Perspectives on same-sex sexualities and self-harm amongst service providers and teachers in Hong Kong

Abstract

This research study investigates the perspectives of service providers in working with Chinese lesbian and gay youth in Hong Kong secondary schools, and maps the relations between same-sex sexualities, religion, education, and self-harm. Service providers included secondary school teachers, social workers based on- and off-school sites, and lesbian/transgender activists working in non-government organizations serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. By studying the level of acceptance and tolerance of same-sex sexualities in schools, this study aims to provide further understanding into Hong Kong youth issues and to highlight the connections between deliberate self-harm behaviour and being a lesbian, gay, or bisexual youth. Using a qualitative approach, sixteen in-depth interviews were conducted with service providers and extensive participant observation was carried out as fieldwork for this ethnographic study. A discussion of research findings is comprised of four main themes: obstructive barriers to discussing sexualities in schools, personal disinclination and religion, being lesbian and gay as susceptible to self-harm, and similarities in perceptions of self-harmers and LGB youth.

本研究旨在探討服務於香港中學，服務對象涉及華人女同志及男同志青少年的助人工作者之觀點；並勾勒出同性情慾、宗教、教育以及自殘行為之間的關係。本研究中的助人工作者，包括中學教師、服務於校內或校外之社工人員、服務於同志相關的非政府組織之女同志／跨性別社會運動人士。藉由研究學校對同性戀的接納包容程度，本研究旨在對香港青少年議題提供進一步的理解，並突顯蓄意的自我傷害行為與身為女同志、男同志及雙性戀者之間的關聯。採用質性研究取向，本項民族誌研究針對助人工作者前後共進行16 次深入訪談，田野工作部份則是採取廣泛的參與觀察。研究發現部份涵蓋四大主題：在校談性／性慾特質（sexualities）之阻礙；個人的勉強意願與宗教之關聯；身為同性戀者容易有自殘傾向；對於自殘行為與女同志、男同志、雙性戀青少年之相似觀點。