Policing Gender and Sexuality in High School Sports: The Mediating Impact of Hearing Anti-LGBTQ + Language on High School Athletes’ Self-Esteem Across Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Race

Laura J. Wernick; Derek Tice-Brown; Yannick Kluch; Tarkington J. Newman; Lauren Shute; Mackenzie P. Lerario; Jessica Vidette Harrison

doi:10.1177/01937235241239322

Policing Gender and Sexuality in High School Sports: The Mediating Impact of Hearing Anti-LGBTQ + Language on High School Athletes’ Self-Esteem Across Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Race

Laura J. Wernick
, Derek Tice-Brown
, Yannick Kluch
, Tarkington J. Newman
, Lauren Shute
, Mackenzie P. Lerario
, Jessica Vidette Harrison

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	504-534
Number of pages	31
Journal	Journal of Sport and Social Issues
Volume	47
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/01937235241239322
State	Published - Dec 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.

Funding

The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Funding for this project was provided by the Faculty Research Expense Program, Fordham University.

Funders
Fordham University

Keywords

critical consciousness
critical positive youth development
gender and sexuality policing
hegemonic masculinity
intersectionality
LGBTQ + youth
social justice life skills
youth sport

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Sociology and Political Science

Access to Document

10.1177/01937235241239322

Cite this

Wernick, L. J., Tice-Brown, D., Kluch, Y., Newman, T. J., Shute, L., Lerario, M. P., & Harrison, J. V. (2023). Policing Gender and Sexuality in High School Sports: The Mediating Impact of Hearing Anti-LGBTQ + Language on High School Athletes’ Self-Esteem Across Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Race. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 47(6), 504-534. https://doi.org/10.1177/01937235241239322

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title = "Policing Gender and Sexuality in High School Sports: The Mediating Impact of Hearing Anti-LGBTQ + Language on High School Athletes{\textquoteright} Self-Esteem Across Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Race",

abstract = "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.",

keywords = "critical consciousness, critical positive youth development, gender and sexuality policing, hegemonic masculinity, intersectionality, LGBTQ + youth, social justice life skills, youth sport",

author = "Wernick, \{Laura J.\} and Derek Tice-Brown and Yannick Kluch and Newman, \{Tarkington J.\} and Lauren Shute and Lerario, \{Mackenzie P.\} and Harrison, \{Jessica Vidette\}",

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month = dec,

doi = "10.1177/01937235241239322",

language = "English",

volume = "47",

pages = "504--534",

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Wernick, LJ, Tice-Brown, D, Kluch, Y, Newman, TJ, Shute, L, Lerario, MP & Harrison, JV 2023, 'Policing Gender and Sexuality in High School Sports: The Mediating Impact of Hearing Anti-LGBTQ + Language on High School Athletes’ Self-Esteem Across Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Race', Journal of Sport and Social Issues, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 504-534. https://doi.org/10.1177/01937235241239322

Policing Gender and Sexuality in High School Sports: The Mediating Impact of Hearing Anti-LGBTQ + Language on High School Athletes’ Self-Esteem Across Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Race. / Wernick, Laura J.; Tice-Brown, Derek; Kluch, Yannick et al.
In: Journal of Sport and Social Issues, Vol. 47, No. 6, 12.2023, p. 504-534.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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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

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Policing Gender and Sexuality in High School Sports: The Mediating Impact of Hearing Anti-LGBTQ + Language on High School Athletes’ Self-Esteem Across Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Race

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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