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Lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and youth with other minority sexual orientations (LGBQ+) who are more out to others about their sexual orientation identity may experience greater victimization at school based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, with negative implications for academic performance. Teacher support, however, may buffer these associations. Among a national US sample of cisgender and trans/non-binary LGBQ+ youth (n = 11,268; 66.1% White, 66.8% cisgender, M age  = 15.5 years, SD age  = 1.3), latent moderated-mediation models were tested in which perceived teacher support and affirmation moderated the extent to which sexual orientation identity outness was associated with poorer reported academic performance in part through its association with greater victimization. As hypothesized, greater perceived teacher support and affirmation buffered (a) the association between sexual orientation identity outness and victimization, (b) the association between victimization and reported academic performance, and (c) the indirect association between sexual orientation identity outness and reported academic performance through victimization. These findings underscore the important protective role of supportive teachers for LGBQ+ youth in schools., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Although scholarship continues to document higher rates of alcohol use for sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth compared with heterosexual and cisgender youth, research identifying factors that mitigate SGM youths' risk is nascent. Youth spend substantial time in schools; therefore, teachers could play significant roles in attenuating these health concerns. We used data from a nationwide survey of 11,189 SGM youth (M age  = 15.52; 67.7% White) to explore whether perceived teacher social-emotional support attenuated the association between victimization and alcohol use, further conditioned by youths' specific ethnoracial identity. As expected, victimization was associated with more frequent alcohol use; however, greater perceived teacher support attenuated this association. The attenuating effect of perceived teacher support was significantly stronger for Hispanic/Latinx youth than White youth. Our findings have implications for alcohol use prevention among SGM youth, who face significant marginalization in schools and society. If we are to prevent alcohol use disparities among SGM youth, scholars and stakeholders (e.g., school administrators, teachers) should invest in building teacher efficacy to intervene in SGM-specific victimization.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify sex-stratified trends in victimization risk specific to heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning youth while considering changes in sexual orientation-disparities from 2009 to 2017., Methods: Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data collected biennially (five waves; 2009-2017) were pooled across 56 jurisdictions and 454,715 students for one of the most nationally representative samples of heterosexual and sexual minority youth to date. We analyzed a seven-item victimization risk assessment using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended trend analysis approach. We used logistic regression with year-by-identity interactions to test whether sexual orientation-based disparities widened, narrowed, or were maintained over time., Results: Victimization risk declined significantly for male and female bisexual and questioning youth, lesbian, gay, and heterosexual youth. Disparities narrowed between bisexual, questioning, and lesbian females and heterosexual females and between bisexual and heterosexual males. Nevertheless, sexual orientation-based disparities remained significant for all sexual minority youth in 2017., Conclusions: Distinct patterns of change in victimization risk for specific groups of sexual minority youth underscore the need to consider variability within sexual minority youth communities; treating them as a singular group could mask nuanced disparities. Some of the relatively small decreases in victimization risk also suggest the need for interventions to address a more comprehensive set of victimization-related risks beyond bullying and needed efforts that are not limited to the immediate school context., (Copyright © 2019 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth is prevalent in the United States, and represents LGBT stigma when tied to sexual orientation and/or gender identity or expression. LGBT youth commonly report verbal, relational, and physical bullying, and damage to property. Bullying undermines the well-being of LGBT youth, with implications for risky health behaviors, poor mental health, and poor physical health that may last into adulthood. Pediatricians can play a vital role in preventing and identifying bullying, providing counseling to youth and their parents, and advocating for programs and policies to address LGBT bullying., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Importance: This study presents evidence that cyberbullying victimization relates to internalizing, externalizing, and substance use problems in adolescents and that the frequency of family dinners attenuate these associations., Objectives: To examine the unique association between cyberbullying victimization and adolescent mental health (after controlling differences in involvement in traditional, face-to-face bullying) and to explore the potential moderating role of family contact in this association., Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional, observational study used survey data on 18,834 students (aged 12-18 years) from 49 schools in a Midwestern US state. Logistic regression analysis tested associations between cyberbullying victimization and the likelihood of mental health and substance use problems. Negative binomial regression analysis tested direct and synergistic contributions of cyberbullying victimization and family dinners on the rates of mental health and substance use problems., Exposures: Frequency of cyberbullying victimization during the previous 12 months; victimization by traditional (face-to-face) bullying; and perpetration of traditional bullying., Main Outcomes and Measures: Five internalizing mental health problems (anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide ideation, and suicide attempt), 2 externalizing problems (fighting and vandalism), and 4 substance use problems (frequent alcohol use, frequent binge drinking, prescription drug misuse, and over-the-counter drug misuse)., Results: About one-fifth (18.6%) of the sample experienced cyberbullying during the previous 12 months. The frequency of cyberbullying positively related to all 11 internalizing, externalizing, and substance use problems (odds ratios from 2.6 [95% CI, 1.7-3.8] to 4.5 [95% CI, 3.0-6.6]). However, victimization related more closely to rates of problems in adolescents that had fewer family dinners., Conclusions and Relevance: Cyberbullying relates to mental health and substance use problems in adolescents, even after their involvement in face-to-face bullying is taken into account. Although correlational, these results suggest that family dinners (ie, family contact and communication) are beneficial to adolescent mental health and may help protect adolescents from the harmful consequences of cyberbullying.

