New Study Finds Gay Men and Lesbians Continue to be Bullied at Work
A new study from Anglia Ruskin University has found that nearly a third of LGB (lesbian, gay, bisexual) people who were bullied at school continue to be bullied when they move to the workplace.
The university surveyed 400 LGB individuals who attended school between 1985 and 1997 – meaning their average age was about 37.
It is worth noting that Section 28, which banned the “promotion” of anything LGBT-related in UK schools, wasn’t repealed until 2003.
The survey found 36 percent of gay and bisexual men who had been bullied at school said they had been the subject of harassment at work. For bisexual women and lesbians, it was 29 percent.
The same survey also found 56 percent of gay men and 47 percent of lesbians were dissatisfied with their job.
“This study suggests that bullying may be a chronic problem for LGB individuals, which continues from school to the workplace,” said Nick Drydakis, a reader in economics at Anglia Ruskin University, who authored the study.
“This could be for a number of reasons—school-age bullying could be more likely to lead to low self-esteem, a difficulty in forming trusting relationships, or a greater risk of poor mental health.
“Factors like these may make it more likely they will experience bullying in the workplace later in life.
“Post school-age bullying victims might exhibit characteristics of vulnerability, such as sub-assertive behaviours, which make them attractive targets for unfavourable treatments and evaluations from colleagues and employers in the workplace.”
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