Longitudinal Associations Among Bullying, Homophobic Teasing, and Sexual Violence Perpetration Among Middle School Students

Peer sexual harassment among 10-year-olds: Roles, genders, classroom occurrence, and associations with emotional problems

This is the first study examining peer sexual harassment among 10-year-olds (N = 985), studying how being a victim, perpetrator, or witness relates to emotional problems, and how these associations are moderated by gender and class occurrence of sexual harassment. Results showed that 45% of the participants reported victimization, 17% perpetration, and 60% witnessing sexual harassment, with vast overlaps between roles. Victimization and witnessing were related to more emotional problems. Victimized girls reported more emotional problems than boys, but girls who perpetrated reported fewer emotional problems than boys. Associations between peer sexual harassment and emotional problems varied across classrooms. Our findings highlight the occurrence of peer sexual harassment in younger ages, emphasizing an ecological perspective when addressing it in school.

Using Cognitive Interviews to Adapt Interpersonal Violence Measures for Use With Middle School Youth

Experiences of interpersonal violence are common among youth. Starting prevention programming early (e.g., middle school) may be beneficial for primary prevention. Evaluating whether such programs are effective often requires collecting self-report data from youth, but many existing measures have been developed for high school and college-aged youth. This study aimed to assess adolescents' comprehension of self-report survey items on interpersonal violence with middle school youth. We conducted virtual cognitive interviews with 15 youth in grades 6 to 8. A content analysis was used to identify patterns and to classify the nature and type of comprehension issues youth experienced. Nearly all students found most questions clear and understandable. We identified the following comprehension issues: (1) uncertainty with how the intent of a perpetrator factored into a victim's experience (e.g., distinguishing the difference between joking and bullying, or intentional versus unintentional behavior); (2) lack of familiarity with certain expressions of sexualized violence (e.g., "sexual looks") or sex-related terminology (e.g., intercourse); and (3) narrow interpretations of question prompts (e.g., interpreting "forced" as physically forced, not psychologically coerced). Students suggested including language describing dating relationships, types of social media platforms where cyber abuse takes place, and additional examples alongside items to enhance relevance and clarity. Survey questions to measure interpersonal violence may need to be adapted for use among middle school youth. Our findings highlight potential considerations for improving the measurement of interpersonal violence in this age group.

Prevalence of Violence Victimization and Perpetration During Middle and High School in Underresourced, Urban Communities

This study describes rates of violence victimization, perpetration, and witnessing in 6th-11th grade for a multisite sample (N = 3,466) of predominantly Black and Hispanic middle- and high-school students from urban areas with high rates of crime and economic disadvantage. Students completed surveys in middle and high school assessing teen dating violence, stalking, sexual violence and harassment, bullying, cyberbullying, and physical violence perpetration and victimization, as well as witnessing violence. The highest prevalence rates are observed most often in 8th or 9th grade. Youth reported high rates of witnessing serious assault and severe community violence throughout adolescence. These findings suggest that efforts to prevent violence among youth living in under-resourced communities need to start early and address community-level socioeconomic disparities.

Adolescent experiences with online racial discrimination: Implications for prevention and coping

Online aggression represents a wide range of negative experiences, including online discrimination targeting individuals based on race, but adolescent perspectives are not well-represented. We interviewed 15 adolescents regarding their experiences with online racial discrimination. After a phenomenological analysis, four main themes emerged: types of online racial aggression, processes supporting online racism, personal coping, and strategies to prevent online racial aggression. These themes provided insights into adolescent experiences, including feelings about targeted online racial discrimination, intersectionality with sexual harassment, and comfort through processing with friends. This study highlights adolescents' thoughts regarding advocacy, education, and social media reform to prevent online racial aggression. Future research should ensure that youth voices from minoritized racial backgrounds are integrated into efforts to address these critical social issues.

Interpersonal Violence Victimization Experiences of Middle School Youth: An Exploration by Gender and Sexual/Romantic Attraction

Sexual minority youth (SMY) are at increased risk for interpersonal violence victimization compared to heterosexual youth. The current study examined how self-reported victimization (i.e., bullying, sexual harassment and dating violence) among middle school youth varied as a function of sexual/romantic attraction as well as gender identity. Cross-sectional data were gathered from students at seven middle schools in New England (n = 2245). Mean comparisons with post-hoc Tukey tests determined differences in rates of past 6-month and lifetime interpersonal violence victimization by sexual/romantic attraction and the intersection of gender and attraction. As hypothesized, interpersonal violence victimization among middle school youth differed as a function of sexual/romantic attraction as well as gender. To date, most research has focused on older samples, particularly high-school youth and young adults. These data are consistent with these prior studies documenting increased risk for interpersonal violence victimization among youth who indicate same-gender attraction but add to the literature in demonstrating the expansive forms of peer victimization that same-gender-attracted youth already experience by early adolescence. Given that victimization is associated acutely and longitudinally with many deleterious outcomes, including poorer mental health and increased risk for subsequent victimization, greater structural supports are needed for early adolescent SMY.

Sexual Victimization in Adolescence: Pathways of Risk from Sexual Harassment via Risky Alcohol Use and Delinquency Among U.S. Adolescents

Sexual harassment is a common, yet understudied form of peer victimization experienced by adolescents during a critical period in the development of sexual identity. Adverse sexual experiences early in life (e.g., child sexual abuse) can increase risk of future sexual assault victimization; however, it is unclear as to whether sexual harassment victimization is also a risk factor for sexual assault. We examined the prospective association between peer sexual harassment and experiencing sexual victimization in the following year among a community sample of 13-15-year-old adolescents (N = 800, 57% female) from the northeastern USA. We also examined whether risky alcohol use and delinquency mediated the association between sexual harassment and sexual assault victimization, as well as whether the paths differed by gender. Results indicated that sexual harassment victimization prospectively predicted later sexual victimization for both girls and boys. Using a parallel mediation path model, we determined that for girls, sexual harassment victimization predicted both risky alcohol use and delinquency, but only risky alcohol use was predictive of sexual victimization. For boys, sexual harassment victimization predicted delinquency but not risky alcohol use. Risky alcohol use was not associated with sexual victimization for boys. Findings indicate that sexual harassment victimization increases risk of later sexual victimization in adolescence, but the pathways differ by gender.