Many heterosexual youth report homophobic victimization but there is little longitudinal research to examine its mental health consequences for them. In a 7-month study across an academic school year among 572 heterosexual high school students (55% females), we tested the short-term effects of homophobic victimization on anxiety and depressive symptoms with attention to gender differences. Homophobic victimization at the beginning of the school year predicted higher levels of concurrent anxiety over and above levels attributable to general victimization. Further, when controlling for initial anxiety and general victimization, homophobic victimization at the beginning of the school year predicted increased anxiety at the end of the school year for males, but not for females. Homophobic victimization across time points was more strongly associated for males than females, and this accounted for why initial homophobic victimization predicted increased anxiety for males but not females (i.e., it was indicative of mediated moderation). In contrast, homophobic victimization at the beginning of the school year did not predict concurrent depressive symptoms over and above general victimization. Similarly, although it predicted increased depressive symptoms at the end of the school year for males but not for females, the effect was weaker than for anxiety. These findings underscore that the effects of homophobic victimization are not temporary, particularly as they pertain to anxiety, and underscore the need to consider the nature of the victimization that youth experience, including for heterosexual youth.

Objectives: This study examined whether childhood bullying victimization was associated with psychosocial and academic functioning at college., Participants: The sample consisted of 413 first-year students from a large northeastern university., Methods: Students completed an online survey in February 2012 that included items assessing past bullying involvement, current psychosocial and academic functioning, and victimization experiences since arriving at college., Results: Regression analyses indicated that reports of past bullying and other peer victimization were associated with lower mental health functioning and perceptions of physical and mental health, but were not associated with perceptions of social life at college, overall college experience, or academic performance., Conclusions: Childhood bullying victimization is associated with poorer mental and physical health among first-year college students. Colleges should consider assessing histories of bullying victimization, along with other past victimization exposures, in their service provision to students.

As a form of bias-based harassment, homophobic behavior remains prominent in schools. Yet, little attention has been given to factors that underlie it, aside from bullying and sexual prejudice. Thus, we examined multiple domain general (empathy, perspective-taking, classroom respect norms) and sexual orientation-specific factors (sexual orientation identity importance, number of sexual minority friends, parents' sexual minority attitudes, media messages). We documented support for a model in which these sets of factors converged to predict homophobic behavior, mediated through bullying and prejudice, among 581 students in grades 9-12 (55 % female). The structural equation model indicated that, with the exception of media messages, these additional factors predicted levels of prejudice and bullying, which in turn predicted the likelihood of students to engage in homophobic behavior. These findings highlight the importance of addressing multiple interrelated factors in efforts to reduce bullying, prejudice, and discrimination among youth.

