Understanding How Adolescent Bullying Experiences Affect Traumatic Stress,Sexual Health and STI Risk among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)

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Project Summary This research project focuses on the interplay of bullying, psychological health and STIs among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM). Due to pervasive stigma and homophobia, this vulnerable population is often exposed to bullying during adolescence. However, research on MSM sexual health has not focused on this exposure, making is a significant gap in the literature. Defined by the CDC as a public health problem, bullying can take many forms, from intermittent teasing to physical violence. The current generation of MSM may also have been exposed to social media- based cyber-bullying. In order to adequately describe individuals’ experiences with bullying, this study will use survey methods in combination with purposive qualitative interviews. We will examine the association of exposure to bullying during adolescence with current psychological status, in particular symptoms associated with posttraumatic stress. We expect that MSM who experience bullying may subsequently evidence symptoms consistent with PTSD including intrusive memories of the bullying, uncontrollable anger, overwhelming guilt or shame, and difficulty maintaining close relationships. They may also experience depression, low self-esteem, self-destructive behavior, anxiety and suicidal ideation, which may present as part of PTSD or be comorbid with PTSD. In general, we expect that MSM subject to more extreme bullying will experience greater PTSD symptoms as well as poorer sexual health, including higher HIV risks. Individual differences in social support during and after adolescence may attenuate this relationship. Nonetheless, we hypothesize that traumatic symptoms related to bullying will have ramifications for men’s sexual health and risk behavior. If these hypothesized relationships are supported, it would point to the need for a bullying-specific intervention targeting the long-term deleterious consequences of MSM bullying.