Hostile home environment predicting early adolescent sexual harassment perpetration and potential school-related moderators

Using family systems theory, this longitudinal study of middle school youth examined the effects of abuse, family conflict, and sibling aggression on sexual harassment perpetration (N = 1563; Mage 11.2, 51% boys; 39% Hispanic, 29% Black, and 19% White). Boys reported more sexual harassment than girls; perpetration increased for both. The association between a hostile home environment and sexual harassment perpetration was moderated by school experiences. School belonging buffered effects of hostile home environment on baseline sexual harassment perpetration for boys who experienced abuse and White adolescents with high sibling aggression. Academic grades moderated change in perpetration over time, but effects differed by sex and race. It is important to understand how early violence exposures relate to sexual violence perpetration during early adolescence.

Teasing and alcohol drinking among African American adolescents in Chicago's Southside: Implications for nursing practice

OBJECTIVE

Guided by the routine activity theory, the current study proposes and tests pathways by which an absence of a capable guardian can contribute to interactions with motivated offenders and suitable targets, increasing the likelihood of teasing others and using alcohol.

SAMPLE

The study participants consisted of 612 African American adolescents in four low-income neighborhoods in Chicago's Southside.

MEASURES

Measures include alcohol use, absence of a capable guardian, the presence of a motivated offender, target suitability, and teasing. Covariates include age, biological sex, and government assistance. Analyses included descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

The absence of a capable guardian variable positively correlated with the presence of a motivated offender. The presence of a motivated offender variable was positively associated with target suitability, which was positively related to teasing and alcohol use. The presence of a motivated offender and target suitability variables were positively associated with teasing and alcohol use.

CONCLUSION

Findings highlight the importance of capable guardians and potentially have implications for nursing practice.

Sports Participation, Social Networks, and Sexual Violence Perpetration

Adolescent sexual violence (SV), which includes non-contact verbal sexual harassment (SH) and forced sexual contact (FSC), is a significant public health problem with long-term impacts on health and well-being. Understanding how sports participation is linked to SV can inform prevention efforts; however, the current literature is unclear about the nature of this association. Using data from 20 high schools, we investigate whether athletes in certain sports are at higher risk of SH and FSC perpetration than either other athletes or sports non-participants, and whether the risk is moderated by gender, dismissiveness of SV, or substance use intentions. We also utilize social network data to explore the role of relationships with peers and trusted adults to attenuate SH and FSC perpetration. Second, we incorporate characteristics of friends to further examine the role and composition of peer groups in the association between sports participation and perpetration of SH and FSC. Findings revealed a bivariate association between sport contact level and SH perpetration, but not FSC, and the association disappeared after adjusting for other covariates. Most prominently, dismissiveness of SV, intentions to use substances, and prior perpetration had the strongest association with perpetration regardless of sport contact level. Results also provided some support for the influence of peers and trusted adults in the sports context. Notably, the percentage of friends who perpetrated FSC and the percentage of friends who play a low-contact sport were positively associated with FSC perpetration, and the percentage of friends who play a high-contact sport was positively associated with SH perpetration. The paper concludes with a discussion of the sports context as an important venue for comprehensive prevention efforts, including a focus on changing norms around adolescent SV and substance use.

Bullying as a Developmental Precursor to Sexual and Dating Violence Across Adolescence: Decade in Review

Adolescent bullying continues to be a major focus of scholarship across the globe. This article reviews research from 2010 to 2021 with a particular focus on longitudinal studies of the bully-sexual violence pathway (BSVP), where bullying serves as a precursor for sexual violence (SV) (e.g., sexual harassment, sexual coercion, and sexual assault) and teen dating violence via individual and socio-contextual mediators. Articles reviewed consisted of a total of 505, which included 17 meta-analyses and systematic reviews. Databases used for the search were Academic Search Complete, Education Full Text (H. W. Wilson), ERIC, National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts, PsycINFO, PubMed (Medline), and Social Sciences Abstracts (H. W. Wilson). In total, 107 peer-reviewed articles were included in this review. Potential mechanisms underlying the BSVP include social dominance orientation, exposure to sexual education, and alcohol use. Several school-based intervention approaches have evidenced marginal success in reducing rates of bullying and SV by targeting factors undergirding both behaviors. The efficacy of international prevention approaches is summarized. Gaps in the literature are identified and future research is proposed.

Violence perpetration prevalence among Colorado (United States) high school students across gender, racial/ethnic, and sexual identities

Adolescent violence, including sexual violence, homophobic name-calling, and teen dating violence, are public health problems that cause harm to many adolescents in the United States. Although research on the perpetration of these forms of adolescent violence has increased in recent years, little is known about perpetration rates across gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. To address this gap, the current study descriptively examined perpetration rates between and across different identities, including self-identified race/ethnicity, sexual identity, and gender identity. In Fall 2017, 9th - 11th grade students (N = 4782) at 20 high schools in Colorado (United States) completed a survey that assessed demographics (e.g., race/ethnicity, sexual identity, and gender identity) and various forms of violence perpetration. Compared to female adolescents, male adolescents reported significantly higher perpetration rates for: any sexual violence (27% vs. 17%); sexual harassment (26% vs. 15%); unwanted sexual contact (8% vs. 4%); and homophobic name-calling (61% vs. 38%). Differences in perpetration rates were also observed among various racial/ethnic, sexual, and gender minority students compared to non-minority students. This emphasizes a need for more research on how minority stress that results from the dynamics of intersecting identities and societal systems of power-including racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia-contributes to violence perpetration. Evidence-based violence prevention approaches, particularly strategies targeted at changing social norms about violence, gender, and sexuality, need to be tailored and evaluated for students with diverse cultural and social identities to ensure safe school climates for all students.

Bullying Perpetration and Homophobic Teasing: Mediation through Gender Role Attitudes

Homophobic teasing or name-calling, one form of school-related gender-based violence, refers to the use of derogatory language or actions towards sexual- or gender-nonconforming individuals. Research in the Global North has indicated that it is highly prevalent among adolescents, and is associated with a broad range of negative outcomes for both victims and perpetrators. However, such behaviors remain understudied in China. Using a cross-sectional design, the present study investigated the structural relations between homophobic teasing, bullying perpetration, and gender role attitudes among 1915 Chinese high school students. The results showed that 11.5% of the participants had perpetrated such harassment in the past month. Structural equation analyses revealed that bullying perpetration predicted more teasing involvement, and that the relationship was partially mediated by gender role attitudes among both female and male youth. The moderation effect of sex was found only for the direct effect of bullying; such that males who engaged in bullying were more likely to perpetrate homophobic teasing than females. These findings suggest the need for further examination and effective interventions and preventions for the behavior in Chinese contexts.

