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GENDER ORIENTATION AND EXPRESSION (LGBTQ):

RELATIONSHIP TO

BULLYING

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AN UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE

DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINOLOGY AND FORENSICS IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF

THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2

By:

Casquejo, Antonio

Vacal, Kenneth

Quiña, Patrick Kyle

OCTOBER 2021
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CHAPTER I
PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE
INTRODUCTION
Rationale of the Study

Gender Expression is external appearance of one's gender identity, usually expressed through

behavior, clothing, haircut or voice, and which may or may not conform to socially defined

behaviors and characteristics typically associated with being either masculine or feminine. It

also refers to the way that a person presents their gender to the world. How a person dresses can

be a form of gender expression, but it can also encompass other aspects of appearance and

behavior including hairstyles, body features, interests, body language, voice, pronouns, and

mannerisms.

Recent reports via television in our country that there are cases of bullying by which most of

the victims are those who are in the LGBTQ Community and it was refer as a hate crimes. As the

subject to bullying it is alarming to the side of the LGBTQ Community the increasing incidents

that is reported not included those cases that are not reported and it needs an immediate action.

In the town of Dulag there are several cases that are reported in the police station regarding in

physical bullying of the members of the LGBTQ Community although not aggressive but still

cause fear to the victim, disregarding bullying in the social media. Cases that are reported to the

authority is only a portion of the cases happen in different barangays of the town by which

reported and settle in their respective place.

With this situation, the researchers were interested to evaluate the connection of gender

expression to bullying specially in the members of the LGBTQ community and assists, to
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formulate or proposed a recommendation to avoid bullying, also to create an approach on how to

deal with this situation.

Objectives of the Study

General: To be able to determine if there is a high or low relationship of gender expression and

orientation especially in LGBTQ to bullying.

Specific:

1. To be able to know who are the bully to the LGBTQ member.

2. To be able to know the frequency of bullying.

3. To be able to know the reason of bullying.

4. To be able to know what triggers the said bullying to the LGBTQ community.

5. To propose seminars that raises awareness for the avoidance of bullying.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This research focuses if there is a connection of gender expression to bullying and focuses only

in the member of LGBTQ Community in Dulag, Leyte. This study also includes identifying the

type of bullying that the respondents experienced and its frequency.

The study delimits on the cyber-bullying cases towards the LGBTQ Community. This study does

not include the members of LGBTQ Community that came from other towns respectively.
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Definition of Terms

To better understand the words that are used in this study, the researchers provided the

theoretical and the operational definition.

Theoretical Definition – The definition that are taken from the Dictionary

Operational Definition – Refers to the definition on how the words are used in the study.

Gender Expression – Theoretical, The physical and behavioral manifestations of one’s gender

identity.

Operational - Used as the independent variable in the study

Bullying – Theoretical, Abuse and mistreatment of someone vulnerable by someone stronger,

more powerful, etc.: the actions and behavior of a bully.

Operational - Used as the dependent variable of the study

LGBTQ Community – Theoretical, The LGBTQ Community is a loosely defined grouping of

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, LGBT organizations, and subculture, united by a common

culture and social movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity,

individuality and sexuality (Wikipedia).

Operational – This is used as a subject of the study where all of the respondents are taken from

this organization.
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Significance of the Study

This study aims to understand the relationship of gender expression to bullying.

This study aims to help the following:

LGBTQ Community – This study will help them to be aware that they can be a subject to

bullying based on their gender expression. It will also help to be mindful in their actions and

always think of the limitation of their rights.

Community – This study would help to enlighten the public to raise awareness in order to

respect members of the LGBTQ community.

Future Researchers – This study will serve as a future reference of the future researchers that

will conduct similar study.

Theoretical Framework of the Study

This study is in connected to the following theories; The Victim Precipitation Theory by Larry

Siegel (2006), Lifestyle Theory by Glenn D. Walters (1986), Deviant Place Theory by Rodney

Stark (2006), Labelling Theory by  George Herbert Mead, John Dewey, W.I. Thomas, Charles

Horton Cooley, and Herbert Blumer.

