“…Numerous studies have documented that peer victimization during childhood is a precursor to risk behaviors, such as substance use. Despite extant cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that have revealed that bullied youth have an elevated risk of acquiring STIs and HIV during adolescence (Okumu, Mengo, Ombayo, & Small, 2017) and adulthood (Friedman, Marshall, Stall, Cheong, & Wright, 2008; Kamen et al, 2013; Russell, Ryan, Toomey, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2011), research examining the link between peer victimization and STIs is limited. Okumu et al’s (2017) findings from a nationally representative sample of 13,571 youths in Grades 9 to 12 suggest a significant positive association between bullying experiences and HIV risks.…”