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LGBQ Youth’s Experiences of General and Bias-Based Bullying Victimization: the Buffering Role of Supportive School and Community Environments

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Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and questioning (LGBQ) adolescents experience large disparities in an array of health problems and bullying experiences. Supportive LGBTQ community and school climates may protect LGBQ youth from general and bias-based bullying victimization. We combined data from LGBQ respondents on the 2013 Minnesota Student Survey (N = 2404) with information on the presence of a GSA (N = 79 schools; 2014 School Health Profiles), and new data collection on a range of LGBTQ-supportive community indicators within a 15-min drive time around the school. Hierarchical logistic regressions assessed the role of community supportiveness, GSA presence, and prevalence of LGBQ peers on general and bias-based bullying victimization, adjusted for sociodemographic covariates. Results indicated that for birth-assigned females, attending a school with a GSA was related to lower odds of sexual orientation–based bullying and attending school in an area with more LGBTQ-supportive community resources predicted lower odds of sexual orientation- and weight/appearance-based bullying. Having more LGBQ peers was related to lower levels of race- and weight/appearance-based bullying for all LGBQ youth. These findings provide support for the assumption that more LGBTQ-supportive communities and schools protect against bias-based bullying, particularly for girls, but they are not related to general bullying. Expanding and strengthening supportive resources for LGBTQ youth in schools and communities and identifying protective factors for GBQ boys are recommended.

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Notes

  1. Variation in the LGBTQ/LGBQ acronym reflects differences in the study sample being referenced.

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Acknowledgements

The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Minnesota Student Survey data were provided by public school students in Minnesota via local public school districts and are managed by the Minnesota Student Survey Interagency Team.

Funding

This research was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01HD078470. Dr. Watson received support from the National Institutes of Drug Abuse under Award Number K01DA047918.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, 717 Delaware St. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55414, USA

    Amy L. Gower & Marla E. Eisenberg

  2. Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Connecticut, 348 Mansfield Rd, U-1058, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA

    Ryan J. Watson

  3. Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN, 55454, USA

    Darin J. Erickson

  4. Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre, School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, T201-2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada

    Elizabeth M. Saewyc

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  1. Amy L. Gower
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  4. Elizabeth M. Saewyc
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Correspondence to Amy L. Gower.

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The Institutional Review Board at the University of Minnesota determined that this analysis of existing anonymous data was exempt from IRB review.

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Gower, A.L., Watson, R.J., Erickson, D.J. et al. LGBQ Youth’s Experiences of General and Bias-Based Bullying Victimization: the Buffering Role of Supportive School and Community Environments. Int Journal of Bullying Prevention 3, 91–101 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42380-020-00065-4

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