The victim-bully cycle of sexual minority school adolescents in China: prevalence and the association of mood problems and coping strategies

Abstract

Aims Compared to their heterosexual peers, youth who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) tend to suffer higher rates of peer victimisation from bullying. However, studies of LGB adolescents' participation as bullies are scarce. We aimed to examine the possible association of sexual minority identity and the heightened risk of not only being bullied but bullying others as well. We also explored the effect of one's sexual identity on their involvement in bullying through the mediation of coping strategies and mood states. Methods A total of 12 218 students were recruited from 18 secondary schools in China. The demographic information, positive and negative coping strategies, mood state (anxiety, depression and hypomania) and information related to bullying and being bullied were collected. Multinomial regression was used to assess the heightened risk of sexual minority groups in comparison to their heterosexual adolescents' counterparts. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to test the mediating role of coping strategy and mood state between one's sex, sexual identity and bullying experience. Results Two trends could be observed: (1) LGB groups reported heightened risks of being bullied and bullying others at school than heterosexual peers. However, being a sexual-undeveloped girl seemed to have a protective effect on bullying-related problems. (2) Birth-assigned males were more likely to be bullied as well as bullying others at school when compared to birth-assigned females. SEM analysis revealed that being a sexual minority was directly associated with a higher frequency of being bullied (B = 0.16, 95% CI [0.10, 0.22], p < 0.001) but not bullying others (B = 0.02, 95% CI [−0.02, 0.06], p = 0.398) when compared to the heterosexual group. Negative coping, hypomania, anxiety and depression were associated with a higher frequency of being bullied, while positive coping was associated with a lower frequency of being bullied. Moreover, negative coping, hypomania and depression were associated with a higher frequency of bullying others, while positive coping was associated with a reduced likelihood of bullying others. In addition, being bullied and bullying others were significantly correlated in the SEM model. Conclusions This novel research investigated the dynamic nature of the interaction between victim and bullying of LGB school adolescents in China, with a specific exploration of the psychological mechanism behind the pattern of being bullied and bullying others. School-level interventions aimed at teaching positive coping strategies to lower psychological distress are recommended to support sexual minority students.

Victimisation, Depression and Suicidal Ideation among Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Adults in Malaysia

“…These results indicate that bullying prevalence among sexual minorities may be higher than in university or work settings. Similarly, other forms of victimisation such as verbal/physical harassment and being treated unfairly due to sexual minority status was also prevalent among LGB students and youth ( 35 – 36 ). This study indicates that victimisation among the study participants continues to be a significant issue post-secondary education.…”

Gender nonconformity, peer victimization, and internalizing problems among youth: Differential moderating effects of school climate by sex assigned at birth.

“…Gender nonconformity is often perceived as a threat to family values, social norms, and cultural notions of masculinity. With the growing intolerance of sexual and gender diversity in Chinese educational settings in recent years, the situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth has become even more precarious (Chan et al, 2022; Huang et al, 2018; Wang et al, 2020). To enhance our understanding of the lived experiences of gender-nonconforming youth in China, this study sought to examine the association of gender nonconformity with peer victimization and internalizing problems in Chinese educational settings and investigate the moderating effects of perceptions of a structured and supportive school climate.…”

Counselling and psychotherapy service use in Chinese sexual minority populations: a nationwide survey

“…In addition, it has been demonstrated that stigma-related victimization persists throughout the life-course for many sexual minorities, and this is associated with poor mental health outcomes (i.e. depressive symptoms) [28,29]. It is possible that victimization is attributed to an established stressful atmosphere, which consequently generates adverse mental health outcomes [30,31].…”