iii

HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING AND SELF-ESTEEM AMONG MALE

ADOLESCENTS

An Undergraduate Thesis
Presented to
the Faculty of the Department of Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences
San Beda University Manila

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Science in Psychology

by:
Jonathan Michael Baldorado
2019
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ABSTRACT
There is currently a growing interest on the studies towards LGBT. The present study

is focused on the relationship between Homophobic bullying and Self-Esteem of Male

adolescent college students of San Beda University. Two scales were used in this research

namely Homophobic Content Agent Test (HCAT) and Adolescent Self-Esteem Questionnaire

(ASQ). Both measures have an acceptable internal consistency. The questionnaires were

administered individually to 105 Male students aged 18 – 24. The result show that the

participants have low level of self-esteem and a high level of homophobic bullying behavior

as well as victimization. Furthermore, Homophobic bullying and Self-esteem are positively

correlated with one another. These findings were about the factors that lead to the positive

correlation of the variables.

Keywords: homophobic bullying, self-esteem, male adolescent, perpetrator, victim

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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

Today many individuals have dealt with the horrible effects and outcomes of bullying.

Some people may have a friend or loved one who has been a victim of bullying and considered

harming themselves or others due to the embarrassment caused from the predator. What people

fail to realize is bullying puts strain on more than one person and what maybe set out to be a

joke is more than able to transpire into a tragedy. Nothing good comes out of bullying. It could

very well change or ruin a person's life.

There are many definitions of gender in society today, and there are many reasons for

these different definitions. To every person gender may have a different meaning depending

on personal experiences or depending on how they choose to view it. Not only we see gender

as a way of categorizing people by their actions and or physical appearance but also, gender is

an issue brought up a lot in today's society and has been an issue for many years since people

are branded as feminine or masculine by their actions, their emotions, and their physical traits.

Pascoe (2013) have researched that scholars of masculinity have pointed out that

homophobia is central to how boys come to think of themselves as men. Indeed, bullying is

part a rite of passage for many boys. As such, Pascoe said that their homophobia is a distinctly

gendered homophobia. To call their interactions homophobic bullying without paying attention

to their gendered content complicates the way in which this sexuality-related bullying works

as a socialization process for contemporary boys

Even though research about bullying and victimization has undergone a significant

increase in recent years, its relationship with other areas, such as homophobia, has received far
 4

less attention (Espelage, 2005). In fact, the practice of bullying encompasses a variety of ages,

genders, and different forms of expression, one of which is homophobia.

Homophobia involves beliefs, attitudes, stereotypes, and negative behavior (e.g.

bothering, threatening or harassing) towards lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) persons (Wright

Jr, Adams & Bernat, 2013). It is noteworthy that homophobic bullying behavior may be

expressed both towards heterosexual and LGB individuals, in other words, heterosexual

students can also be victims of homophobia not because of their sexual orientation, but because

they are perceived as being different in some way than the traditional expectations of male and

female gender roles (Espelage, 2005).

Adolescence is a critical developmental period, considered by some to be the most

significant turning point for developmentally-related growth (or decline) that individuals will

experience in their lifetime (DeLay, Hanish, Zhang, & Martin, 2017).

Understanding the formation of homophobic behaviors in early adolescence may be a

key in preventing the later victimization of LGBT students. Researchers have argued that boys

are embedded in cultural ideals of masculinity that have limited and stigmatized their

emotional expression and willingness to respond to or acknowledge feelings (Reilly, Rochlen,

& Awad 2014). Furthermore, expressing vulnerability in times of distress may be particularly

antithetical to men’s self-conceptualizations of masculinity, especially regarding shame.

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

Dominance Theory and Bullying Perpetration. The desire for power and dominance is

a central motivating factor that fuels bullying behavior and bullies use intimidation and

humiliation as a means of obtaining power. Social Dominance theory (SDT; Sidanius & Pratto,

1999) and dominance theory (Long & Pellegrini, 2003) provide insight into the bullying
 5

dynamic. Both theories indicate that youth bully one another in their attempts to gain group

and individual-levels of social dominance, and then maintain their social status through

ongoing bullying. In other words, bullying perpetration is used as means of establishing and

maintaining dominance. In contrast to group-based social hierarchies, individual based social

hierarchies are formed when an individual gains social status and power using personal

characteristics such as a charismatic leadership style or intelligence (Sidanius & Pratto, 1999).