Youth perceptions of prevention norms and peer violence perpetration and victimization: A prospective analysis

The purpose of the current study is to prospectively examine the extent to which social norms perceptions regarding commitment to ending sexual violence are associated with subsequent peer victimization and perpetration experiences. Two types of social norms perceptions were examined: 1) peer norms (perceptions of norms among other students in their city), and 2) adult norms (perceptions of norms among adults in their city). Participants were 1259 middle and high school youth from a single school district (three high schools and five middle schools) who completed online surveys at two-time points, 6 months apart. Adolescents for whom perceptions of peer norms were one standard deviation or more above and below the mean of actual norms were "over-perceivers" and "under-perceivers," respectively. Overperceivers overestimated their peers' commitment to ending sexual violence, whereas underperceivers underestimated their peers' commitment to ending sexual violence. Other adolescents were "accurate perceivers"; these adolescents were accurate in their estimation of their peers' commitment to ending sexual violence. In general, underperceivers (22.2% of the sample) were more likely than accurate perceivers (77.8% of the sample) to subsequently experience peer-to-peer perpetration and victimization. Adolescents who perceived adults to have a higher commitment to ending sexual violence were less likely to report subsequent perpetration and victimization for some forms of peer-to-peer violence. These findings highlight the potential promise of the social norms approaches to prevent peer-to-peer violence among youth which aligns with increasing calls in the field to integrate these approaches into comprehensive sexual violence prevention.

Developmental Moderators of a Single-Session Incremental Theory of Personality Intervention on Aggressive Behavior

This study examines two indicators of developmental level (testosterone and grade) as moderators of the effects of a single-session incremental theory of personality intervention on both traditional and online aggressive behaviors. A sample of 535 Spanish adolescents (boys: 50%; age: 12-17 years) participated in a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomized to receive the incremental theory of personality intervention or an alternative educational control condition. The intervention consisted of teaching the belief that people can change. Aggressive behaviors were measured at baseline, one-week posttest, and six-month and twelve-month follow-ups. Testosterone level moderated the effectiveness of the intervention for online aggressive behavior so that, among adolescents with low and medium testosterone levels, those in the control group increased online aggressive behavior, whereas adolescents receiving the intervention remained at similar levels of perpetration. Grade moderated the effectiveness of the intervention on both forms of aggressive behavior, being only effective in Grade 8. Overall, the findings indicate that some preventative interventions can be more effective among adolescents with lower levels of development.

Introduction to the Special Issue: Bullying and Its Linkage to Other Forms of Violence

As studies have documented, children and adolescents who are identified as bullies, bully victims, or both are at an elevated risk of being involved in other forms of violence, for example, dating violence and sexual violence. Moreover, those who are exposed to violence (e.g., exposure to community violence) have increased odds of being involved in bullying. This special issue brings together scholars from a variety of disciplines (e.g., psychology, criminology/criminal justice, and social work) to investigate how involvement in bullying and other forms of violence are interrelated.

Do Sexual Minorities Face Greater Risk for Sexual Harassment, Ever and at School, in Adolescence? : Findings From a 2019 Cross-Sectional Study of U.S. Adults

Bullying of sexual minorities in the United States is common and often begins in middle and high school, yet research that examines sexual harassment of sexual minorities is limited. This study examines whether sexual minorities are more likely than straight people to (a) report sexual harassment and (b) report sexual harassment as adolescents at middle or high school. We analyzed survey data from a cross-sectional study of sexual harassment and assault, conducted with nationally representative samples of adults in 2019 (N = 2,205). Sexual harassment was categorized as non-physically aggressive sexual harassment only (NPSH; e.g., verbal or cyber harassment), physically aggressive sexual harassment (PSH; e.g., stalking, rubbing up against you; with or without NPSH), sexual assault (SA; i.e., forced sex; with or without NPSH or PSH), or no sexual harassment (none). In total, 6% of female and male respondents identified as a sexual minority. A history of sexual harassment or assault was reported by 95.0% of sexual minority women and 80.3% of straight women (p = .001), and by 77.3% of sexual minority men and 41.3% of straight men (p = .001). Multivariable multinomial models demonstrate that sexual minorities were more likely than straight individuals to report NPSH (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 2.88, 95% [Confidence Interval] CI = [1.33, 6.20]), PSH (AOR = 4.15, 95% CI: [1.77, 9.77]), and SA (AOR = 5.48, 95% CI = [2.56, 11.73]; reference group: no harassment), as well as to report PSH (AOR = 2.67, 95% CI = [1.30, 5.47]) at school in middle or high school. These abuses demonstrate increased risk for sexual harassment among sexual minorities, including increased risk for physically aggressive sexual harassment when in middle and high school.

Sexual Violence Associated With Sexual Identity and Gender Among California Adults Reporting Their Experiences as Adolescents and Young Adults

IMPORTANCE

Disproportionate levels of violence exist in lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, asexual, and other sexual identity (LGBQA+) communities, often starting in adolescence and young adulthood, but little research exists on the range of sexual violence (SV) experiences.

OBJECTIVE

To assess risk of experiences of sexual violence among California LGBQA+ adults during adolescence and young adulthood.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This survey study analyzed data from Cal-VEX 2020, a state-representative survey of California residents aged 18 years and older, to assess associations between LGBQA+ identification and types of SV experienced in adolescence (ages 13-17 years) and young adulthood (ages 18-24 years) using gender-stratified adjusted logistic regression. Forms of SV included verbal, cyber, and coercion or physically aggressive sexual harassment; homophobic or transphobic slurs; and forced sex.

EXPOSURE

Sexual identity.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The outcome of interest was experiences with any 5 forms of sexual violence (verbal sexual harassment, homophobic or transphobic slurs, cyber sexual harassment, sexual coercion or physically aggressive sexual harassment, and forced sex) during adolescence or young adulthood.

RESULTS

A total of 2102 contacted individuals (response rate, 26.2%) completed the Cal-VEX survey and were included in these analyses. Among these, the mean (SD) age was 46.6 (17.7) years, 1149 identified as female, 953 identified as male, and 214 respondents (9.6%) identified as LGBQA+. Compared with heterosexual individuals, LGBQA+ individuals had significantly higher odds of having experienced homophobic or transphobic slurs (women: AOR, 14.65; 95% CI, 5.14-41.77; men: AOR, 14.17; 95% CI, 6.96-28.86) and forced sex (women: AOR, 5.35; 95% CI, 2.74-10.43; men: AOR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.01-7.10) in adolescence. LGBQA+ women also had higher odds of having experienced verbal and coercion or physically aggressive sexual harassment in adolescence (AOR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.30-4.19). In young adulthood, LGBQA+ individuals also had higher odds of having experienced homophobic or transphobic slurs (women: AOR, 18.58; 95% CI, 7.12-48.49; men: AOR, 16.73; 95% CI, 8.26-33.92) in young adulthood. LGBQA+ men also had higher odds of having experienced homophobic or transphobic slurs (AOR, 16.73; 95% CI, 8.26-33.92); verbal (AOR, 3.29; 95% CI, 1.44-7.53), cyber (AOR, 6.32; 95% CI, 1.50-26.52), and coercion or physically aggressive (AOR, 5.54; 95% CI, 2.08-14) sexual harassment; and forced sex (AOR, 21.26; 95% CI, 5.63-80.35) in young adulthood.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This survey study found that adult LGBQA+ individuals were at increased risk for having experienced SV across the continuum during adolescence and young adulthood, consistent with prior research. Multifold solutions are needed to support LGBQA+ youth, including altering social norms accepting SV and homophobia, creating safer schools and other institutional environments, and supporting healthy sexual and romantic partnerships.

