Original article
Sexual Orientation and Bullying Among Adolescents in the Growing Up Today Study

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.10.015Get rights and content

Abstract

Purpose

To examine the relationship between sexual orientation and past-year reports of bullying victimization and perpetration in a large sample of American youth.

Methods

Survey data from 7,559 adolescents aged 14–22 who responded to the 2001 wave questionnaire of the Growing Up Today Study were examined cross-sectionally. Multivariable generalized estimating equations regression was performed using the modified Poisson method. We examined associations between sexual orientation and past-year bully victimization and perpetration with heterosexuals as the referent group, stratifying by gender and controlling for age, race/ethnicity, and weight status.

Results

Compared to heterosexual males, mostly heterosexual males (risk ratio [RR]: 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13, 1.86) and gay males (RR 1.98; CI: 1.39, 2.82) were more likely to report being bullied. Similarly, mostly heterosexual females (RR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.45, 2.03), bisexual females (RR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.14, 2.31), and lesbians (RR: 3.36, 95% CI: 1.76, 6.41) were more likely to report being bullied than were heterosexual females. Gay males (RR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.14, 0.84) were much less likely to report bullying others than were heterosexual males. Mostly heterosexual females (RR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.42, 2.04) and bisexual females (RR: 2.41, 95% CI: 1.80, 3.24) were more likely to report bullying others than heterosexual females. No lesbian participants reported bullying others.

Conclusions

There are significant differences in reports of bullying victimization and perpetration between heterosexual and sexual minority youth. Clinicians should inquire about sexual orientation and bullying, and coordinate care for youth who may need additional support.

Section snippets

Study participants and design

The GUTS is a national longitudinal cohort study of 16,882 adolescent boys and girls who are children of female registered nurses participating in the Nurses' Health Study II. Invitations to participate and baseline questionnaires were initially mailed in October 1996 to the 13,261 girls and 13,504 boys whose mothers had granted consent to invite them into the study. At baseline, 9,049 girls and 7,943 boys were enrolled in the cohort. The cohort is 93.3% white, 1.5% Asian, 0.9% African

Results

Among the 2,720 male participants in our analytical sample, 93.5% (n = 2544) described themselves as heterosexual, 4.5% (n = 123) as mostly heterosexual, 0.5% (n = 14) as bisexual, and 1.4% (n = 39) as mostly homosexual or completely homosexual (gay). Among the 4,839 female participants who are included in analyses, 88.3% (n = 4,274) described themselves as heterosexual, 9.5% (n = 460) as mostly heterosexual, 1.9% (n = 90) as bisexual, and 0.3% (n = 15) as mostly homosexual or completely homosexual (lesbian).

Discussion

Among youth responding to the 2001 wave of the GUTS, the 1-year prevalence of reports of bullying victimization and perpetration differed by sexual orientation and gender. Bullying experiences, both victimization and perpetration, were more likely among sexual minority females than heterosexual females, although no lesbians reported bullying others in our study. The relationships between sexual orientation and bullying were different among males. Mostly heterosexual and gay males were more

Conclusions

In this study, we found significant differences in reports of bully victimization and perpetration between heterosexual youth and sexual minority youth, and that these relationships between bullying and sexual orientation differed by gender. Clinicians providing care for adolescents should be aware that youth with a minority sexual orientation may be at higher risk for victimization by bullying and perpetration of bullying. They should routinely inquire about sexual orientation and inquire

Acknowledgments

Supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and grants HD045763, DK46834, and DK59570 from the National Institutes of Health and the Leadership Education in Adolescent Health project, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, HRSA grant T71-MC00009-16.

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