How One Illinois Researcher Hopes to Stop the Cycle of Bullying
A University of Illinois at Chicago researcher has received a major grant from the Ford Foundation for a four-year study on anti-gay bullying. The $730,000 study will look at youth's reasoning about bullying on the basis of sexuality and gender. The research will also focus on bullying as a means of social control.
Stacey Horn, an associate professor of educational psychology, is the one running the study. According to Horn, a growing body of research shows the prevalence of sexuality-related bullying, but she has identified few studies that have looked at how adolescents actually view such behavior. She also sees a lack of understanding about how age, culture, social groups, and school context influence the views of youth.
"Do young people view all forms of sexuality-based exclusion or bullying as harassment? Or do they see some