Pornography and Sexual Aggression: Can Meta-Analysis Find a Link?

Whether pornography contributes to sexual aggression in real life has been the subject of dozens of studies over multiple decades. Nevertheless, scholars have not come to a consensus about whether effects are real. The current meta-analysis examined experimental, correlational, and population studies of the pornography/sexual aggression link dating back from the 1970s to the current time. Methodological weaknesses were very common in this field of research. Nonetheless, evidence did not suggest that nonviolent pornography was associated with sexual aggression. Evidence was particularly weak for longitudinal studies, suggesting an absence of long-term effects. Violent pornography was weakly correlated with sexual aggression, although the current evidence was unable to distinguish between a selection effect as compared to a socialization effect. Studies that employed more best practices tended to provide less evidence for relationships whereas studies with citation bias, an indication of researcher expectancy effects, tended to have higher effect sizes. Population studies suggested that increased availability of pornography is associated with reduced sexual aggression at the population level. More studies with improved practices and preregistration would be welcome.

The Girls' Leadership Academy: A Promising, Empowerment-Based Approach to the Prevention of Sexual Violence

Sexual violence (SV) is a pernicious issue that disproportionally impacts girls and women. Although few initiatives have demonstrated effectiveness in leading to reductions in SV, global health organizations have identified empowerment-based programs as a promising approach to SV prevention. The purpose of this article is to discuss the Girls Leadership Academy (GLA), a program of the Nebraska's Women's Center for Advancement, which is a "homegrown," theoretically grounded, practice-based SV prevention program for adolescent girls. More specifically, we discuss previous research relevant to the GLA; the theoretical underpinnings of the GLA; and the history, context, and content of the GLA.

Healthy sexuality development in adolescence: proposing a competency-based framework to inform programmes and research

Positive aspects of sexuality remain understudied among young people globally, and consensus is lacking on how to conceptualise different aspects of healthy adolescent sexuality development in order to guide programmes, research, and policy. We propose a conceptual framework that draws on theories and literature related to positive youth development, empowerment, human rights, gender, social-ecological and life-course perspectives. The framework highlights six key competencies for healthy adolescent sexuality development: (1) sexual literacy, (2) gender-equal attitudes, (3) respect for human rights and understanding consent, (4) critical reflection skills, (5) coping skills, and (6) interpersonal skills. These competencies have the potential to strengthen or impede adolescents’ sense of sexual wellbeing in relation to both themselves (e.g. body image, self-efficacy) and others (e.g. mutually respectful relationships). Whether adolescents are able to translate competencies into desired actions and achieve a sense of sexual wellbeing depends on the resources available to them, their agency, and on the influence of social-ecological opportunity structures. The framework can provide concrete direction for sexual and reproductive health practitioners and researchers by providing a platform for recognising and operationalising indicators of healthy sexuality development, and serve as a Theory of Change for programmes aiming to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing. Our assets-based, life-course approach can also be used to make the case to donors and policymakers for why early investments and positive approaches to adolescent sexuality are needed to achieve sexual wellbeing over time.

Supporting Sexual Minority Youth: Protective Factors of Adverse Health Outcomes and Implications for Public Health

PURPOSE

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth (e.g., gay, lesbian, bisexual, questioning, transgender) are systemically impacted by victimization and poor mental health because of discrimination in society. To prevent adverse outcomes, we must understand factors that help communities support and protect SGM youth. This study examined to what extent protective factors longitudinally predict outcomes 2 years later in an effort to inform more sensitive prevention efforts.

METHODS

Students from nine Colorado high schools (N = 2,744) completed surveys across four consecutive school semesters (T1 to T4). Structural equation modeling was conducted to determine the longitudinal associations between baseline protective factors (access to medical and counseling services, help-seeking beliefs, trusted adults, family support, peer support, spirituality) and distal adverse outcomes (substance use, depression, suicidal ideation, peer victimization, bullying perpetration, sexual violence victimization and perpetration, homophobic name-calling victimization, and perpetration), by sexual orientation.

RESULTS

All protective factors examined, except for access to medical services, were associated with lower likelihood of adverse outcomes. Associations differed across sexual orientations. For students identified as questioning or something other than heterosexual, lesbian, gay, or bisexual, family support is a notable protective factor of depression, peer victimization, bullying perpetration, and sexual violence perpetration. Family support was not significantly protective for these outcomes among heterosexual, lesbian, gay, and bisexual students.

CONCLUSIONS

There is no singular protective factor or universally impactful intervention for public health. Public health initiatives should recognize intersectional identities of young people and build strategies that are relevant to specific identities to create more comprehensive and effective programing.

Social Networks of Adolescent Sexual Violence Perpetrators: Peer Friendship and Trusted Adult Characteristics

The current study tested differences in social network characteristics of high school students who report perpetrating sexual violence (SV) versus those who do not. N = 4554 students (49% male, 49% female, 2% another gender identity; 45% Hispanic, 43% white, 12% another racial identity) from 20 high schools reported how often they had perpetrated 13 sexually violent behaviors. Using their responses, students were classified as follows: non-perpetrators, sexual harassment perpetrators, low contact perpetrators, or high contact perpetrators. Students named up to 7 close friends and up to 7 trusted adults at their school and answered questions about other behaviors and attitudes. This information was used to assess (1) students' connections with peers, (2) students' connections with trusted adults, and (3) friends' characteristics. Multilevel models indicated that compared to their peers, high contact perpetrators were less involved in the peer networks, less connected to trusted adults, and more likely to have friends who were involved in risky behaviors (e.g., sexual violence, homophobic name-calling, substance use). Low contact perpetrators were as connected to peers and trusted adults as non-perpetrators but were more likely to have friends engaged in sexual violence and homophobic naming-calling perpetration. By contrast, sexual harassment perpetrators were more involved and held higher status in the peer network (e.g., received more friendship nominations) but otherwise had similar friendship characteristics and similar connections to trusted adults as non-perpetrators. Building on these results, social network-informed SV prevention should use opinion leaders to change SV norms throughout the network and encourage new relationships between low- and high-risk students so as to disseminate norms that do not tolerate SV. Promoting connections to trusted adults also may be a useful avenue, especially for isolated adolescents.Trial Registration This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT01672541. Syntax code is available from the authors upon request.

