Resumen de Changes in how students use and are called homophobic epithets over time: Patterns predicted by gender, bullying, and victimization status.

V. Paul Poteat, Laura M. O'Dwyer, Ethan H. Mereish

• This longitudinal study tested for changes in how students used and were called homophobic epithets as they progressed through high school. Boys used and were called these epithets with increased frequency over time, whereas girls reported decreases on both. Distinct gender socialization processes may contribute to these different patterns for boys and girls. Also, variability in students' own bullying and victimization across assessments corresponded with variability in their use of homophobic epithets and being called these epithets. These findings capture the dynamic yet significantly covarying nature of these behaviors, adding support for the link between bullying, victimization, and homophobic language. Further, students who reported overall higher tendencies to bully or to be victimized than others also reported more often using and being called homophobic epithets during their first semester of high school. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for research on the dynamics of this behavior, psychological and academic implications, and implications for educational policies and intervention programs.