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This Science-to-Practice Brief summarizes a study on protective factors for depression and suicidality among LGBTQ adolescents in the United States. The study emphasizes the importance of considering the intersectionality of LGBTQ students' sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, and race/ethnicity. It provides specific recommendations for implementing support systems for LGBTQ youth in schools. The study found that family support, peer support, having a trusted adult in school, help-seeking beliefs, engagement in healthy activities, spirituality, and access to medical and counseling services were all protective factors for mental health outcomes. However, the effectiveness of these factors varied depending on the specific subgroup and outcome. The study also highlighted the negative impact of homophobic victimization on mental health. The authors recommend a strengths-based approach and the creation of safe and inclusive school environments to support LGBTQ youth. [Extracted from the article]

The current study explores the distal effects of the Disability Anti-Bullying (DIAL) Professional Development on student outcomes. Specifically, this study explored the pre/post reports of bullying involvement among youth with disabilities (i.e., with an Individualized Education Plan [IEP]) and youth identified as gifted and talented (i.e., with an Education Plan [EP]) whose teachers either received or did not receive the DIAL PD. The results indicated that students with an IEP whose teachers received the intervention self-reported decreased bullying behaviors and increased prosocial behavior. Conversely, students with an EP whose teachers received the intervention, self-reported opposite effects. While unexpected, this finding should be considered with caution. The intervention the participants in this study received did not include information relating to students who are gifted, hence why the results may be a result of natural self-reporting at the beginning and the end of the school year.

AbstractIn the fall of 2020, many students and educators returned to school in person, despite the threat of the COVID-19 virus. Though safety measures such as masks and social distancing were put in place, educators remained concerned for their students’ health, well-being, and academic attainment. The current study examined teacher concern for students’ well-being amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to classroom climate. Data were collected from third- to fifth-grade students (N = 1,022) and teachers (N = 52) across 11 elementary schools in the Great Plains region. Students and teachers attended school in person during data collection in the fall of 2020, despite rising COVID-19 numbers in the area. Structural equation modeling was used to determine whether student emotional problems and well-being had indirect effects on the association between teacher concerns and classroom climate. Findings suggest significant indirect effects of teacher concerns and classroom climate through student emotional problems and well-being. The results are important in the context of COVID-19, because teacher concern for students may indicate the overall health of the classroom environment.Impact StatementThe current study can assist school psychology practitioners in understanding the need to support teacher and student well-being in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.The findings emphasize the need for school policymakers and administrators to elevate teacher voices throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering teacher concern for student well-being may assist in improving classroom climate and supporting students as the pandemic continues.

Youth bullying is a significant concern in the USA, particularly for youth with disabilities. This pilot study explores outcome data related to the DIsability Anti-BuLlying (DIAL) training program for general and special education teachers to prevent bullying generally with a particular focus on youth with disabilities. Six schools were randomly assignedto receive the DIAL intervention or delayed (control) intervention. All teachers (n= 65) responded to a self-report survey before and after module completion. Teachers completed measures on their teaching efficacy, interactions with students, and attitudes toward bullying and completed reports of social cognition, anxiety, and bullying for their K-5 students (n= 472). Teachers (n= 36) enrolled in the three intervention schools completed four online modules focused on improving attitudes, efficacy, and skills to prevent bullying/victimization for K-5 students with and without disabilities. Results indicated teachers who received the DIAL program reported higher levels of self-efficacy and lower levels of maladaptive attitudes toward bullying.

This article presents an analysis of qualitative data collected from general and special education teachers (n= 36) participating in a four-module professional development training focused on preventing bullying among students with disabilities. Analysis was driven by Braun and Clarke (Qualitative Research in Psychology 3:77–101, 2006) six step process for thematic analysis. We report on four major themes: (1) the effect of teachers’ identities, including race, gender, age, and cultural and social backgrounds; (2) teacher perspectives of the role of parents in bullying prevention; (3) teacher views concerning bullying between students and best practices for responding to reports of bullying in schools; (4) the influence of sociocultural factors on bullying in classrooms. Taken together, these themes suggest that teachers reflect on their role as the “kind of teacher” that prevents bullying, which has implications for the students within their classroom. Results inform best practices for the design and delivery of instructional programs and workshops that consider teacher identity and create environments that better support teachers in preventing and responding to bullying in their classrooms.