The Impact of Adolescent Sexual Harassment Experiences in Predicting Sexual Risk-Taking in Young Women

Early sexual behavior plays a vital role in female reproductive health. Victimization experiences such as sexual harassment may have a unique impact on girls' sexual health. We examined the prospective associations between sexual harassment during adolescence and high-risk sexual activity in early adulthood. Using mixed-effects logistic regression models, we tested associations between sexual harassment at ages 13 to 15 years and sexual risk behaviors at ages 16 to 20 years, controlling for depression and peer victimization. We used a community sample in Pittsburgh, PA. Through the Pittsburgh Girls Study, 2,450 girls were recruited when they were between the ages of 5 and 8 years, with approximately equal numbers in each of the four age groups. Approximately half of the girls sampled were African American (52%), and 41% were European American. The remaining girls were described as multiracial or representing another race. Data were collected via an annual nonclinician administered interview. Results indicated that participants who experienced sexual harassment as adolescents (21%) were more likely to have multiple sexual partners and more likely to have contracted a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in early adulthood. Sexually active 16-year-olds who had been sexually harassed were over 3 times more likely to have had two or more partners in the past 30 days. These effects were maintained controlling for other types of peer victimization and depression. Sexual harassment was not significantly associated with birth control use. These results suggest that sexual harassment has downstream effects on women's health.

Preadolescent Peer Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Literature Review

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a worldwide social problem which has received much attention from policy makers, researchers, and practitioners. A considerable portion of CSA research has focused on adult offenders, the result of which is that most of our existing knowledge regarding prevention and intervention has been based on abuse perpetrated by this population. The current literature review, by contrast, was designed to spotlight the phenomenon of preadolescent peer sexual abuse (PAPSA), focusing on children ages 12 and under, using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The results revealed scant empirical data, with only nine studies focusing on this phenomenon. As the basis of their investigations, most of the reviewed studies used definitions of sexual harassment among peers, rather than definitions of more severe forms of sexual abuse, and showed conflicting results depending on the ages and genders of the peers involved. In addition, prevention programs for peer sexual abuse/harassment were not targeted toward preadolescents. Additional findings indicated a lack of empirical knowledge with respect to core aspects such as victims' personal characteristics and subjective experience, the dynamic of the abuse, and the disclosure process. This systematic literature review emphasizes the need for an in-depth and thorough conceptualization and empirical examination of the PAPSA phenomenon and its unique characteristics.

A Systematic Literature Review of Sexual Harassment Studies with Text Mining

Sexual harassment has been the topic of thousands of research articles in the 20th and 21st centuries. Several review papers have been developed to synthesize the literature about sexual harassment. While traditional literature review studies provide valuable insights, these studies have some limitations including analyzing a limited number of papers, being time-consuming and labor-intensive, focusing on a few topics, and lacking temporal trend analysis. To address these limitations, this paper employs both computational and qualitative approaches to identify major research topics, explore temporal trends of sexual harassment topics over the past few decades, and point to future possible directions in sexual harassment studies. We collected 5320 research papers published between 1977 and 2020, identified and analyzed sexual harassment topics, and explored the temporal trend of topics. Our findings indicate that sexual harassment in the workplace was the most popular research theme, and sexual harassment was investigated in a wide range of spaces ranging from school to military settings. Our analysis shows that 62.5% of the topics having a significant trend had an increasing (hot) temporal trend that is expected to be studied more in the coming years. This study offers a bird’s eye view to better understand sexual harassment literature with text mining, qualitative, and temporal trend analysis methods. This research could be beneficial to researchers, educators, publishers, and policymakers by providing a broad overview of the sexual harassment field.

Sexual Violence against Children and Adolescents Taking Place in Schools: An Integrative Review

Sexual violence against children and adolescents is considered a public health problem of worldwide scope. The objective is to analyze the findings in the literature that address the phenomenon of sexual violence against children and adolescents in the school environment; is an integrative literature review that has as its element-problem of interest children and adolescent victims of sexual violence in schools. The research filters used were: the availability of the text (free full text) and publication date (in the last five years); Initially, 1199 studies were identified, then, after application of filters and the removal of duplicated studies, a total of 175 studies was reached. Subsequently, the selection of articles occurred with the sieve of the titles, resulting in 20 studies. From these, 13 proceeded to the eligibility stage, with three being excluded after a full reading. Therefore, nine studies composed the final sample. One of the factors related to the occurrence of sexual violence against children and adolescents in schools is the absence of educational spaces on the subject, being the main parameter for approaching the outline of identification and prevention strategies, with the insertion of sexual education on the school routine, with the participation of the family.

Trouble in Paradigm: "Gender Transformative" Programming in Violence Prevention

The World Health Organization encourages a "gender transformative" paradigm for preventing violence against women and girls. Gender transformative interventions engage men and boys to reflect critically on-and then to challenge and change-gender-inequitable attitudes and behaviors. To interpret the mixed findings of research evaluating such programs, we review the "social norms" model that informs the paradigm. We bolster the paradigmatic conceptualization of social norms through insights about how exposure to trauma shapes gendered patterns of victimization and perpetration, about gendered violence from research on homophobic bullying, and about transforming local regimes of gender accountability.

"Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, but Words Will Never Hurt Me": Verbal Sexual Harassment Among Middle School Students

Research has recently found that sexual harassment occurs throughout our education system. Although the focus of these studies has been on both verbal and physical sexual harassment, the literature is scant when examining just verbal sexual harassment. Using self-report data from 30 New York City middle schools, the current study adds to the literature by examining the prevalence of verbal sexual harassment victimization and perpetration through the lens of gender and dating experiences. The study highlights that boys are verbally sexually harassed more than girls and students with dating experience are more likely to be victims or perpetrators of verbal sexual harassment. Additional findings, limitations, and policy implications are discussed.

