TY - JOUR
T1 - Policing Gender and Sexuality in High School Sports
T2 - The Mediating Impact of Hearing Anti-LGBTQ + Language on High School Athletes’ Self-Esteem Across Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Race
AU - Wernick, Laura J.
AU - Tice-Brown, Derek
AU - Kluch, Yannick
AU - Newman, Tarkington J.
AU - Shute, Lauren
AU - Lerario, Mackenzie P.
AU - Harrison, Jessica Vidette
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - Participation in sport is often assumed to promote the healthy development of youth. However, research suggests that gender and sexuality policing in sports negatively impacts the self-esteem of LGBTQ + youth. Using moderated mediation analyses, findings suggest that hyper-surveillance and policing of sexual and gender norms, specifically masculinity, through the use of anti-LGBTQ + language in sport not only marginalizes LGBTQ + individuals, but can harm all youth. Among straight cisgender youth, the conditional direct effect of playing sports on self-esteem was positive for only girls, across race, indicating a positive moderated mediation for girls. The positive effect of playing sports on self-esteem had a comparatively lower effect for white boys, when mediated by the frequency of hearing anti-LGBTQ + language. Implications are discussed.
AB - Participation in sport is often assumed to promote the healthy development of youth. However, research suggests that gender and sexuality policing in sports negatively impacts the self-esteem of LGBTQ + youth. Using moderated mediation analyses, findings suggest that hyper-surveillance and policing of sexual and gender norms, specifically masculinity, through the use of anti-LGBTQ + language in sport not only marginalizes LGBTQ + individuals, but can harm all youth. Among straight cisgender youth, the conditional direct effect of playing sports on self-esteem was positive for only girls, across race, indicating a positive moderated mediation for girls. The positive effect of playing sports on self-esteem had a comparatively lower effect for white boys, when mediated by the frequency of hearing anti-LGBTQ + language. Implications are discussed.
KW - LGBTQ + youth
KW - critical consciousness
KW - critical positive youth development
KW - gender and sexuality policing
KW - hegemonic masculinity
KW - intersectionality
KW - social justice life skills
KW - youth sport
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85189174397&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85189174397&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/01937235241239322
DO - 10.1177/01937235241239322
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85189174397
SN - 0193-7235
VL - 47
SP - 504
EP - 534
JO - Journal of Sport and Social Issues
JF - Journal of Sport and Social Issues
IS - 6
ER -