Intersections Between Multiple Forms of Bias-Based Bullying Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Youth

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) youth experience more heterosexist bullying victimization than their straight peers, which contributes to mental health disparities. However, LGBQ youth may simultaneously experience other types of bias-based bullying (e.g., racist, cis-sexist, and able-ist bullying). Informed by intersectionality theory, this study describes intersections of LGBQ students' experiences of multiple forms of bias-based bullying and explores demographic correlates of individual types and typologies of bias-based bullying. This study uses 2016 state-wide survey data from 9th and 11th grade students in Minnesota schools. The analytic sample was limited to students who reported a LGBQ sexual orientation and responded to bullying items (N = 8313). Typology indicators were six items assessing bias-based bullying in the previous 30 days (race, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, weight). Covariates (age, sexual orientation, assigned sex, gender identity, race, perceived gender presentation, individualized education program (IEP), weight status) also predicted class membership. A latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted, and the three-class model was best fitting, with classes characterized by high levels of all types of bias-based bullying (6.3%), gender expression and sexual orientation bullying (35.2%), and low levels of bias-based bullying (58.4%).LGBQ youth who also identified as transgender or gender diverse, had an IEP, reported perceived nonconforming gender presentation, and youth of color were more likely to belong to the multiple bias-based bullying typology. Future work should leverage an intersectional lens to design multilevel interventions and strategies to prevent bias-based bullying that attend to broader issues of stigma within school systems.

“They won't push me away”: Transgender and gender‐expansive youth of color's perceptions of parental gender‐identity‐specific support

“…In addition to the cultivation of empathy, respondents indicated that their parents' instrumental support around access to mental health care was especially important. TGE youth of color are likely to be exposed to multiple minority stressors, causing harm to youth mental health (Meyer, 2003; Shramko et al, 2019), and parents who interrupt this link by offering emotional support or by ensuring that their child can access mental health care providers (e.g., offering recommendations, setting up and managing appointments) are offering gender‐identity‐specific social support. Consistent with prior work (Jones et al, 2020), one participant mentioned the importance of culturally relevant mental health care, which ultimately helped the participant's parent become involved in supporting their child.…”

Associations between LGBTQ+-supportive school and community resources and suicide attempts among adolescents in Massachusetts.

“…For example, both heterosexual and LGBQ adolescents who live in states with antibullying laws listing sexual orientation specifically as a focus of the law have lower risk of reporting suicide attempts than adolescents who live in states whose antibullying statutes do not specify sexual orientation (Meyer et al, 2019). LGBTQ+-specific community resources have also been associated with other health outcomes among heterosexual youth, including consistent condom use (Eisenberg, 2002) and lower odds of bullying victimization (Shramko et al, n.d.). Identifying resources that positively affect the majority (i.e., heterosexual) population as well as the target (i.e., LGBTQ+) population may help build political will to expand these supports.…”

Advancing gender and sexually diverse students’ civil rights: Leadership efforts by Los Angeles unified school district.

“…The 2018 School Experience Survey (LAUSD, n.d.a) showed that 8.3% of high school students and 5.6% of middle school students identified as "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer." National data consistently cite that GSD students feel disproportionately unsafe at school (Berlan et al, 2010;Parent et al, 2020;Shramko et al, 2019). Yet, a surprising finding on LAUSD's (n.d.a) School Experience Survey was the slight differences in ratings of feeling safe at school between GSD and heterosexual students.…”