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Disparities in Persistent Victimization and Associated Internalizing Symptoms for Heterosexual Versus Sexual Minority Youth
Author(s) -
Kaufman Tessa M. L.,
Baams Laura,
Veenstra René
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of research on adolescence
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.342
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1532-7795
pISSN - 1050-8392
DOI - 10.1111/jora.12495
Subject(s) - psychology , lesbian , sexual minority , peer victimization , anxiety , clinical psychology , heterosexuality , homosexuality , developmental psychology , injury prevention , poison control , psychiatry , medicine , environmental health , psychoanalysis
This study investigated whether lesbian, gay, and bisexual ( LGB ) adolescents were at higher risk for persistent victimization of bullying compared to heterosexual adolescents, and how victimization trajectories were associated with internalizing symptom development across LGB and heterosexual adolescents. Data came from a five‐wave study ( M age T1 = 11.1 to M age T5 = 22.3; n = 151 LGB ; n = 1,275 heterosexual) and informants were adolescents and their parents. Adolescents were classified in three victimization trajectories: persistent (5.6%), decreasing (28.1%) or low (66.3%) victimization. LGB adolescents reported more persistent victimization, relative to no ( OR = 6.79, 95% CI [3.52, 13.13]) or decreasing victimization ( OR = 3.09, 95% CI [1.53, 6.24]), compared to heterosexual peers. Further, persistent victimization was more strongly associated with anxiety among LGB than among heterosexual adolescents.