Do I fit in? Psychosocial ramifications of low gender typicality in early adolescence

Abstract

The current longitudinal study was designed to examine one of the possible underlying mechanisms that can help account for why low gender typicality (i.e., not feeling like a typical boy or girl) is related to subsequent psychosocial adjustment problems: peer victimization. Relying on a large (N ¼ 5,991, 52% female), ethnically diverse U.S. sample, the results suggested that peer victimization at 7th grade partially accounts for associations between 7th grade gender typicality and 8th grade social anxiety, somatic complaints, and externalizing behavior, when controlling for earlier (e.g., 6th grade) levels of adjustment. Associations were similar across ethnic groups. Peer victimization mediated associations for boys and girls across all outcomes; however, girls showed stronger associations with somatic complaints and boys showed stronger associations with externalizing behavior. These results suggest that attempts to improve adjustment for youth feeling low gender typicality should focus in part on reducing peer victimization.

Gender Norm Salience Across Middle Schools: Contextual Variations in Associations Between Gender Typicality and Socioemotional Distress

“…Underscoring the effects of school gender climate, these findings extend research demonstrating that individuals’ experiences with lack of peer acceptance (T. E. Smith & Leaper, 2006) gender-based teasing (Jewell & Brown, 2014), and other forms of peer victimization (D. S. Smith & Juvonen, 2017) partly account for associations between gender typicality and socioemotional distress.…”

“…Concurrently, both gender-based teasing (Jewell & Brown, 2014) and lack of acceptance (T. E. Smith & Leaper, 2006) have been shown to account for associations between low gender typicality and worse socioemotional outcomes during adolescence, and a similar pattern has been shown over time (D. S. Smith & Juvonen, 2017).…”

“…Not feeling like a “typical” boy or a girl is distressing for children (Carver, Yunger, & Perry, 2003) and adolescents (Menon, 2011), and in early adolescence fitting in is highly important (Blakemore & Mills, 2014). Experiences with bullying or peer victimization account for at least part of the socioemotional distress associated with low gender typicality (e.g., D. S. Smith & Juvonen, 2017).…”

Gender-based harassment in early adolescence: Group and individual predictors of perpetration

“…In recent years, highly-publicized reports of teen suicide (Ducharme, 2018) have drawn attention to bullying and harassment targeting youth because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression (SOGIE). Adolescents who are considered, in any way, atypical for their gender often face high rates of peer victimization, and as a result, exhibit poorer mental health, physical health, and academic outcomes relative to their more gender-typical peers (Hill & Kearl, 2011;Jewell & Brown, 2014;Russell, Kosciw, Horn, & Saewyc, 2010;Smith & Juvonen, 2017).…”

“…Research has also clearly and consistently shown that experiencing GBH is associated with negative outcomes for adolescents. For example, relative to their nonvictimized peers, adolescents who experience GBH on the basis of gender atypicality report lower psychological well-being, such as greater depressive symptoms and more anxiety (e.g., Jewell & Brown, 2014;Mays & Cochran, 2001;Russell et al, 2010;Smith & Juvonen, 2017); more negative academic outcomes, such as lower school satisfaction and lower grades (e.g., Hill & Kearl, 2011;Russell et al, 2010); and more somatic concerns, such as trouble sleeping and loss of appetite (e.g., Espelage, Aragon, Birkett, & Koenig, 2008;Russell et al, 2010;Smith & Juvonen, 2017).…”