Purpose: To examine how two forms of interstudent harassment, cyber and bias-based harassment, are associated with academic, substance use, and mental health problems., Methods: We used a population-based survey of 17,366 middle and high school students that assessed harassment due to race/ethnicity or sexual orientation, and harassment through the Internet or text messaging along with other forms of interstudent harassment., Results: Odds ratios indicated that students experiencing both cyber and bias-based harassment were at the greatest risk for adjustment problems across all indicators, with suicidal ideation and attempts having the largest risk differences., Conclusions: Assessments of adolescent health and adjustment should include questions regarding both cyber and bias-based harassment., (Copyright © 2012 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Many adolescents experience peer victimization, which often can be homophobic. Applying the minority stress model with attention to intersecting social identities, this study tested the effects of general and homophobic victimization on several educational outcomes through suicidality and school belonging among 15,923 adolescents in Grades 7 through 12 on account of their sexual orientation and race/ethnicity. Parent support also was tested as a moderator of these effects. Homophobic victimization had different effects on suicidality across groups, indicating the importance of considering individuals' multiple social identities. However, homophobic victimization had universal negative effects on school belonging for all groups. Nearly all indirect effects of general and homophobic victimization on reported grades, truancy, and importance of graduating were significant through suicidality and school belonging across groups. Parent support was most consistent in moderating the effects of general and homophobic victimization on suicidality for heterosexual White and racial/ethnic minority youth. In nearly all cases, it did not moderate the effects of general or homophobic victimization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. Furthermore, in most cases, parent support did not moderate the effects of general or homophobic victimization on school belonging. Findings underscore the need for counseling psychologists to work with parents of all youth on ways to provide support to those who experience homophobic victimization. Furthermore, they highlight the need for counseling psychologists to be involved as social justice advocates in the passage and implementation of school policies that address homophobic bullying and other forms of bias-based bullying and harassment.

Biased language related to sexual orientation is used frequently among students and is related to prominent social concerns such as bullying. Prejudice toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals also has been examined among adolescents, but separately from these behaviors. This study tested whether biased language use was associated with bullying and dominance irrespective of sexual prejudice or if sexual prejudice moderated these associations among 290 high school students (50% female; 56% White). Sexual prejudice was associated with biased language use among boys only. Biased language was associated with bullying regardless of levels of sexual prejudice for boys. However, this association was dependent on sexual prejudice for girls. For dominance behavior, its association with biased language was moderated by sexual prejudice for boys, but not girls. However, girls' engagement in all behaviors was significantly less than boys. These results indicate nuanced ways in which multiple factors contribute to the use of sexual orientation biased language. Also, they underscore the need to address biased language and prejudice as part of anti-bullying programs.

Many students participate in a wide range of school or community-based extracurricular programs. Although there is strong evidence such programs promote healthy development programs that specifically serve sexual and gender minority students (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning [LGBTQ] students), and that address pressing issues affecting these students, have received far less attention than other programs. Yet LGBTQ students face enduring concerns at school. Because of the potential for school-based extracurricular groups to shape school climate, address inequality, and affect student performance, there have been calls to identify programs and settings that may reduce discrimination against LGBTQ students, promote their well-being, and foster safe and affirming school environments. Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) show promise for accomplishing these goals. GSAs are school-based extracurricular groups that provide a setting for LGBTQ students and their peer allies to receive support, socialize with one another, learn about LGBTQ issues, and advocate for equity and justice in schools. As a result, GSAs aim not only to support their immediate members but also to improve the experiences of students within the whole school. As GSAs become increasingly present in middle and high schools across the United States, it is important to understand how they can be most effective. This article begins with an overview of GSAs and how they operate. Next, it reviews findings that show GSAs are tied to positive student outcomes, highlights some of the ways GSAs promote well-being, and offers suggestions for how they can benefit youth from many different backgrounds. It then describes the roles and experiences of GSA advisors, as well as how they can support GSA members. The article concludes by noting how GSAs can partner with other school-based efforts to promote the well-being of LGBTQ students and contribute to better social and academic experiences for all students.

Empowering students to report peer victimization is a major part of bullying intervention. Nevertheless, although bullying often can be discriminatory (e.g., homophobic), there remains limited attention to how issues of diversity relate to students reporting their victimization experiences. Among 572 students in four Chilean high schools, we tested a model in which multiple factors predicted students' consistency of reporting victimization. Students who perceived having a sexual orientation/gender identity-specific antibullying policy reported less frequently hearing teachers or staff make homophobic comments, and students who perceived having a general antibullying policy reported that teachers and staff more frequently intervened against homophobic behavior. In turn, hearing teachers and staff make fewer homophobic comments and seeing them more frequently correct homophobic behavior related to students reporting stronger trust in their teachers and staff. Finally, stronger trust in teachers and staff was associated with more consistently reporting victimization experiences.

