalized homonegativity results in concealing same-sex attractions and conforming to heteronormative behaviors (Quinn & Dickson-Gomez, 2016).…”

Section: Ecological Influences On Sex Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hegemonic Masculinity During Parent-Child Sex Communication with Sexual Minority Male Adolescents

Flores

Abboud

Barroso

2019

American Journal of Sexuality Education

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Recent changes in societal acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) identities have been accompanied by a younger age of coming out (around 14); however this age is also accompanied by a developmental period of parental, peer, and social regulation of gender and sexuality (Bauermeister et al., 2017; Russell & Fish, 2016). Communication about sex and sexuality between parents and children during this developmental period is crucial in shaping the sexual attitudes and behaviors of youth (Flores & Barroso, 2017). Excluding specific information and concerns faced by sexual minority youth negatively influences their sexual socialization and overall wellbeing. This paper will identify the ecological factors that affect socialization of sexual minority youth through parent-child sex communication. The informational needs of gay, bisexual, and queer (GBQ) cisgender-those whose gender identity matches the sex assigned at birth-adolescent males are especially crucial to study given that they are disproportionately at risk for negative sexual health outcomes and that behavior formed during adolescence can determine risky sexual behavior during adulthood (Cordova, 2018). Parent-Child Sex Communication Four decades of parent-child sex communication research has identified various mechanisms that positively impact adolescent sexual health outcomes (Widman et al., 2016). Evidencebased interventions have shown that parents can be central to the sexual socialization of their heterosexual children (Sutton et al., 2014). When done effectively, sex communication can enhance youth's condom use self-efficacy, the ability to resist pressure to have sex, the initiation of conversations about HIV/STI prevention before sex, and access to reproductive and sexual health services (Sutton et al., 2014; Widman et al., 2016). While the interventions have been shown as effective, none of this research has been extended to sexual minority males who are most at risk for HIV infection. The role parents have in educating GBQ sons has received only minimal attention in the last few years (Flores & Barroso, 2017). Theoretical Framework Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory provides a comprehensive framework to understanding the multiple factors of the larger ecological system that can influence sex communication at home (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006). The bioecological theory posits that relations between an active individual and their active and multilevel ecology constitute the driving force of human development (Lerner, 2005). These multiple factors are the nested set of environments for which the bioecological theory is best known (Figure 1). This study explored how the microsystem (siblings, peers), mesosystem (school, religion), exosystem (politics, media), and macrosystem (cultural context) level factors interact and influence parent-child sex communication. Through these interactions, these proximal processes, individuals and their environment act on and shape each other, enabling individuals to situate themselves ...

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“…Finally, although the group leaders did not notice any differences in response to the intervention across individual characteristics, it is important to recognize that acts of peer victimization occur within contexts (e.g., schools and neighborhoods), where ecological norms may heighten the risk for certain groups to experience peer victimization, such as ethnic/racial minorities, LGBTQ youth, and students with disabilities. Given prior evidence noting elevated risk for these populations (Earnshaw, Bogart, Poteat, Reisner, & Schuster, ; Limber, Kowalski, Agatston, & Huynh, ; Newman, Fantus, Woodford, & Rwigema, ), future studies investigating targeted interventions for victimized youth may benefit from assessing broader ecological factors that may increase risk for certain groups, as well evaluating the effectiveness of interventions for particular groups of individuals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pilot evaluation of a targeted intervention for peer‐victimized youth

et al. 2018

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Objective Due to the limited effectiveness of extant prevention and intervention strategies, the current study is an initial evaluation of a cognitive behavioral group intervention, originally designed to treat symptoms of depression and anxiety, for youth who experienced peer victimization. Methods Twelve third‐ through fifth‐grade youth participated in the intervention, and their data were compared with 12 youth who were a part of a naturalistic control group. Additionally, school‐wide data are reported to provide overall school trends. Results Whereas the intervention group participants exhibited decreases in relational victimization, depressive symptoms, and passive coping, the control group participants exhibited nonsignificant increases in relational victimization, depressive symptoms, and passive coping. School‐wide data also indicated overall increases in relational victimization and depressive symptoms, but no changes in passive coping. Conclusion Findings suggest that cognitive behavioral group interventions may provide a promising avenue for addressing the mental health needs of victimized elementary school‐age youth.

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“Pray That God Will Change You”: The Religious Social Ecology of Bias-Based Bullying Targeting Sexual and Gender Minority Youth—A Qualitative Study of Service Providers and Educators

Cited by 38 publications

References 56 publications

Religious education can contribute to adolescent mental health in school settings

Religious education can contribute to adolescent mental health in school settings

Hegemonic Masculinity During Parent-Child Sex Communication with Sexual Minority Male Adolescents

Pilot evaluation of a targeted intervention for peer‐victimized youth

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