For example, in the bullying dynamic, ‘‘ringleader’’ bullies can usually be identified

(Salmivalli, 2010; p. 113) and these youth might use their charisma and skill for humiliating

less powerful classmates as a means of gaining social prestige and establishing dominance.

In relation to the study, since males are perceived to be the dominant race in society,

men often see themselves as a powerful being who does whatever they please. It is mostly seen

everywhere we go such as the school, workplace and even told in the news. Bullying has been

in our system whenever we want to drag someone down and try to find someone to pick on. If

someone inferior tries to fight back you fight back as well because if he overpowers the bully,

then then bully would be seen as weak and he will lose the dominance he’s been holding and

will be transferred to another person. He will start to look for another target to regain his lost

honor or dominance he has lost.

Identity Theory and Self-Esteem. For any given child, there is an amalgamation of

ecological factors that have an impact on development; these factors in turn influence exhibited

behaviors. According to Brofenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (1979) which was cited by

(Kendrick, 2015), these dynamics are internal as well as environmental. They are also

bidirectional in that the scope of influence flows in both directions and is dependent upon the

relationship between the two. Furthermore, as researched by Kendrick, ecological systems

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theory suggests that bullying behaviors are the influential result of environmental relationships

with significant others such as school, community, and family. This theory attributes bullying

behaviors to multifarious interfaces between an individual and the environments in which they

are embedded, as opposed to be an innate personal characteristic (Carney & Nottis, 2008;

Coyle, 2008; Espelage & Swearer, 2003; Varjas, 2008). This perspective suggests that when

considering the type of bullying prevention program to implement, programs targeting a

whole-school approach are the most effective choices because they target environmental

systems at multiple levels, thereby providing for a more comprehensive and positive outcome

(Fekkes, 2005; Holt et al., 2009; Vreeman & Carroll, 2007).

In connection towards this study, the topic of male overcompensation emphasizes that

most males react to masculine insecurity by acting out behaviors the most men would do, or

they try to copy the idea of what being a man is to enhance their masculinity. Their pursuit of

masculinity in the face of threats is driven by desires to recover masculine status both in their

own and others’ eyes. Those males who exhibit the most masculine traits or forces to fit in,

may be seeking cover for their lurking insecurities.

Homophobic Bullying Self-Esteem

Figure 1. This paradigm shows the relationship of Homophobic Bullying towards Self-Esteem.
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This paradigm shows the relationship of homophobic bullying and self-esteem. The

first figure shows the variable of homophobic bullying followed by a double headed arrow

pointing towards the second figure of the variable of self-esteem.

Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to answer if there is a significant relationship between homophobic

bullying and self-esteem among male adolescents:

1. What is level of homophobic bullying on male adolescents as measured by

Homophobic Content Agent Test (HBS)?

2. What level of self-esteem of male adolescent as measured by Adolescent Self-

Esteem Questionnaire (ASQ)?

3. Is there a relationship between homophobic bullying and self-esteem among male

adolescents?

Hypothesis:

At 0.05 level of significance, this thesis study hypothesize that:

There is no significant relationship between homophobic bullying and self-esteem

among male adolescents.

Significance of the Study

The study will provide further learning on the factors on why the male group engage in

homophobic bullying behaviors and if self-esteem may be one of the factors for males to

engage in this behavior. This study will not only encourage the students to change their attitude

towards other people but also serve as a remedy to the minds of every individual to become
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open minded about the consequences of their action. On the other hand, parents may use this

study to be aware about the kind of attitude their child may be possessing. It will give them

hints on how they would help and encourage their child to avoid bullying. Furthermore, future

researchers may make use of the results and make this study as their basis. Finally, results

and finding may cover the gap and limitations which was presented in the article of Bianchi,

Piccoli, Zotti, Fasoli, & Carnaghi, (2017) to further improve understanding towards the

concepts of homophobia and of one’s self.

Definition of Terms:
Homophobic bullying is defined as bullying
Homophobic Bullying
behaviors that are motivated by prejudice against a

person’s actual or perceived sexual orientation or

gender identity. (Aggelton, and Douglas, 2001)

Is prominent among school setting and main

problem of students. It is the discrimination of a

person because of his/her sexuality

A confidence and satisfaction in oneself: Self-Respect

Self-Esteem
(Websters, 2018)

Here, self-acceptance is one’s person view of

himself/herself which includes traits, qualities, talent

and body-image.
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Male Adolescents
An adolescent is young person who is developing into

an adult: one who is in the state of adolescence which

is afraid or has irrational fear of homosexuals.