Sexual Abuse and Assault in a Large National Sample of Children and Adolescents

The present study sought to examine features of sexual abuse cases among a U.S. nationally representative sample of 13,052 children and adolescents, ages 0-17 years. The National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence was collected in three different years (2008, 2011, and 2014) via telephone interviews. Information about sexual abuse and assault was obtained from youth themselves (ages 10-17) or caregivers (for children ages 0-9) using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire. Results indicate most offenses are at the hands of other juveniles (76.7% for males and 70.1% for females), primarily acquaintances, and occurring more frequently for adolescents aged 14-17. Whereas girls are mostly abused by males (88.4%), boys are abused by both males (45.6%) and females (54.4%). In 15% of cases, penetration is part of the abuse. Victims report being very afraid in 37.5% of episodes but not at all afraid in 19.8%. Among 10- to 17-year-olds, 66.3% of episodes are not reported to parents or any adult. Police reports occur for 19.1% of all cases. The results in the present study indicate that children and youth are exposed to sexual abuse and assault in varied ways, which require moving beyond conventional stereotypes of the problem.

Peer Victimization of Sexual Minority and Transgender Youth: A Cross-Sectional Study of High School Students

OBJECTIVE

To identify rates of victimization experiences by gender identity and sexual orientation in a large regional sample of 14-to-17-year old high school students.

METHOD

All 10^th grade students from 27 Northeastern high schools were invited to participate in a survey of dating and sexual experiences (N = 2,766).

RESULTS

Compared with heterosexual youth, sexual minority youth reported greater peer victimization of every kind (i.e., bullying, sexual harassment, unwanted sexual contact and intercourse, and every type of dating conflict [threatening behavior, physical abuse, and sexual abuse]). Sexual minority girls evinced particularly high levels of bullying. Similarly, transgender youth were more likely than nontransgender youth to experience every form of peer victimization except physical abuse in a dating relationship. Cumulatively, 91% of sexual minority girls, 86% of transgender youth, and 79% of sexual minority boys experienced at least one form of peer victimization, compared to 78% of heterosexual girls and 63% of heterosexual boys. Further, 14% of transgender youth experienced all 4 victimization types in the past year alone. Finally, bias-based harassment was rarely the only form of victimization experienced by these youth.

CONCLUSION

The victimization of sexual minority youth, particularly girls, and transgender youth was pervasive across individual forms of victimization and multiple forms of victimization concurrently. Further, bias-based harassment was imbedded within a pattern of victimization, such that youth experienced it in concert with multiple other forms of victimization. Researchers implementing prevention-based programs for interpersonal violence should examine the experiences of and impact on youth of diverse gender and sexual identities.

Middle School Effects of the Dating Matters® Comprehensive Teen Dating Violence Prevention Model on Physical Violence, Bullying, and Cyberbullying: a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Few comprehensive primary prevention approaches for youth have been evaluated for effects on multiple types of violence. Dating Matters®: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships (Dating Matters) is a comprehensive teen dating violence (TDV) prevention model designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and evaluated using a longitudinal stratified cluster-randomized controlled trial to determine effectiveness for preventing TDV and promoting healthy relationship behaviors among middle school students. In this study, we examine the prevention effects on secondary outcomes, including victimization and perpetration of physical violence, bullying, and cyberbullying. This study examined the effectiveness of Dating Matters compared to a standard-of-care TDV prevention program in 46 middle schools in four high-risk urban communities across the USA. The analytic sample (N = 3301; 53% female; 50% Black, non-Hispanic; and 31% Hispanic) consisted of 6th–8th grade students who had an opportunity for exposure to Dating Matters in all three grades or the standard-of-care in 8th grade only. Results demonstrated that both male and female students attending schools implementing Dating Matters reported 11% less bullying perpetration and 11% less physical violence perpetration than students in comparison schools. Female Dating Matters students reported 9% less cyberbullying victimization and 10% less cyberbullying perpetration relative to the standard-of-care. When compared to an existing evidence-based intervention for TDV, Dating Matters demonstrated protective effects on physical violence, bullying, and cyberbullying for most groups of students. The Dating Matters comprehensive prevention model holds promise for reducing multiple forms of violence among middle school-aged youth. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01672541

Longitudinal Associations Between Bullying and Intimate Partner Violence Among Adolescents and Young Adults

This study assessed longitudinal associations between bullying and intimate partner violence (IPV) among adolescents and young adults in a U.S.-based cohort study. Participants (N = 5,279) reported past-year bullying when they were 14-20 years old and reported lifetime experiences of IPV when they were 20-27 years old. The results indicate that participants reporting being bullied more than twice were at elevated risk of IPV victimization compared to participants reporting no bullying victimization, adjusting for bullying perpetration and covariates. Participants reporting bullying others once or more were at elevated risk of IPV perpetration compared to participants reporting no bullying perpetration, adjusting for bullying victimization and covariates. There was no evidence that the associations differed by gender. Results suggest that adolescents carry forward behaviors from their peer relationships to their dating relationships. Findings may have implications for school-based programs, which should explicitly integrate IPV prevention into bullying prevention efforts.

Adolescent sexual aggressiveness and pornography use: A longitudinal assessment

The rising prevalence of (online) pornography use among, mostly male, adolescents revived social concerns regarding possible effects of pornography use on sexual aggressiveness. Given the paucity of longitudinal explorations of this link, this study focused on the following two research questions: (Q1) Is pornography use during middle to late adolescence related to male adolescents' self-reported sexual aggressiveness; and (Q2) can personality traits and characteristics that have been associated with sexual aggression account for this presumed link? Using data from a six-wave panel sample of 594 male Croatian high-school sophomore students (M_{age at baseline}  = 15.8 years, SD = 0.52), latent class and latent growth curve modeling were employed to answer these questions. There was a significant baseline difference in the frequency of pornography use between participants who reported no or marginal levels of sexual aggressiveness during the period under observation (20 months) and their peers who reported substantial sexual aggressiveness, with the former reporting significantly lower initial levels of pornography use compared to the latter. Controlling for personality characteristics did not cancel this association. In addition, bullying and reported peer pressure significantly predicted initial levels of pornography use, but not its subsequent change. With the controls omitted from the analysis, a slight average increase in pornography use was observed among adolescents who reported no or lowest levels of sexual aggressiveness. In contrast, pornography use decreased somewhat among their peers who reported moderate sexual aggressiveness. Insights from this study can contribute to school-based sexual violence prevention programs, as well as inform recently proposed pornography literacy programs which aim to assist adolescents in navigating the increasingly sexually explicit online environment.