Victimization based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender expression (SOGE) carries significant consequences. In this study, we examined how SOGE-based victimization and contextual factors predicted truancy among 886 Chilean students (M[subscript age] = 16.00, SD = 1.30) in four high schools. Victimization predicted truancy indirectly through its associations with students feeling unsafe at school--in general and specifically related to their SOGE. Furthermore, perceptions of a negative SOGE-based school climate predicted greater truancy, almost entirely indirectly through students feeling more unsafe at school in general and specifically related to their SOGE.

Objectives: This study examined whether childhood bullying victimization was associated with psychosocial and academic functioning at college. Participants: The sample consisted of 413 first-year students from a large northeastern university. Methods: Students completed an online survey in February 2012 that included items assessing past bullying involvement, current psychosocial and academic functioning, and victimization experiences since arriving at college. Results: Regression analyses indicated that reports of past bullying and other peer victimization were associated with lower mental health functioning and perceptions of physical and mental health, but were not associated with perceptions of social life at college, overall college experience, or academic performance. Conclusions: Childhood bullying victimization is associated with poorer mental and physical health among first-year college students. Colleges should consider assessing histories of bullying victimization, along with other past victimization exposures, in their service provision to students.

A total of 11,447 high school students were surveyed to test the relation between victimization and the educational outcomes of truancy, post-high school intentions, and grades for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) and non-LGBTQ students. LGBTQ students reported statistically higher truancy, lower grades, greater expectations not to finish high school, and lower expectations to attend a four-year college. Victimization partially mediated these differences between LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ youth. These results highlight the role of victimization in partially accounting for academic disparities between LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ youth.

Few studies have examined school-based factors associated with variability in the victimization and health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Among 15,965 students in 45 Wisconsin schools, we identified differences based on Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) presence. Youth in schools with GSAs reported less truancy, smoking, drinking, suicide attempts, and sex with casual partners than those in schools without GSAs, with this difference being more sizable for LGBTQ than heterosexual youth. GSA-based differences were greatest for sexual minority girls on reported sex while using drugs. GSA effects were nonsignificant for general or homophobic victimization, grades, and school belonging. Findings suggest that GSAs could contribute to attenuating a range of health risks, particularly for LGBTQ youth. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

As a form of bias-based harassment, homophobic behavior remains prominent in schools. Yet, little attention has been given to factors that underlie it, aside from bullying and sexual prejudice. Thus, we examined multiple domain general (empathy, perspective-taking, classroom respect norms) and sexual orientation-specific factors (sexual orientation identity importance, number of sexual minority friends, parents' sexual minority attitudes, media messages). We documented support for a model in which these sets of factors converged to predict homophobic behavior, mediated through bullying and prejudice, among 581 students in grades 9-12 (55 % female). The structural equation model indicated that, with the exception of media messages, these additional factors predicted levels of prejudice and bullying, which in turn predicted the likelihood of students to engage in homophobic behavior. These findings highlight the importance of addressing multiple interrelated factors in efforts to reduce bullying, prejudice, and discrimination among youth.

In this article, we consider recent advances in scholarship on homophobic bullying, and implications for policy and practice. We first consider toward whom homophobic behavior is directed, drawing attention to the nuances among LGBT youth, and the realities of homophobic bullying for heterosexual or straight youth. We review the correlates or predictors of homophobic behavior in youth, and then discuss developmental trends in homophobic attitudes and prejudice and how those collide with younger ages of coming out among contemporary LGBT youth. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of implications for policies and programs.

This longitudinal study tested for changes in how students used and were called homophobic epithets as they progressed through high school. Boys used and were called these epithets with increased frequency over time, whereas girls reported decreases on both. Distinct gender socialization processes may contribute to these different patterns for boys and girls. Also, variability in students' own bullying and victimization across assessments corresponded with variability in their use of homophobic epithets and being called these epithets. These findings capture the dynamic yet significantly covarying nature of these behaviors, adding support for the link between bullying, victimization, and homophobic language. Further, students who reported overall higher tendencies to bully or to be victimized than others also reported more often using and being called homophobic epithets during their first semester of high school. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for research on the dynamics of this behavior, psychological and academic implications, and implications for educational policies and intervention programs. (Contains 2 figures and 4 tables.)