(Websters & Urban Dictinary, 2018).

A person who is transitioning into adulthood, just like

any other teenager.

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CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW

The purpose of the literature review is to provide a comprehensive discussion of the

collected scholarly materials that deals with the research problem at hand.

Homophobic Bullying

Even though research about bullying and victimization has undergone a significant

increase in recent years, its relationship with other areas, such as homophobia, has received far

less attention (Poteat & Espelage, 2005). In fact, the practice of bullying encompasses a variety

of ages, genders, and different forms of expression, one of which is homophobia. Homophobia

involves beliefs, attitudes, stereotypes, and negative behavior (e.g. bothering, threatening or

harassing) towards lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) persons (Wright, 2013).

Homophobia is the fear of homosexuals and homosexuality. Homophobia is often used

to describe unfounded dislike of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and questioning

(LGBTQ) people. This fear can include uncomfortable feelings when around gays and

lesbians. It can also lead to rejection and verbal or physical abuse. Homophobia can be found

in the home, workplace or anywhere in the community (Bianchi, et al. 2017)

Young men’s homophobic practices often take the form of a “fag discourse” consisting

of jokes, taunts, imitations, and threats through which boys publicly signal their rejection of

that which is considered not masculine enough. In other words, homophobic harassment has

much to do with definitions of masculinity as it does with fear of gay men. These insults are

levied against boys who are not masculine, if only momentarily, and boys who identify as gay.

Interactions like this set up a complicated daily ordeal in which boys continually strive to avoid

being subject to epithets but are constantly vulnerable to them (Pascoe, 2013).
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One of the strongest predictors of homophobic attitudes has been traditional

masculinity that values dominance, assertiveness, and lack of emotions (Birkett & Espelage

2015). Scholars of masculinity have pointed out that homophobia is central to how boys come

to think of themselves as men. Most likely, bullying is part a rite of passage for many boys.

Furthermore, according to (Plummer 2016), homophobia exerts heavy pressure on men and

shapes their behavior. These pressures affect how men interact with others: their relationships,

how close they get, how demonstrative they are, and with whom they have sex.

Homophobia also affects a man's concept of himself, the masculine image he seeks to

project, and what aspects of "self" he conceals. The impact of homophobia on males varies

with age and sexual identity. Also, it is not confined to the private and personal biases of

individuals who act alone. As such, their homophobia is a distinctly gendered homophobia

(Pascoe, 2013). Furthermore, according to (Kimmel & Mahler, 2003), it is hypothesized that

men’s fears of being gay themselves often pushes their behavior and attitudes to become hyper-

masculine or their image of their own masculinity.

Another set of issues that impacts the LGBT population in a distinctive way stems from

bullying. According to the research done by McHarg (2013), homophobic language is

commonly used by adolescents in the school environment. Bullying can be verbal or physical,

and about mostly youth report being bullied in the form of physical harm and homophobic

name calling.

Homophobic bullying is one of the most common forms of victimization present in

schools. Studies have shown that students report hearing words like ‘faggot’, ‘dyke’, or ‘queer’

on a nearly daily basis (Birkett & Espelage 2015). It is widespread, takes diverse forms, has

far-reaching behavioral and social consequences. Instead of people viewing homosexuality

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with simple disinterest, several studies have confirmed that anti-homosexual bias is extensive

and often deeply felt.

Homophobic name calling also has a particularly malicious quality in that it targets the

victim’s gender and sexual identity. Due to the consolidation of identity, it is important

developmental process during the adolescent years which is occurring at the same time as rapid

changes in pubertal development, gender, and sexual identity are quite salient. Thus, unlike

other forms of victimization, it directly targets youth’s gender and sexual identity formation at

a critical period of development that may alter identity formation as well as other aspects of

adolescents’ social and emotional lives (Collier et al. 2013).

Self-Esteem

The concept of self-esteem comprises a plurality of associated concepts because there

is a multi-disciplinary approach in sociology, psychology, social care, social psychology

(Harter and Adams, 2009). According to Rogers and Mondrea as cited by Dobrescu, (2013), it

sustains that the concept itself is “our image about what we are, what we want to be and what

we have to be (p.89).” Another approach declares that there are three images: how we see

ourselves, how others see us and how we wish others to see us. As researched by Chelcea

which also cited by Dobrescu, explains that self-esteem is the result of all positive and negative

assessments of people about themselves. After Andre and Lelord (1999) the components of

self-esteem are self-love, self-concept and self-confidence.