AbstractCyberbullying among youth is an emerging public health concern that has a wide array of deleterious outcomes. The current meta-analytic review synthesized school-based cyberbullying prevention programs’ impact on promoting cyber-bystander intervention among K–12 students. As a result of exhaustive searches and a thorough screening procedure, a total of 9 studies were identified as eligible. Meta-analytic synthesis of the 9 studies involving 35 effect sizes demonstrated that overall, the treatment effect was not statistically significant (g = 0.29, SE = 0.14, p= .07, 95% CI [-0.03, 0.61]). Findings of the moderator analyses suggest that incorporating an empathy activation component in the prevention program was associated with better program effectiveness in promoting cyber-bystander intervention. Further, older age was found to be associated with better program outcomes. Findings of the current meta-analysis provide important insight for developing cyberbullying prevention programs that promote cyber-bystander intervention.

AbstractSexual and gender minority (SGM) youth experience higher rates of adverse mental health outcomes, most notably suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). The current study examines risk and protective factors for STBs and depression among 1,078 youth in high schools. We examine these outcomes through an intersectional lens, and we extend the use of the minority stress theory framework by focusing on resilience and protective factors and argue that bias against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth should be addressed at the systemic, rather than the individual, level. Our findings suggest that family support is a notable factor protective of depression and suicide-related behavior among LGBTQ youth. Additionally, peer support, help-seeking beliefs, access to medical and counseling services, engaging in healthy activities, spirituality, and having trusted adults are protective factors for some groups. The nuanced findings in this study offer suggestions for school psychologists and professionals to promote healthy and safe school environments.Impact StatementThe present study addresses the prevalence of suicide among LGBTQ adolescents and protective factors that may buffer their heightened risk. LGBTQ students are not inherently at risk because of their identities, but because of stigmatization they may face in society. As such, recommendations are provided to guide school psychologists and other professionals to foster a safe and inclusive environment for this population to reduce suicide risk.

AbstractSchool resource officers (SROs) and school security professionals (SSPs) have increased presence in schools, yet little is known about how they view the importance of their relationships with students and the broader school climate. This article is part of a larger study of an online professional development module on trauma-informed care and is focused on the qualitative reflection responses from 95 participants from three large school districts in the southeast United States. Informed by the levels of ecological systems theory, three salient themes were identified by the researchers: how SSPs and SROs describe school climate, how they respond to students with traumatic experiences, and how their perspectives may be affected by their differing roles. Findings indicate that SROs and SSPs benefited from this training on trauma-informed care because they expressed learning new strategies and feeling better equipped to serve and support students with known or unknown adverse childhood experiences.Impact StatementQualitative responses from this group of engaged school security professionals and school resource officers show the importance of intentional training on how to effectively create schools that are physically and psychologically safe spaces for all students. We learned that trauma-informed approaches are often not explicitly taught to school security professionals, despite their close work with students in schools. School security professionals believe that being empowered with this knowledge has the potential to influence how they will work with students in the future. It is ethically important to train school staff to work with students in an equitable and informed manner.Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2020.1832863.

Latino(a) (also called “Latinx”) are the fastest growing ethnic population in the U.S.; however, there is a dearth of literature that examines intracultural bullying behaviors and their association with mental health and substance use for this population. The current study uses a person-centered approach to examine bully perpetration among Latinx high school students and association with substance use and mental health. Latent Class Analysis was used to identify classes of bullying perpetration among a sample of Latinx adolescents drawn from 9 Colorado high schools (n= 2929). Age and sex were used as predictors to examine differences between classes. Identified bullying classes were then related to mental health (i.e., depression and suicide ideation) and perceptions of future substance use. The latent class analysis identified five classes that included a high bully perpetration class (4.5%, n= 133), a moderate class (13.8%, n= 405), a class that reported high rates of teasing behaviors (13.5%, n= 396), a class that reported high rates of cyberbullying perpetration (7.3%, n= 215), and a low bully perpetration class (60.90%, n= 1780). Females reported lower odds of being in the High and Teasing classes compared to males. Further, the High and Cyberbullying perpetration classes reported the highest rates of depression, suicide ideation, and perception of future substance use compared to other classes. Understanding the risk profile of students who engage in bullying perpetration is essential in creating useful and appropriate resources and interventions. Inclusive efforts are needed to create more effective prevention programs that attend to the growing ethnic diversity among U.S. students.