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Youth with conduct problems have poorer academic outcomes than their typically developing peers. The objective of the current study was to examine how sexual minority status was associated with trajectories of teacher-rated mathematics and language arts (i.e., reading and writing) achievement in seven consecutive years across the transition to adolescence among youth with childhood histories of conduct problems (N = 383). Sexual minority status (as assessed via indicators of identity, attraction, or behavior during adolescence in the eighth year of the study) was not associated with initial mathematics or language arts performance at time 1, but was associated with declining mathematics achievement during the transition to adolescence. These findings suggest that sexual minority status is linked to change in some aspects academic achievement among youth already at risk for poorer academic achievement (i.e., youth with conduct problems). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although friendship is a key source of support and intimacy for adolescents, adolescent friendships can also involve victimization, which can be harmful to youth well-being. To date, our understanding of victimization in friendship has been limited by a lack of measures that comprehensively capture the variety of negative behaviors occurring in this relationship. This study outlines the development and preliminary validation of the Friendship Victimization Scale for Adolescents (FVS-A), which assesses victimization and controlling behaviors in adolescent friendships. Adolescents (N = 706, Mage = 15.93, SD = 1.67; 62.3% cisgender girls, 33.7% cisgender boys) from high schools in Canada completed the FVS-A and other measures in the fall of 2019. The factor structure and psychometric properties of the measure were examined. The FVS-A demonstrated excellent internal consistency and a 3-factor structure (relational victimization, physical/verbal victimization, controlling behavior). There was evidence for demographic differences such that cisgender girls reported more overall friendship victimization, as well as relational victimization and control, than did cisgender boys. Greater friendship victimization was associated with greater dating victimization and gender-based bullying and was uniquely associated with greater depressive symptoms after accounting for these other types of victimization. Findings suggest that friendship victimization is common among adolescents. The results provide evidence for the utility of the FVS-A as a measure of an understudied source of interpersonal risk. Future work is needed to understand the long-term implications of friendship victimization and to elucidate the temporal associations between friendship victimization and other indicators of psychosocial adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiencing sexual violence is an important risk factor for trauma symptoms, and these symptoms significantly impair psychosocial functioning. Sexual and gender minority university students are more likely than their heterosexual and cisgender peers to experience sexual violence (e.g., sexual harassment, unwanted sexual contact, or sexual coercion) while attending university, but research on the consequences of these experiences is needed to inform service provision to these vulnerable populations. Using a large-scale study of university-based sexual violence in Quebec, the current study examined how gender and sexual minority status were associated with the severity of trauma symptoms among students who experienced sexual violence (N = 1,196). Findings indicated that compared with their cisgender peers, gender minority students experienced significantly higher levels of trauma symptoms as a result of sexual violence, controlling for the severity of sexual violence behaviors experienced and other variables. Among cisgender women, but not cisgender men, sexual minority identity was also associated with higher levels of trauma symptoms, controlling for severity of sexual violence behaviors experienced and other variables. Furthermore, gender of perpetrator and amount of sexual violence moderated the associations between sexual identity and trauma symptoms among cisgender women. These findings not only suggest that gender minority and some sexual minority university students are more likely to experience sexual violence, but that they are also more likely to experience negative psychological sequelae as a consequence of these experiences. Ultimately, these findings may suggest the need for services that are more supportive of the specific needs of gender and sexual minority students with regard to sexual violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mots-clés bien-être, détresse psychologique, satisfaction devie, transition légale, identité de genre, trans, non-binaire [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dating violence presents a serious threat for individual health and well-being. A growing body of literature suggests that starting in adolescence, individuals with sexual minority identities (e.g., individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual) may be at an increased risk for dating violence compared with heterosexuals. Research has not, however, identified the mechanisms that explain this vulnerability. Using a diverse sample of young adults (n = 2,474), the current study explored how minority stress theory, revictimization theory, sex of sexual partners, and risky sexual behavior explained differences in dating violence between sexual minority and heterosexual young adults. Initial analyses suggested higher rates of dating violence among individuals who identified as bisexual, and individuals who identified as gay or lesbian when compared with heterosexuals, and further found that these associations failed to differ across gender. When mediating and control variables were included in the analyses, however, the association between both sexual minority identities and higher levels of dating violence became nonsignificant. Of particular interest was the role of discrimination, which mediated the association between bisexual identity and dating violence. Other factors, including sex and number of sexual partners, alcohol use, and childhood maltreatment, were associated with higher rates of dating violence but did not significantly explain vulnerability among sexual minority individuals compared with their heterosexual peers. These findings suggest the importance of minority stress theory in explaining vulnerability to dating violence victimization among bisexuals in particular, and generally support the importance of sexual-minority specific variables in understanding risk for dating violence within this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine the prevalence and correlates of sending and receiving sexts (i.e., sexually explicit images) in a provincially representative sample of adolescents in Canada.Methods: Data from the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study, a provincial survey of households with children in Ontario, which includes a sample of 2,537 adolescents aged 14 to 17 years (mean age = 15.42, male = 51.6%) were used to address the research objectives.Results: The past 12 months prevalence of sending and receiving sexts was 14.4% and 27.0%, respectively. In unadjusted logistic regression analyses, non-White adolescents and those living in low-income households were less likely to send or receive sexts compared to White and non-low-income adolescents. Adolescents who disclosed their sexual and/or gender minority identities were 3 to 4 times more likely to send and receive sexts than youth who had not disclosed these identities. Higher levels of mental health problems generally observed among adolescents who sent or received sexts. In fully adjusted models, low income and ethnic minority status were associated with reduced odds of sending and receiving sexts, while sexual and/or gender minority disclosure status was associated with increased odds. Social anxiety was associated with reduced odds of sending and receiving sexts, while conduct disorder was associated with elevated odds.Conclusion: The prevalence of sexting behavior was higher among adolescents who disclosed their sexual or gender minority identities. Sexting behaviors were associated with higher levels of mental health problems. Identifying vulnerable populations and the potential mental health ramifications associated with sexting behavior is vital to mitigating negative sequelae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with conduct problems are at greater risk for internalizing problems. The objectives of this study were to (1) examine trajectories of internalizing problems among children with and without clinically significant conduct problems during the transition to adolescence; and (2) identify how academic achievement, peer rejection, parent socioeconomic status, maternal distress, parental warmth, child temperament, and receptive verbal functioning explained differences between the two groups. Children with conduct problems (N = 388, 45% girls) and a comparison sample without conduct problems (N = 299, 52% girls) were recruited from Quebec, Canada, when they were between the ages of 7 and 10 years, and were followed across 4 years. Mothers and teachers provided information on internalizing problems each year. Having clinically significant conduct problems was associated with higher initial levels of internalizing problems according to mothers and teachers, but not with changes in internalizing problems over time. With regards to teacher ratings, academic achievement, peer rejection, and negative emotionality partially explained differences in internalizing problems for youth with and without conduct problems. For mother ratings, maternal distress, negative emotionality, and peer rejection completely explained the association for girls, and partially explained the association for boys. Findings supported a multi-rater approach for understanding risk for internalizing problems among children with and without conduct problems. In particular, they highlight the importance of differences across context for understanding factors associated with vulnerability to internalizing problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]