A new book by Associate Professor David Plummer of the University of New England's School of Health shows how Australian boys as young as seven and eight years of age learn to be homophobic.
In One of the Boys: Masculinity and homophobia and modern manhood, Dr Plummer found that the schoolyard is a major source of homophobia that exists independent of the outside world.
He found that negative attitudes about homosexuality are passed down to school children by others before they know about their own sexuality. This ingrained belief system, he said, has profound effects on the behaviour of boys that shapes their futures.
"The book is a chronological description of how young boys become homophobic during their school life and soon after it," Dr Plummer said. "Homophobic words start being used in mid to late primary school &endash; that is, well prior to forming their sexual identity or knowing what homosexuality is.
"At that age it is extremely powerful &endash; in fact 'poofter' was ranked as the worst thing that a boy could be called. In primary school, boys are likely to be accused of being a poofter if they mix with girls too often, and accused of the same thing in high school if they don't mix with them enough."
Dr Plummer found that homophobia peaks in the mid to late teens, with boys in years 8 and 9 reporting that they use the word 'poofter' 25 to 50 times a day. These attitudes, he said, were often an exaggerated expression of heterosexual identity, and thus effected everyone.
"Boys who aren't targeted by others observe what goes on and make sure they don't do anything that might be considered suspect or that would make them stand out. Masculine behaviours are exaggerated and these lead to all sorts of lifestyle and risk behaviours which endure later in life. Even things like the unofficial dress codes and driving fast cars can be related back to the idea that boys have got to prove themselves and distance themselves from homophobic labels."
At the furthest behaviour extreme were gay-hate murders, with some research suggesting that as many as one in four murders involving strangers in New South Wales over the last 20 years were in some way related to homophobia.
Dr Plummer said his findings also showed how the early indoctrination of homophobia could be disastrous for young gay men, who have few role models, can feel extremely isolated, and can be at risk of suicide.
"For kids who fit in, school days are halcyon days. For kids who are a bit different, school can be worse than prison because kids form gangs and boys who get marginalised can't possibly win against a whole group. They are confined to the playground, they can't get away, even the trip on the school bus can be traumatic.
"And there are a lot of simple things that schools can do. They can explicitly say that homophobia is wrong. When teachers overhear it they can intervene and set the right example. School ground danger zones can be patrolled better. Safety zones such as libraries and hallways can be left open during breaks. They can structure school sports in such a way that kids are not pitted against a gang of people who are going to be hostile against them, and they can restructure school bus systems so that kids get some kind of protection."
One of the Boys: Masculinity and homophobia and modern manhood is published in the United States by Haworth/Harrington Press and is now selling on Amazon.com.
Media contact: Gavin Atkins, Publicity Office, UNE, Armidale, (02) 6773 3570, Associate Professor David Plummer (0419) 407809 or office (02) 6773 3652.
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Last updated 15 November 1999