Self-love. Originates in the quality and consistency of emotional support provided by

parents. It has as benefits the emotional stability and the resistance to criticism and to rejection.
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Therefore, there may be doubts about the ability to be appreciated by others. The person has a

mediocre self-image, even if he has professional and financial achievements.

Self-concept. Is embedded in the expectations, projects and projections of the parents

towards child. As benefits the person has many ambitions and projects, which withstand

obstacles. As negative consequences the person has: lack of courage in his choices,

conformism, and dependence on others opinion, poor perseverance in personal choices.

Self-confidence. Involves learning the rules of action: to dare, to persevere, to accept

failures that lead to benefits. As consequences: it reduces the inhibition, the hesitation, the lack

of perseverance.

Dobrescu noted that self-esteem has been identified as being associated with mental

health and wellbeing and has been associated with health risk behaviors that are also associated

with poor mental health. Recognizing that self-esteem is an important component of adolescent

wellbeing. Self-esteem has also been demonstrated to be associated with mental health and has

been implicated in the diagnostic criteria for several mental health disorders including mood

and anxiety disorders. Low self-esteem in adolescence has been associated with problem eating

behaviors, difficulty with peer interactions, and suicidal ideation and it has been found to be

an indicator of poor long-term outcomes and impairments in functioning. It is well accepted

that early identification and intervention for mental health problems is critical. Self-esteem can

be seen as an indicator for how an individual approach the challenges of adolescence, and

suggestive of mental health status.

Homophobic Bullying and Self-Esteem

Researchers have argued that boys are embedded in cultural ideals of

masculinity that have limited and stigmatized their emotional expression and willingness to
 14

respond to or acknowledge feelings (Reilly, Rochlen, & Awad 2014). Furthermore, expressing

vulnerability in times of distress may be particularly antithetical to men’s self-

conceptualizations of masculinity, especially regarding shame. The experience of shame may

become both a vehicle of gender socialization and an internalized product of it, as male gender

role socialization promotes a “shame phobic” male experience.

Masculinity researchers have posited that homophobia is one of the key principles of

traditional masculinity (Birkett & Espelage 2015). Lastly, homosexuality and sexual prejudice

is one of the many topics that should be approached with great sensitivity in today’s

culture/generation.

Sexual prejudice is also higher among heterosexual men high in gender self-esteem and

among men who endorse the most traditional gender roles when they show a tendency to

distance themselves from gay men (Birkett & Espelage 2015).

Sexual prejudice. refers to negative attitudes toward an individual because of her or his

sexual orientation (Herek, 2000). The term is used to characterize heterosexuals' negative

attitudes toward (a) homosexual behavior; (b) people with a homosexual or bisexual

orientation; and (c) communities of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. A considerable amount

of research has shown that LGBT youths still suffer from social stigma and oppression,

negatively impacting their mental health and general well-being (e.g. Russell et al. 2014).

Research on heterosexuals attests that homophobic (vs. category) labels enhance

explicit sexual prejudice (Carnaghi & Maass, 2008), gays’ dehumanization (Fasoliet al., 2016),

intergroup bias (Fasoli et al., 2015), and boost heterosexuals’ differentiation from gays

(Carnaghi et al., 2011). LGBT people are regularly the victims of (non-)verbal assaults

(D’Haese et al., 2013; Toomey and Russell, 2013). Also, there has been considerable
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discussion within gay academic circles about how best to conceptualize the nature of anti-gay.

In addition to the damage caused by any form of victimization, the risk of homophobic name

calling is that it may push adolescents into questioning whether they fit their sought after and

accepted identity after receiving what can be construed as conflicting feedback from peers.

Homophobic name calling by peers is evident in adolescence and has been associated

with the emergence of psychopathology and diminished mental health (Poteat and Espelage

2007; Poteat et al. 2014). Although homophobic name calling has been linked to early

adolescent well-being, it has been difficult to draw conclusions about its effect on mental health

because no prior studies have accounted for other social factors relevant that might similarly

contribute to changes in mental health.

