The Effects of Community Interactions on Mental Health
The article from ABC news introduces us to Eric James Borges, a gay teenager, who recently took his life at only nineteen years old. Eric explained the ongoing bullying that he endured at school from a young age and the rejection he experienced by his very religious family. In this blog post, I will be analyzing the interactions between LGBTQ individuals, like Eric, and their communities and the effects that these interactions can have on an individual's mental health. Using Stein's article on bullying and D'Emilio's article on the topic of homosexuality in the United States, I will demonstrate how negative interactions with community members can lead to declining mental health and sometimes even suicide.
Eric, like many other LGBTQ identified individuals, experienced continual bullying from when he started school, all the way until the end of high school. Eric stated that he "...was physically, mentally, emotionally, and verbally assaulted on a day-to-day basis for [his] perceived sexual orientation" (ABC 2012). Sadly, bullying like this seems to be a common theme for the interaction between LGBTQ students and their peers in a school setting. Stein (2007) states that " because of their sexual orientation, two-thirds of LGBT students have been verbally harassed, 16 percent have been physically harassed, and 8 percent have been physically assaulted." While schools have tried to put a stop to bullying, Stein explains that it is still a problem for LGBT students because the schools are not recognizing the gender-based harassment as a separate problem (2007). Therefore, interactions like these with LGBTQ students and bullies can make the victim seem at fault. This sense of having done something wrong can highly impact the victims feeling of self-worth. Overall, these interactions can have strong, negative, and long lasting effects on one's mental health.
It seems like one of the first reactions to bullying is to go home to one's family and have them make the situation better. However, what if they too, just like the fellow students, thought that there was something wrong. In the instance of Eric, this was exactly the case. Eric grew up in a highly religious household and when his mother found out that he was gay, she tried to fix him through an exorcism (ABC 2012). His family's deep rooted belief of heterosexuality comes from the teachings of Christianity. D'Emilio (1983) explains in his article that "they marked gay people as inferior -- less moral, less respectable, and less healthy..." After realizing that Eric would never change, his parents kicked him out of the house (ABC 2012). This interaction that he had with his family is of great importance. If one's family is not supportive of who one is, then it suggests again that he or she has done something wrong. Eric described his thoughts after this experience: "My anxiety, depression, self-loathing and suicidal thoughts spiked. I had nowhere safe to go, either at home or school" (ABC 2012).
With the absence of any support or understanding from one's peers at school and one's family at home, the sense of having a community is lost. One may feel that they have no connection to anyone and that there is absolutely no place to go. These feelings can take over quickly and devastate one's mental health. Not only are these effects very strong, but they can also be long lasting. After Eric left home he was able to find a new supportive community. Not long before he took his own life, he told others not to give up hope in his "It Gets Better" video (ABC 2012). The story of Eric Borges demonstrates to everyone that powerful negative interactions between LGBTQ individuals and their communities, although sometimes in the past, can be everlasting on one's mental health. These experiences even have the ability to overpower any positive interactions that one may currently be experiencing.
Bibliography
John D'Emilio. "Homosexuality and American Society: An Overview" from
Politics, Sexual, Communities in the United States 1940-1970. Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press, 1983.
Nan Stein. Bullying, Harassment and Violence among Students in Radical Teacher, No 80
"Teaching Beyond Tolerance". Winter 2007. 30-35.
NG, Christina. "Gay Teen Filmmaker Eric James Borges Commits Suicide." ABCNews.com. 13 Jan. 2012. Web. <http://abcnews.go.com/US/gay-teen-filmmaker-eric-james-borges-commits-suicide/story?id=15355142>.
ABC News Article:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/gay-teen-filmmaker-eric-james-borges-commits-suicide/story?id=15355142#.TzMPfyMkhGQ
Bullying of LGBTQ teens has become common in modern America and, even worse, it is social acceptable to do so. Gay teens are physically and verbally assaulted in places they should be safe. Other student will harass and torment them at school with no punishment. But bullying doesnt just happen at school, it happens at home too. What is so tragic about this case of Eric Borges is that his parents were part of the problem. His mother trying to perform an exorcism on him because of his sexuality and then kicking him out fo the house caused deep psychological damage. The people who should have loved Eric as he was instead were the main causes of his suicide. Its very important for non LGBTQ people to hear about these cases and see the type of damage and pain they can cause by bullying and homophobia. Alex repeatedly states the importance of community for gay students. Having the support of others is crucial when coming out of the closet. Coming out can “create a profound, even disturbing, sense of difference from family, community and society” (D’emilio, 29) Intolerance at home and school can become bearable when you have other LGBTQ teens to relate to and open up to. If a gay teen has no one to turn to, Negative interactions can become overwhelming and unfortunately, in their minds, suicide becomes the only option.
ReplyDeleteD'Emilio, John. "Homosexuality and American Society: An Overview" Politics, Sexual, Communities in the United States 1940-1970. Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press, 1983.