The article describes the beliefs that have fueled violence by various groups against male and female “emos” in Mexico City. This was an ethnographic study from 2012 to 2015 based on 24 in-depth interviews with young students enrolled in public universities in Mexico City in 2008. The study focused primarily on emos (10), but also included young people that described themselves as punks (6), darks (5), and rockers (3). The findings suggest that bullying of emos is deeply rooted in gender beliefs, particularly hegemonic notions of masculinity. The study highlights the fact that bullying is perpetrated not only by other youth, but also occurs in the family and school settings, where the violence is taken for granted as a legitimate construct associated with the idea of discipline in school. The strategies used by these young people to resist bullying suggest reflexive attitudes towards their historical, scholastic, and family contexts. They are able to reaffirm their collective demand for the right to education and diversity in university classes, but the situation calls for policies to prevent bullying, especially in the university community.
Violence; Sexuality; Cultural Diversity