Peers’ Influence on Prejudice. According to (Hjerm, Eger, & Danell, 2018), research

has demonstrated that adolescence is a critical period for the formation of attitudes and political

values and for the development of prejudicial attitudes. Furthermore, Raabe and Beelmann

(2011), conclude that prejudice in childhood is related to age and development, but as children

enter adolescence the effects of age diminish and are increasingly replaced by social

influences. Theories of modern or symbolic racism holds that prejudicial attitudes are learned

from influential role models and society more generally. Social psychological accounts point

to the importance of the social context, specifically social relationships, in the development of

prejudice (Hjerm, et al., 2018).

Synthesis

This study was inspired from the previous research of Bianchi et al (2017), wherein he

studied the impacts of homophobic labels on the internalized homophobia and body image of

gay men. The similarities towards this research was they both focused on homophobic
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behaviors and understanding towards the self. Bianchi’s study also discussed the identity

characteristics and bullying behavior of males. Thus, this research relates to the previous study

of Bianchi and his colleagues but with a specific participant and different perspectives in mind.

Bianchi et al. (2017) have researched on the victim perspective while this study will

focus on the perpetrator’s perspective. Given the complexity of bullying behavior, multiple

theories are needed to fully understand bullying behavior. Self-esteem on the other hand, there

is vast difference of opinion as to what is the “self” that is being accepted and the nature of

acceptance. While there is no scientific consensus concerning the defining attributes of “self,”

there is some agreement that the self is wholistic including one’s characteristic traits,

memories, thoughts, feelings, sensations, and behaviors and that the self is fluid over time.
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CHAPTER III
METHOD

The purpose of this chapter is to present research design, measures, procedures, data

analysis and limitations.

Correlational method was used by the researcher for the study. Stated by (Creswell,

1994, Gay & Airasian, 2000) as cited by (Yilmaz, 2013) it can be defined as research that

explains phenomena according to numerical data which are analyzed by means or

mathematically based methods, especially statistics. The purpose of this study is to find the

determining relationship between homophobic bullying and self-esteem.

Participants

Participants chosen by the researcher was 105, Male Adolescents aged 18 – 24 and a

college student enrolled in San Beda University Manila. Participants were selected through

purposive sampling. A purposive sample is where a researcher selects a sample based on their

knowledge about the study and population. The participants are selected based on the purpose

of the sample (Etikan, Musa, & Alkassim, 2016). Participants were selected according to the

needs of the study specifically from the male group, aged between 18 – 24 and a college student

currently enrolled at San Beda University; applicants who do not meet the profile are rejected.

Measures

This research used 2 types of questionnaires namely: (1) Homophobic Content Agent

Test (HCAT)and (2) Adolescent Self-Esteem Questionnaire (ASQ)

Homophobic Content Agent Test (HBS). Poteat & Espelage (2005) wrote ten items

which were written across two subscales (Agent and Target) to assess the frequency with which
 18

students acted as perpetrators (i.e., agents) of homophobic verbal content and the frequency in

which they experienced being victim (i.e., targets) of homophobic verbal content within a time

frame of the past week. Items for the Agent subscale are presented with the following items:

“Some kids call each other names such as gay, lesbo, fag, etc. How many times in the past

week did you say these things to …” The five items include (a) a friend, (b) someone I did not

know, (c) someone I did not think was gay, (d) someone I thought was gay, and (e) someone I

did not think was gay. For the Target subscale, the items presented were “How many times in

the last week did the following people call you these things.” The five items include (a) a

friend, (b) someone I did not know, (c) someone I did not like me, (d) someone I thought was

gay, and (e) someone I did not think was gay. Response options for subscales are “Never”, “1

or 2 times”, “3 or 4 times”, “5 or 6 times” and “7 or more times”

Subscales scores were created for each factor by summing across each of the five items.

Higher scores on the Agent scales indicate greater use of homophobic content within the past

week. Similarly, higher scores on the Target scale indicate a greater extent of being called these

names.

In this research the current reliability of the HCAT for Agent ( α = .872 ) and Target (
α = .897 ).
Adolescent Self-Esteem Scale. By Hafekost, Boterhoven, Lawrence, Sawyer, and

Zubrick (2017) is a 13-item measure of global self-esteem. The ASQ includes both negatively

and positively worded items which are on a 5-point Likert scale. Item scores were summed,

with positively worded items reverse coded, to determine an individual’s self-esteem score. A

higher score reflects higher levels of self-esteem. All items are answered using a 5-point scale

(1= not at all, 2= a little bit, 3= somewhat, 4= very much, 5= extremely). The properties of the

scale were examined, and its reliability and validity were compared to the existing gold
 19

standard measure of self-esteem, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Factor analysis

allowed for investigation of the underlying concepts captured by the ASQ, and population

norms and a clinically meaningful threshold which was used to define low levels of self-

esteem, were calculated. A score below 17 is considered low while higher scores suggest high

self-esteem.