Many adolescents experience peer victimization, which often can be homophobic. Applying the minority stress model with attention to intersecting social identities, this study tested the effects of general and homophobic victimization on several educational outcomes through suicidality and school belonging among 15,923 adolescents in Grades 7 through 12 on account of their sexual orientation and race/ethnicity. Parent support also was tested as a moderator of these effects. Homophobic victimization had different effects on suicidality across groups, indicating the importance of considering individuals' multiple social identities. However, homophobic victimization had universal negative effects on school belonging for all groups. Nearly all indirect effects of general and homophobic victimization on reported grades, truancy, and importance of graduating were significant through suicidality and school belonging across groups. Parent support was most consistent in moderating the effects of general and homophobic victimization on suicidality for heterosexual White and racial/ethnic minority youth. In nearly all cases, it did not moderate the effects of general or homophobic victimization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. Furthermore, in most cases, parent support did not moderate the effects of general or homophobic victimization on school belonging. Findings underscore the need for counseling psychologists to work with parents of all youth on ways to provide support to those who experience homophobic victimization. Furthermore, they highlight the need for counseling psychologists to be involved as social justice advocates in the passage and implementation of school policies that address homophobic bullying and other forms of bias-based bullying and harassment. (Contains 1 figure, 4 tables, and 4 footnotes.)

In 2 studies, beliefs supporting the use of violence moderated the association between normative masculine activities and aggressive behavior (Study 1) and normative masculine attitudes and aggressive and homophobic behavior (Study 2) among adolescent boys. These beliefs also moderated the association between normative masculine activities and homophobic behavior among adolescent girls. Consistent with social information processing models, beliefs about the appropriateness and effectiveness of violence predicted aggressive behavior for boys and girls, including bullying, fighting, and relational aggression. Furthermore, the association between masculine norms and aggressive behavior and homophobic behavior was partly dependent on holding these beliefs among boys. Continued research is needed to identify other beliefs that may distinguish different expressions of masculinities and their association with other attitudes and behaviors. Within the broader aggression and homophobia literature among adolescents there is a need to include the study of gender norms, while recognizing the complexity with which these factors are associated. (Contains 6 figures and 6 tables.)

Biased language related to sexual orientation is used frequently among students and is related to prominent social concerns such as bullying. Prejudice toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals also has been examined among adolescents, but separately from these behaviors. This study tested whether biased language use was associated with bullying and dominance irrespective of sexual prejudice or if sexual prejudice moderated these associations among 290 high school students (50% female; 56% White). Sexual prejudice was associated with biased language use among boys only. Biased language was associated with bullying regardless of levels of sexual prejudice for boys. However, this association was dependent on sexual prejudice for girls. For dominance behavior, its association with biased language was moderated by sexual prejudice for boys, but not girls. However, girls' engagement in all behaviors was significantly less than boys. These results indicate nuanced ways in which multiple factors contribute to the use of sexual orientation biased language. Also, they underscore the need to address biased language and prejudice as part of anti-bullying programs.

This study examined the use of homophobic epithets in association with multiple bullying roles (i.e., primary bully, reinforcing and assisting the bully, defending the victim, and remaining uninvolved) among 253 high school students. Use of homophobic epithets was significantly associated with the primary bully role and the supportive roles of reinforcing and assisting the bully for boys and girls. Remaining uninvolved was associated with less use of homophobic language only for girls. Furthermore, engaging in multiple bullying roles predicted more frequent use of homophobic epithets among boys. However, a more complex relation existed for girls. The reinforcer role significantly predicted more frequent use of homophobic epithets for girls, but to a greater extent for those who also engaged in the primary bully role. Findings provide a broader social understanding of how homophobic language may be used as part of bullying, and carry several implications for professionals in schools. (Contains 3 tables.)

This study explores the impact of bullying on the mental health of students who witness it. A representative sample of 2,002 students aged 12 to 16 years attending 14 schools in the United Kingdom were surveyed using a questionnaire that included measures of bullying at school, substance abuse, and mental health risk. The results suggest that observing bullying at school predicted risks to mental health over and above that predicted for those students who were directly involved in bullying behavior as either a perpetrator or a victim. Observing others was also found to predict higher risk irrespective of whether students were or were not victims themselves. The results are discussed with reference to past research on bystander and witness behavior. (Contains 4 tables.)