Health-Related Quality of Life and Mental Health of Adolescents Involved in School Bullying and Homophobic Verbal Content Bullying

Bullying has been traditionally related to a significant reduction in well-being and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of adolescents. This negative impact on HRQoL seems to be modulated by the developed role in bullying (uninvolved, bully, victim or bully-victim). However, no studies have identified if these negative results are the same when other types of bullying, such as homophobic bullying, are evaluated. The main aim of the present study was to analyze the prevalence of different roles of bullying and homophobic bullying and the relationship between these roles in both types of bullying with HRQoL, depression and anxiety levels in a sample of 1723 Spanish adolescents. Although results exhibited lower prevalence of homophobic bullying roles when compared to traditionally bullying in general, in the case of victims, the prevalence was high in the case of homophobic bullying. When differences between roles in HRQoL, depression and anxiety were evaluated, in both types of bullying, uninvolved adolescents showed the best results and bully-victim adolescents the worst. The obtained results suppose an improvement in the understanding of the negative effects of different types of bullying on HRQoL and mental health in adolescents. Future research could advance in this comprehension, analyzing possible differences with other types of bullying, such as cyberbullying.

Sexual harassment and appearance-based peer victimization: Unique associations with emotional adjustment by gender and age

INTRODUCTION

We examined sexual harassment, alongside other forms of peer victimization, as correlates of self-worth, depression, and anxiety (emotional adjustment). In addition, we investigated joint moderating effects of gender and age in the relationship between sexual harassment and emotional adjustment.

METHODS

Participants were 277 high school and 492 university students (12-24 years, 60% female) residing in Australia. All completed a survey to report sexual harassment experiences, as well as in-person and online/social media appearance-related peer victimization, global self-worth, and social anxiety and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Age was positively associated with sexual harassment, as well as with general and social media victimization; males and females did not differ. Participants who reported more sexual harassment reported poorer adjustment, but only the association with depressive symptoms remained significant after controlling for other forms of peer victimization. When gender and age were tested as moderators, the positive association between sexual harassment and depression was significant for all groups but younger males and there was a positive association between harassment and anxiety among only younger females and older males.

CONCLUSION

Sexual harassment was commonly reported, but rather weakly and intermittently associated with emotional health, after controlling for appearance-related peer victimization. Future research should examine when and why youth seem fairly resilient to negative emotional effects that could follow sexual harassment. It is possible that messages about the cause of sexual harassment are being heard and this aids youth to avoid self-blame and emotional maladjustment.

Traditional and cyber bullying and sexual harassment: A longitudinal assessment of risk and protective factors

Adolescents engage in bullying and sexual harassment perpetration both in-person and online. Yet, little is known about the overlap of traditional (in-person) and cyber bullying and sexual harassment perpetration. The present study assessed the co-occurrence of these forms of aggression in high school and identified middle school predictors based on participants' perceptions of factors across the social ecology. Racially diverse middle and high school students (n = 3549) were surveyed over four time points from Spring 2008 to Spring 2013. A latent class analysis was used to identify classes of individuals according to endorsement of traditional and cyber bullying and sexual harassment items in high school. Four classes were identified: (1) high all, consisting of traditional and cyber bullying and sexual harassment perpetration (n = 227); (2) traditional bullying perpetration (n = 604); (3) traditional and cyber bullying perpetration (n = 450); and (4) low all (n = 1,261). Students who reported high levels of anger, self-esteem, empathy, pornographic exposure, and traditional masculinity (individual level), lower levels of social support and parental monitoring (relational level), and higher levels of school belonging (community level) had increased odds of being in the high all class when compared to the other classes. Given the co-occurrence of traditional and cyber bullying and sexual harassment, prevention programming that addresses both forms of aggression across traditional and online contexts may be beneficial. This study also suggests the importance of comprehensive prevention efforts that incorporate approaches at the different ecological levels, such as teaching adolescents healthy emotional and interpersonal skills, and engaging parents in prevention.

Preventing Gender-Based Violence Among Adolescents and Young Adults: Lessons From 25 Years of Program Development and Evaluation

Effective prevention of intimate partner violence (IPV) among adolescents and young adults is a key strategy for reducing rates of gender-based violence (GBV). Numerous initiatives have been developed and evaluated over the past 25 years. There is emerging evidence about effective strategies for universal prevention of dating violence in high school settings and effective bystander interventions on university and college campuses. In addition, there have been some effective practices identified for specific groups of youth who are vulnerable to victimization (either based on past experiences of exposure to domestic violence or previous dating victimization). At the same time, though our evidence about school and college-based interventions has grown, there are significant gaps in our knowledge of effective prevention among marginalized groups. For example, there is a lack of evidence-based strategies for preventing IPV among Indigenous youth; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning+ [LGBTQ+] youth; and young women with disabilities, even though these groups are at elevated risk for experiencing violence. Our review of the current state of evidence for effective GBV prevention among adolescents and young adults suggests significant gaps. Our analysis of these gaps highlights the need to think more broadly about what constitutes evidence. We identify some strategies and a call to action for moving the field forward and provide examples from our work with vulnerable youth in a variety of settings.

The influence of group values and behavior on adolescent male perceptions of and use of homophobic language

INTRODUCTION

The pervasive and derogatory use of homophobic language is a threat to safe, respectful, and inclusive school environments. Group membership has been shown to influence how students use homophobic language. Previous qualitative studies have largely approached the use of this language from the theoretical framework of hegemonic masculinity. In contrast, the current study actively challenged all assumptions about the use of this language.

METHOD

This study was conducted in a public high school located in a rural conservative Christian community in the Intermountain West (USA). Using hermeneutic qualitative methodology to assess individual perceptions of homophobic language, 20 randomly selected 12th-grade male students (17-18 years of age) were individually interviewed.

RESULTS

Three distinct groups emerged during our interviews: students on the debate team, students who strongly identified with a conservative religion, and students on popular athletic teams. Membership in specific peer groups influenced how students participated in or abstained from using homophobic language. Contrary to the prevailing research that pairs religiosity with negatively biased attitudes toward LGBTQIA, in this study, participants' religious beliefs appeared to be associated with respecting others' feelings and a decreased likelihood of using homophobic language.

CONCLUSIONS

After summarizing this study's findings, we conclude with implications for practice. To more effectively deter the use of homophobic language, we encourage school-based interventions that target specific groups of adolescents and consider the social context in which homophobic language occurs.

Longitudinal Examination of the Bullying-Sexual Violence Pathway across Early to Late Adolescence: Implicating Homophobic Name-Calling

The Bully-Sexual Violence Pathway theory has indicated that bullying perpetration predicts sexual violence perpetration among males and females over time in middle school, and that homophobic name-calling perpetration moderates that association among males. In this study, the Bully-Sexual Violence Pathway theory was tested across early to late adolescence. Participants included 3549 students from four Midwestern middle schools and six high schools. Surveys were administered across six time points from Spring 2008 to Spring 2013. At baseline, the sample was 32.2% White, 46.2% African American, 5.4% Hispanic, and 10.2% other. The sample was 50.2% female. The findings reveal that late middle school homophobic name-calling perpetration increased the odds of perpetrating sexual violence in high school among early middle school bullying male and female perpetrators, while homophobic name-calling victimization decreased the odds of high school sexual violence perpetration among females. The prevention of bullying and homophobic name-calling in middle school may prevent later sexual violence perpetration.

