Abstract
Adolescents identifying as sexual and/or gender minorities face many challenges at school due to stigma-based peer harassment. This study examined the extent to which sexual and gender minority adolescents experience bias-based bullying across a range of stigmatized identities and attributes, as well as the potential of gay-straight alliances (GSAs, also referred to as gender-sexuality alliances) to reduce simultaneously multiple forms of bias-based bullying, and in turn support school adjustment. Using a United States sample of diverse sexual and gender minority adolescents (N = 17,112; Mage = 15.57, SDage = 1.27), multiple mediation analyses indicated lower levels of multiple forms of bias-based bullying (based on body weight, gender, religion, disability, gender typicality, sexuality) at schools with versus without GSAs, and in turn higher perceived school safety, as well as higher grades and reduced school suspension (due to less weight- and sexuality-based bullying). The findings shed light on the broad-reaching stigma-reduction potential of GSAs.
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20 April 2020
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Acknowledgements
This research uses data from the LGBTQ National Teen Study, designed by R.J.W. and R.M.P. in collaboration with the Human Rights Campaign, and supported by the Research Excellent Program of the Office for Vice President of Research at the University of Connecticut. The authors acknowledge the important contributions of Ellen Kahn, Gabe Murchison, and Liam Miranda in their support, conceptualization, and management related to the LGBTQ National Teen Study. R.J.W. acknowledges support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse grant under K01DA047918. Any interpretations and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the authors and may not reflect those of the NIH.
Authors’ Contributions
L.M.L. conceived of the current study, conceptualized the analytic plan, performed the analyses, participated in interpretation of the data, and drafted the manuscript; R.J.W. conceived of the current study, conceptualized the analytic strategy, participated in interpretation of the data, drafted the manuscript, and was a principal investigator on the larger project from which the present analyses were conducted; R.M.P. conceived of the current study, conceptualized the analytic strategy, participated in interpretation of the data, drafted the manuscript and was a principal investigator on the larger project from which the present analyses were conducted. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Informed assent was obtained from all youth participants included in the study. A waiver of parental consent was obtained from the IRB related to this study.
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Lessard, L.M., Watson, R.J. & Puhl, R.M. Bias-Based Bullying and School Adjustment among Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents: The Role of Gay-Straight Alliances. J Youth Adolescence 49, 1094–1109 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-020-01205-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-020-01205-1