The current investigation examined how homophobic and aggressive social climates of adolescent peer groups accounted for students' use of homophobic epithets and engagement in homophobic banter using multilevel modeling. Results indicated that aggressive peer group social climates accounted for increased use of epithets, over and above individuals' own reported bullying behavior. Furthermore, the homophobic social climate moderated individuals' engagement in homophobic banter, such that being called a homophobic epithet had a stronger predictive effect of calling other students these epithets for individuals in more homophobic peer groups. Findings support the need for research to study the way in which individuals' homophobic behavior can be accounted for based on their interactions with friends and the social processes occurring within their immediate environment. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)

This investigation examined the extent to which homophobic victimization predicted multiple indicators of psychological and social distress for middle school students (n = 143) during a 1-year assessment period. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that homophobic victimization significantly predicted increased anxiety and depression, personal distress, and lower sense of school belonging in males and higher levels of withdrawal in females after controlling for previously reported levels of each variable. Results suggest that being the target of homophobic victimization has significant psychological and social consequences for students, although differentially for males and females. Although use of such content may occur within peer groups and appear to be harmless banter between friends, teachers and administrators should intervene during these occurrences, and school policies and programming should specifically address and seek to decrease this social problem. (Contains 3 tables.)

Empowering students to report peer victimization is a major part of bullying intervention. Nevertheless, although bullying often can be discriminatory (e.g., homophobic), there remains limited attention to how issues of diversity relate to students reporting their victimization experiences. Among 572 students in four Chilean high schools, we tested a model in which multiple factors predicted students’ consistency of reporting victimization. Students who perceived having a sexual orientation/gender identity-specific antibullying policy reported less frequently hearing teachers or staff make homophobic comments, and students who perceived having a general antibullying policy reported that teachers and staff more frequently intervened against homophobic behavior. In turn, hearing teachers and staff make fewer homophobic comments and seeing them more frequently correct homophobic behavior related to students reporting stronger trust in their teachers and staff. Finally, stronger trust in teachers and staff was associated with more consistently reporting victimization experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on homophobic behavior has focused on students engaging in this behavior or students toward whom this behavior is directed. There has been little attention to the large segment of students who observe this behavior, including active bystanders who defend or support students when homophobic behavior occurs. Among 722 high school students (55% female, 87% white, 86% heterosexual), 66.8% had observed at least one instance of homophobic behavior in the past 30 days. Gender (in this case, girls more so than boys), leadership, courage, altruism, justice sensitivity, and number of LGBT friends were associated with engagement in more active bystander behavior in response to observing homophobic behavior. Further, gender, courage, altruism, and number of LGBT friends each made unique contributions in accounting for variability in students' defending behavior in a comprehensive regression model. Findings highlight qualities that interventionists should cultivate in students that could lead to more active bystander engagement against homophobic behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prejudice and popularity represent two major areas of research. Yet studies have not considered whether prejudiced adolescents actually can be popular. Among 572 high school students ( Mage = 15.80 years), the current study tested the association between popularity (based on sociometric peer nominations) and sexual prejudice against gay and lesbian individuals, moderated by gender and perspective taking. As hypothesized, the association was significant for males but not females, and it was significant for adolescents lower on perspective taking but not those higher on perspective taking. Moreover, adolescents who were popular and expressed strong sexual prejudice were more likely to engage in homophobic behavior than prejudiced adolescents who were less popular. Popular adolescents with strong sexual prejudice beliefs may be more prone to use homophobic behavior as a way to maintain their dominant position. Similarly, prejudiced adolescents who are popular may face less pushback for their engagement in homophobic behavior. Continued attention to the connection between sexual prejudice and popularity is important because of the high status, influence, and visibility of popular adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This longitudinal study tested for changes in how students used and were called homophobic epithets as they progressed through high school. Boys used and were called these epithets with increased frequency over time, whereas girls reported decreases on both. Distinct gender socialization processes may contribute to these different patterns for boys and girls. Also, variability in students' own bullying and victimization across assessments corresponded with variability in their use of homophobic epithets and being called these epithets. These findings capture the dynamic yet significantly covarying nature of these behaviors, adding support for the link between bullying, victimization, and homophobic language. Further, students who reported overall higher tendencies to bully or to be victimized than others also reported more often using and being called homophobic epithets during their first semester of high school. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for research on the dynamics of this behavior, psychological and academic implications, and implications for educational policies and intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study examined the use of homophobic epithets in association with multiple bullying roles (i.e., primary bully, reinforcing and assisting the bully, defending the victim, and remaining uninvolved) among 253 high school students. Use of homophobic epithets was significantly associated with the primary bully role and the supportive roles of reinforcing and assisting the bully for boys and girls. Remaining uninvolved was associated with less use of homophobic language only for girls. Furthermore, engaging in multiple bullying roles predicted more frequent use of homophobic epithets among boys. However, a more complex relation existed for girls. The reinforcer role significantly predicted more frequent use of homophobic epithets for girls, but to a greater extent for those who also engaged in the primary bully role. Findings provide a broader social understanding of how homophobic language may be used as part of bullying, and carry several implications for professionals in schools. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This investigation examined the extent to which homophobic victimization predicted multiple indicators of psychological and social distress for middle school students (n = 143) during a 1-year assessment period. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that homophobic victimization significantly predicted increased anxiety and depression, personal distress, and lower sense of school belonging in males and higher levels of withdrawal in females after con- trolling for previously reported levels of each variable. Results suggest that being the target of homophobic victimization has significant psychological and social consequences for students, although differentially for males and females. Although use of such content may occur within peer groups and appear to be harmless banter between friends, teachers and administrators should intervene during these occurrences, and school policies and programming should specifically address and seek to decrease this social problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation quantitatively examines the association among homophobic content, bullying, victimization, empathy, and several psychosocial outcomes of these constructs. The 2-factor Homophobic Content Agent Target (HCAT) scale was developed and validated among 191 middle school students to assess the extent to which students both use and are called various epithets in reference to sexual orientation. Cronbach reliability coefficients of α = .85 were obtained for both factors. Convergent validity was demonstrated with scales measuring bullying, fighting, victimization, relational aggression and victimization, anxiety and depression, and delinquency. Discriminant validity was demonstrated in comparison with school sense of belonging, empathy, and perspective-taking. Discriminative validity was demonstrated through sex differences on several scales. Results strongly suggest that homophobic content is prevalent in various forms of aggression and victimization, and that future research should examine the role of homophobia in bullying and victimization in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the impact of bullying on the mental health of students who witness it. A representative sample of 2,002 students aged 12 to 16 years attending 14 schools in the United Kingdom were surveyed using a questionnaire that included measures of bullying at school, substance abuse, and mental health risk. The results suggest that observing bullying at school predicted risks to mental health over and above that predicted for those students who were directly involved in bullying behavior as either a perpetrator or a victim. Observing others was also found to predict higher risk irrespective of whether students were or were not victims themselves. The results are discussed with reference to past research on bystander and witness behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth living with socially devalued characteristics (e.g., minority sexual orientation, race, and/or ethnicity; disability; obesity) experience frequent bullying. This stigma-based bullying undermines youths’ wellbeing and academic achievement, with lifelong consequences. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends developing, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based interventions to address stigma-based bullying. To characterize the existing landscape of these interventions, we conducted a systematic review of stigma-based bullying interventions targeting youth in any country published in the peer-reviewed literature between 2000 and 2015. Our analysis was guided by a theoretical framework of stigma-based bullying, which describes stigma-related factors at the societal, structural, interpersonal, and individual levels that lead to stigma-based bullying. We screened 8,240 articles and identified 22 research studies describing 21 interventions addressing stigma-based bullying. We found that stigma-based bullying interventions are becoming more numerous, yet are unevenly distributed across stigmas, geographic locations, and types of organizations. We further found that these interventions vary in the extent to which they incorporate theory and have been evaluated with a wide range of research designs and types of data. We recommend that future work address stigma-based bullying within multicomponent interventions, adopt interdisciplinary and theory-based approaches, and include rigorous and systematic evaluations. Intervening specifically on stigma-related factors is essential to end stigma-based bullying and improve the wellbeing of youth living with socially devalued characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]