The Victim Precipitation Theory

The victim precipitation theory, views victimology from the standpoint that the victims

themselves may actually initiate other passively or actively, the criminal act that ultimately leads

to injury or death. During passive precipitation, the victim unconsciously exhibits behaviors or

characteristics that instigate or encourage the attack. Siegel (2006) lists job promotions, job
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status, successes, love interests, and additionally, political activists, minority groups, these of

different sexual orientation, and other individuals pursuing alternate lifestyles may also found

themselves as targets of violence due to the inadvertent threat they oppose to certain individuals

of power.

Lifestyle Theory

This theory purports that individual are targeted based on their lifestyle choices, and that these

choices exposed them to criminal offenders and situations in which may be committed.

Examples of some lifestyle choices indicated by may include going out night alone, living in

“bad” parts of town, going with known felons, being promiscuous, excessive alcohol use, and

drugs. In addition to theorizing that victimization is not random, but rather the lifestyle the

victims pursues , the lifestyle theory cites research sometimes “ share personality traits also

community found in law violators, compulsivity and low self-control” (Siegel, 2006). This

previous theory was discussed in psychology journal by Jared Dempsey, Gary and Eugene

Wang, in which they note the correlation between victim and the perpetrators of crimes, both

exhibiting impulsive and social like behaviors (2006). These behaviors may contribute to their

victimization since they cause the individual to put themselves at higher victimization than their

more conservative lifestyle counterparts.

Deviant Place Theory

The deviant place theory states that greater exposure to dangerous places makes an individual

more likely to become the victim of a crime (Siegel, 2006). Unlike the victim precipitation

theory, the victims do not influence the crime by actively or passively encouraging it, but rather

are victimized as a result of being in “bad” areas. In order to lower the chance that one will
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become the victim of a crime, the individual should avoid “bad” areas of the town where crime

rates are high.

Theory of Culture Conflict

Culture conflict theory is also known as cultural deviance theory. This theory suggests that crime

is caused due to the clash of values that arises when different social groups have different ideas

of acceptable behavior. In other words, different social groups have different cultural beliefs and

ideas that conflict, and this conflict sometimes leads to crime.

Labelling Theory

These theorists suggested that powerful individuals and the state create crime by labeling some

behaviour as inappropriate. The focus of these theorists is on the reactions of members in society

to crime and deviance, a focus that separated them from other scholars of the time. These

theorists shaped their argument around the notion that even though some criminological efforts

to reduce crime are meant to help the offender (such as rehabilitation efforts), they may move

offenders closer to lives of crime because of the label they assign the individuals engaging in the

behaviour. As members in society begin to treat these individuals on the basis of their labels, the

individuals begin to accept the labels themselves. In other words, an individual engages in a

behaviour that is deemed by others as inappropriate, others label that person to be deviant, and

eventually the individual internalizes and accepts this label. This notion of social reaction,

reaction or response by others to the behaviour or individual is central to labeling theory. Critical

to this theory is the understanding that the negative reaction of others to a particular behaviour is

what causes that behaviour to be labeled as “criminal” or “deviant.” Furthermore, it is the

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negative reaction of others to an individual engaged in a particular behaviour that causes that

individual to be labeled as “criminal,” “deviant,” or “not normal.” According to the literature,

several reactions to deviance have been identified, including collective rule making,

organizational processing, and interpersonal reaction.

Conceptual Framework of the Study

GENDER
EXPRESSION BULLYING
(LGBTQ)

(INDEPENDENT VARIABLE) (DEPENDENT VARIABLE)

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CHAPTER II

Review of Related Literature

Distinct from gender identity, gender expression refers to an individual’s various characteristics

which, during a given period, are generally viewed as masculine or feminine (Coleman et al.,

2012). While various gender identities exist, the vast majority of individuals present with

cisgender identity, meaning that their gender identity is aligned with their birth-assigned sex.