There was little difference in the validity and reliability of the ASQ and RSES. They

both had excellent internal consistency and demonstrated stability between testing periods. In

addition, both scales were highly correlated with depressive symptoms, which were

theoretically linked with levels of self-esteem. This finding supports the use of either scale to

measure self-esteem in a youth population. However, the revision of the ASQ to include

language which is more commonly used and easily understood by adolescents, and young

adolescents, may provide an advantage of the ASQ over the RSES.

In this research the current reliability of the ASQ is ( α = .698 ).

Procedure

The researcher will be first giving a letter of intent to the Department Chairs of the

CAS to ask permission to go room-to-room and take the time of their students. Second, a

consent form for the participants will be given for them to be briefed about the test and to

inform them the confidentiality of the results will be only for the researcher’s eye’s only.

Third, the researcher will go room-to-room and administer the Homophobic Content Agent

Test (HCAT) and Adolescent Self-Esteem Questionnaire (ASQ) to the male students only.

Purposive sampling was used since the participants were selected according to the needs of the
 20

study, specifically male group, adolescent aged 18 – 24 and a College Student of San Beda

University.

Data Analysis

1. The answer towards homophobic bullying was measured by the Homophobic

Content Agent Test. Which had been analyzed through the mean/standard

deviation.

2. The answer towards self-esteem was measured by the Adolescent Self-Esteem

Scale. Which had been analyzed through the mean/standard deviation.

3. The answer towards the relationship was measured by the Pearson Correlation

(Pearson-r) which is the test that measures relationships between two variables as

well as the direction of the relationship.

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CHAPTER IV
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter provides the results and discussion of the data gathered by the researcher,

which answers the given hypothesis and problems stated in the study. Moreover, this chapter

also indicates the statistical treatments and interpretations of the collated information.

Results

The Level of Homophobic Bullying. With the level of Agent (M = 1.58, SD = .78) and

Target (M = 1.37, SD = .66), the results indicate a high level of homophobic bullying behavior,

also a high level of being victim towards homophobic bullying behavior with both subscales

having a homogenous score.

The Level of Self-Esteem. With a level of (M = 35.80, SD = 6.39), results show that a

average level of self-esteem and a low level of standard deviation, translates to a less dispersed

and similar scores for most of the participants.

The Relationships among Homophobic Bullying and Self-Esteem. With the result of

Agent (r = 0.32, p = 0.01) and Target (r = 0.29, p = 0.02) indicates results show that

homophobic bullying and self-esteem are indeed correlated with each other, thus rejecting the

null hypothesis.

Discussion

The Level of Homophobic Bullying. In this study, results show high scores on the Agent

scales which indicates a greater use of homophobic content within the past week. This show

that these males are more likely to engage in homophobic bullying behaviors towards the

LGBT community. High scores were also shown in the Target scales which indicates that these
 22

males have a greater extent of being called the same names or being victim of homophobic

bullying behavior. In a study of Poteat & Espelage (2005), their results show that males made

comments regarding homophobic content toward other students. Also, not only males were

more likely to express homophobic content, but they were also more likely to be targets of

homophobic content.

The Level of Self-Esteem. In this study, results show a low score on self-esteem. This

means that these males may have psychological distress, depression and anxiety towards their

peers. In a study made by Cénat, et al. (2015), results show that homophobic bullying impacts

self-esteem both directly and indirectly. The results suggest that homophobic bullying is likely

to generate a general a signal of rejection and of threat regarding one’s relational value, and

thus decreases the self-esteem. Being victim to bullying does decrease self-esteem and creates

a want to reclaim the self.

The Level of Homophobic Bullying and Self-Esteem. In this study the results show the

positive correlation between the two variables. Results show that higher homophobic agent

and target experience an increase of self-esteem. However, in the study homophobic bullying

decreases self-esteem of the victim. It is possible that dominance theory may be a cause on

why the victim’s self-esteem is high. Dominance theory says that once you have established

dominance you will do anything to keep this high status, and once you are overpowered you

seek to regain the lost status. In this case, victim’s may have established high dominance status

and keeps hold of the dominance they are in, that is resulting into high sense of self-esteem.
 23

CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

This chapter provides an overview of the findings of the researcher. Moreover, this also

includes the recommendation and suggestions of the researcher for future studies to be

conducted with regards of this topic.

