Long after students leave school, the effect of bullying or even casual negative references to being gay can affect their mental and physical health, according to a study in the May issue of the Journal of School Health.
Using information from a survey by the Family Acceptance Project that includes 245 people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender and between the ages of 21 and 25, researchers assessed the after effects of any school victimization experienced between the ages of 13 and 19.
The results showed that being verbally or physically bullied or even hearing the word “gay” in negative connotations as teenagers affected these young adults’ mental health and risk for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV.
