“It’s Not Okay for You to Call Me That”: How Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Cope with Bullying Victimization

Abstract

Sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) have higher rates of bullying than their heterosexual peers and must disproportionately cope with bullying victimization. The purpose of this research is to highlight various coping strategies employed by SGMY. We conducted 20 cross-sectional, semi-structured online interviews with SGMY about their bullying experiences and coping strategies. We coded interviews with descriptive qualitative research to illustrate a comprehensive summary of bullying-related coping methods. We found SGMY engage in multiple coping strategies that include (1) emotion-focused coping-rumination; self-harm and considering or attempting suicide; seeking social and emotional support; engaging in creative endeavors; self-acceptance and community connectedness-and (2) problem-focused copingreporting the bully; confronting the bully; conceal orientation; ignoring the bullying; and changing environment. Additionally, most SGMY reported using multiple coping techniques or changing how they coped over time (i.e., coping flexibility). These findings can inform future interventions to promote positive coping mechanisms among SGMY.

WITHDRAWN: The Relationship of Perceived Social Support and Problematic Social Media Use among Homosexuality and Heterosexuality: A Comparative Analysis

“…A study conducted on gay men showed that diminishing peer support can enhance their internalized stigma and rumination, which can be de ned as a process that individuals repeatedly re ect on negative events they have experienced in the past and has signi cant impacts on their physical and mental health [16,17,18] . This can be attributed to their sexual orientation, internalized homophobia, o ine bullying, and cyberbullying [14,19,20] . Furthermore, it can result in an increase in psychological distress, speci cally manifested as high levels of depression and anxiety [19,21] .…”

The interplay of familial warmth and LGBTQ+ specific family rejection on LGBTQ+ adolescents’ self‐esteem

“…LGBTQ+ adolescents' self-esteem become threatened when socializing in spaces, including within family contexts, that reinforce cis-normative and heteronormative beliefs (Sang et al, 2020;Tan, Treharne, Ellis, Schmidt, & Veale, 2020;Wilkinson & Pearson, 2009).…”

“…As LGBTQ+ adolescents begin to explore their sexual orientations and gender identities, many face navigating self‐acceptance while becoming more aware of their marginalized statuses (Link, Wells, Phelan, & Yang, 2015). LGBTQ+ adolescents' self‐esteem become threatened when socializing in spaces, including within family contexts, that reinforce cis ‐normative and heteronormative beliefs (Sang et al, 2020; Tan, Treharne, Ellis, Schmidt, & Veale, 2020; Wilkinson & Pearson, 2009).…”

Changes in sexual intentions of LGBT people and their adaptation to social life

“…LGBT people attempt to increase their social integration by spending more time with their friends or seeking professional support (Lozano-Verduzco et al, 2017;Sang et al, 2020).…”

“…In addition, they are looking for solutions to issues involving harmful means such as smoking, alcohol, and substance abuse (Watson et al, 2020). In contrast, some studies have indicated that LGBT people attempt to increase their social integration by spending more time with their friends or seeking professional support (Lozano‐Verduzco et al, 2017; Sang et al, 2020).…”