Conclusion

The researcher concludes that males who engage in homophobic bullying behaviors

may always not have an effect on his self-esteem.

Recommendations

For future researches looking to take up this study, the researcher suggests the

following:

1. Consider exploring other research designs in studying the variables of homophobic

bullying, and self-esteem, to determine other possible connections between them aside

from being correlational.

2. Consider enlarging the participant pool to extend to members of different genders and

age group, and compare between these different perspectives, something that the study

at hand was unable to do due to lack of representation from other genders and

perspectives in the chosen participant pool.

3. Identify the gender of the perpetrator, if the perpetrator will be same sex (male) or

different sex (female, bi, gay and etc.)

4. Increase the time to which the perpetrator initiated the bullying behavior to get clearer

grasp on the consistency of the behavior.

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Bernard, M. E. (Ed.). (2014). The strength of self-acceptance: Theory, practice and
research. Springer Science & Business Media.
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 27

APPENDIX A:
SAMPLE LETTER OF INFORMED CONSENT

INFORMED CONSENT

My name is Jonathan Michael Baldorado, and I am an undergraduate student of the Department

of Psychology at San Beda University – Manila. I am inviting you to participate in my research
on a voluntary basis. My research is entitled, “Homophobic Bullying and Self-Esteem
among Male Adolescent”.

In line with this, you will be asked to answer three tests, namely Homophobic Content Agent
Test (HCAT) and Adolescent Self-Esteem Questionnaire (ASQ). This test will take
approximately 10 min of your time. All data gathered will be held with utmost confidentiality.
You are free to withdraw at any time possible.

Please feel free ask me further questions about the research and I will be happy to respond to
you and provide a more detailed explanation. To send your questions about the study or inquire
on your test results you may contact me through this email baldoradojm@gmail.com.

Thank you.

In St. Bede,

Baldorado, Jonathan M.

Researcher

Endorsed by:

Dr. Annabel Quilon

Thesis Adviser
 28

APPENDIX B
List of Figures

For Descriptive Statistics

Variables Mean Std. Deviation

Homophobic Bullying
Agent (Perpetrator) 1.5848 .78284
Target (Victim) 1.3733 .66104
Self-Esteem 35.8000 6.39020

For Correlation

Variables Agent Target

Sig. (2-tailed)
Pearson .002 .001
Self-Esteem correlation .298** .320**

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed

 29

APPENDIX C
Statistics

Self esteem

Reliability Statistics

Cronbach's
Alpha Based on
Cronbach's Standardized
Alpha Items N of Items

.677 .698 13

Perpetrator (Agent)

Reliability Statistics

Cronbach's
Alpha Based on
Cronbach's Standardized
Alpha Items N of Items

.862 .872 5

Victim (Target)

Reliability Statistics

Cronbach's
Alpha Based on
Cronbach's Standardized
Alpha Items N of Items

.885 .897 5

Statistics

perpetrator victim

N Valid 105 105

Missing 0 0
Mean 1.5848 1.3733
Std. Deviation .78284 .66104
Percentiles 50 1.2000 1.0000
 30

Statistics
Self-esteem

N Valid 105

Missing 0
Mean 35.8000
Std. Deviation 6.39020
Percentiles 50 36.0000

Correlations

selfesteem perpetrator victim

selfesteem Pearson Correlation 1 .298** .320**

Sig. (2-tailed) .002 .001

N 105 105 105

perpetrator Pearson Correlation .298** 1 .722**
Sig. (2-tailed) .002 .000
N 105 105 105
victim Pearson Correlation .320** .722** 1

Sig. (2-tailed) .001 .000

N 105 105 105

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

 31

APPENDIX D
Curriculum Vitae

BALDORADO JONATHAN M .
|baldoradojm@gmail.com|

P ER SO NA L IN FOR M A T IO N
DA TE OF B IR TH : April 30. 1998

AGE : 20 years

GE N DE R : Male

NA TIO N A LI T Y: Filipino-American

CI VIL S T A TU S : Single

E D UC AT I ON
- High school| Tarlac Montessori School| 2011-2015
- College| San Beda University | BS Psychology| 2015-present