According to Gairal-Casadó, R. et al   violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity or

gender expression is present in our society and within the university community. Numerous

international studies have shown that the lesbian, gay, transgender, queer and intersex

(LGBTQI+) community have more risk and probabilities to suffer sexual discrimination or

harassment during their university trajectory. On the other hand, all these forms and

manifestations of violence can generate a response of internalization and normalization of the

homophobic actions, perpetuating the violence and affecting negatively in the life quality and

wellbeing of the LGBT+ academic community.

During adolescence, bullying often has a sexual content. Involvement in bullying as a bully,

victim or both has been associated with a range of negative health outcomes. Transgender youth

appear to face elevated rates of bullying in comparison to their mainstream peers. However, the

involvement of transgender youth as perpetrators of bullying remains unclear in the recent

literature (Front. Psychol.2021).  It appears that transgender youth are victims of bullying more

commonly than their cisgender peers, but research has not taken account of confounding by

perpetrating bullying or mental health factors (Day et al., 2018)

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Results from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) show that, nationwide, more U.S.

high school students who self-identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) report having been

bullied on school property (32%) and cyber bullied (26.6%) in the past year than their straight

peers (17.1% and 14.1%, respectively). The study also showed that more LGB students (13.5%)

than straight students (7.5%) reported not going to school because of safety concerns. Students

who identified as "not sure" of their sexual orientation also reported being bullied on school

property (26.9%), being cyber bullied (19.4%), and not going to school because of safety

concerns (15.5%).

Despite acknowledgment that societal attitudes such as homophobia foster bullying (Clarke and

Kiselica, 1997), the preponderance of bullying research neither addresses nor acknowledges

sexual orientation as a possible factor (Poteat and Espelage, 2005). Nevertheless, investigations

focused on life experiences of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth suggest that up to 84 per cent

report verbal harassment (Poteat and Espelage, 2005)  and up to 70 per cent experience problems

in school due to prejudice and discrimination based on sexual orientation (Remafedi,

1987; Saewyc et al., 2007; Telljohann and Price, 1993). 

In the Philippines, students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) to often find

that their schooling experience is marred by bullying, discrimination, lack of access to LGBT-

related information, and in some cases, physical or sexual assault.(Human Rights Watch, 2017).
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CHAPTER III

Methodology

 This chapter describe the research Methodology, explains the research instrument used with the

data or information collected in order for the researchers to clarify their question to Gender

Expression: Relationship to Bullying.

Research Design

This study uses Quantitative research design. Quantitative research is a numerical examination

and interpretation of observation to discover the underlying meanings and patterns of

relationships, (Wyse, 2011). Quantitative research method is use to find out and evaluate the

relationship of Gender Expression to Bullying.

Research Instrument

This study will be utilizing survey questionnaire through Google form. Seeks to gather data

about the respondents experiences on bullying in connection to their Gender Expression. The

research questionnaire in Google form is composed of two parts; Part I refers to the profile of the

respondents as to their name (optional), age, and gender expression. Part II is the questions

concerning to their experiences in bullying in showing their Gender Expressions to the following

aspects; clothing, actions and social behavior.

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Respondents of the Study

The respondents of the study are the selected members of the LGBTQ Community in the

municipality of Dulag. It composes 50 respondents with different genders which are true

members of the LGBTQ Community.

Research Locale

The study will be conducted in the different barangays of the municipality of Dulag which have

the members of the LGBQT Community.

Statistical Treatment

Gathered data were subjected to statistical treatment tool/ techniques to answer the research

questions cover in the study. The following formula will be used.

Percentage: The statistical formula will be used to determine the percentage of frequency of the

respondents according to each variable.

Where;

P = percentage of the frequency

f = frequency items given

n = number of cases or total number of respondents

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Weighted mean – To analyse the mean scores of each item based on the variable the following

formula below as used.

Where;

n = number of cases / respondents

x = responses obtained

WM = mean score of each item

Method of Scoring

The method of scoring was to determine by the sum of all observation divided by the number of

respondents. It is interpreted by the following mean as a result of all observation.

MEAN RANGE INTERPRETATION

4.0- Above Always

3.0- 4.0 Seldom

2.0-3.0 Rarely

1.0-2.0 Never