Cyberbullying and LGBTQ Youth: A Systematic Literature Review and Recommendations for Prevention and Intervention

Research has demonstrated that cyberbullying has adverse physical and mental health consequences for youths. Unfortunately, most studies have focused on heterosexual and cisgender individuals. The scant available research on sexual minority and gender expansive youth (i.e., LGBTQ) shows that this group is at a higher risk for cyberbullying when compared to their heterosexual counterparts. However, to date no literature review has comprehensively explored the effects of cyberbullying on LGBTQ youth. A systematic review resulted in 27 empirical studies that explore the effects of cyberbullying on LGBTQ youth. Findings revealed that the percentage of cyberbullying among LGBTQ youth ranges between 10.5% and 71.3% across studies. Common negative effects of cyberbullying of LGBTQ youth include psychological and emotional (suicidal ideation and attempt, depression, lower self-esteem), behavioral (physical aggression, body image, isolation), and academic performance (lower GPAs). Recommendations and interventions for students, schools, and parents are discussed.

The Co-evolution of Bullying Perpetration, Homophobic Teasing, and a School Friendship Network

Bullying and homophobic teasing behaviors affect the lives of many school aged children, often co-occur, and tend to peak in middle school. While bullying and homophobic teasing behaviors are known to be peer group phenomena, studies typically examine the associations at the individual or school levels. An examination of these behaviors at the peer group level can aid in our understanding of the formation and maintenance of peer groups that engage in these forms of aggressive behavior (selection), and the extent to which friends and the peer group impact individual rates of these aggressive behaviors (influence). In this longitudinal study, we assess the co-evolution of friendship networks, bullying perpetration, and homophobic teasing among middle school students (n = 190) using a Stochastic Actor-Based Model (SABM) for longitudinal networks. Data were collected from 6-8th-grade students (Baseline age 12-15; 53% Female; 47% Male) across three waves of data. The sample was diverse with 58% African American, 31% White, and 11% Hispanic. Since bullying and homophobic teasing behaviors are related yet distinct forms of peer aggression, to capture the unique and combined effects of these behaviors we ran models separately and then together in a competing model. Results indicated that on average individuals with higher rates of bullying perpetration and homophobic teasing were associated with becoming increasingly popular as a friend. However, the effects were not linear, and individuals with the highest rates of bullying perpetration and homophobic teasing were less likely to receive friendship nominations. There was no evidence that bullying perpetration or homophobic teasing were associated with the number of friendship nominations made. Further, there was a preference for individuals to form or maintain friendships with peers who engaged in similar rates of homophobic name-calling; however, this effect was not found for bullying perpetration. Additionally, changes in individual rates of bullying perpetration were not found to be predicted by the bullying perpetration of their friends; however, changes in adolescent homophobic teasing were predicted by the homophobic teasing behaviors of their friends. In a competing model that combined bullying perpetration and homophobic teasing, we found no evidence that these behaviors were associated with popularity. These findings are likely due to the high association between bullying perpetration and homophobic teasing combined with the small sample size. However, friendship selection was based on homophobic name-calling, such that, there was a preference to befriend individuals with similar rates of homophobic teasing. We also examined several risk factors (dominance, traditional masculinity, impulsivity, femininity, positive attitudes of bullying, and neighborhood violence), although, impulsivity was the only covariate that was associated with higher levels of bullying perpetration and homophobic teasing. More specifically, youth with higher rates of impulsivity engaged in higher rates of bullying perpetration and homophobic teasing over time. The findings suggest bullying perpetration and homophobic teasing have important influences on friendship formation, and close friendships influence youth's engagement in homophobic teasing. Implications for prevention and intervention efforts are discussed in terms of targeting peer groups and popular peers to help reduce rates of these aggressive behaviors.

The Relationship Between Sexual History, Bullying Victimization, and Poor Mental Health Outcomes Among Heterosexual and Sexual Minority High School Students: A Feminist Perspective

This study uses a feminist theoretical framework to extend the literature on the relationship between sexual history, bullying victimization, and poor mental health outcomes. First, we examined whether an association between the sexual double standard and bullying victimization would apply to sexual minority youth the same way it applies to heterosexual youth. A second aim was to assess whether sexual minority boys, typically stereotyped as effeminate, would report the highest odds of bullying victimization. A third and final aim of our study was to look at the joint effect of sex and sexual intercourse on depression and suicidal ideation. Our analytic sample ( N = 9,300) was from the 2009, 2011, and 2013 Rhode Island Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. Findings demonstrated that heterosexual girls who engaged in sexual intercourse had significantly higher adjusted odds of bullying victimization than heterosexual boys who engaged in the same behavior. Similar results were not found for sexual minority adolescents, suggesting the sexual double standard may not apply to sexual minority adolescents in the same way it applies to heterosexual adolescents. Consistent with our second hypothesis, sexual minority boys reported the highest odds of being recently bullied compared with heterosexual boys. Among students who were recently bullied, sexual minority girls displayed the highest adjusted odds of recent depression and suicidal ideation. Our study demonstrated that using a feminist theoretical framework broadens our understanding of why girls and sexual minority boys are particularly vulnerable to bullying victimization and the sequel of depression and suicidal ideation.

Patterns of Bullying and Sexual Harassment: Connections with Parents and Teachers as Direct Protective Factors

Involvement in bullying and sexual harassment in adolescence is associated with a variety of internalizing, externalizing, and health-risk behaviors. Yet, the two behaviors are often studied independently. The current study examined how bullying and sexual harassment co-occur and whether social connections protected youth from risk patterns. The data for this study come from the 2013 Minnesota Student Survey (N = 121,311; 50% female, 74% White, 26% received free or reduced-price lunch; M _age = 14.9, SD = 1.3). Students reported on bullying and sexual harassment victimization and perpetration. Using latent class analysis, youth were classified into five patterns: High-Risk of All Forms of Victimization and Perpetration (7%), Relational and Cyberbullying Victimization (17%), Sexual Harassment Victimization and Perpetration (8%), Physical Bullying Perpetration (6%), and Low-Risk (62%). Compared to the low-risk class, the four other classes had lower levels of social connections, particularly with teachers and parents. Older youth (9th and 11th grade students) were at greater risk for the sexual harassment pattern, while younger youth (8th grade students) were at greater risk for bullying patterns. The results indicate that efforts to reduce bullying should also address sexual harassment and social connections with adults.