Sex Differences in School Safety and Bullying Experiences Among Sexual Minority Youth

Inequitable Changes in School Connectedness During the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic in a Cohort of Canadian Adolescents

BACKGROUND

We examined whether subgroups of adolescents experienced disparate changes in school connectedness-a robust predictor of multiple health outcomes-from before the COVID-19 pandemic to the first full school year following pandemic onset.

METHODS

We used 2 waves of prospective survey data from 7178 students attending 41 Canadian secondary schools that participated during the 2019-2020 (T1; pre-COVID-19 onset) and 2020-2021 (T2; ongoing pandemic) school years. Fixed effects analyses tested differences in school connectedness changes by gender, race, bullying victimization, socioeconomic position, and school learning mode.

RESULTS

Relatively greater declines in school connectedness were reported by students that identified as females, were bullied, perceived their family to be less financially comfortable than their classmates, and attended schools in lower income areas. Marginally greater school connectedness declines resulted among students attending schools that were fully online at T2 than those at schools using a blended model.

CONCLUSION

Results point to disparate school connectedness declines during the pandemic, which may exacerbate pre-existing health inequities by gender and socioeconomic position, and among bullied youth.

IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY

Effective strategies to improve school climates for equity denied groups are critical for pandemic recovery and preparedness for future related events.

Outlining Individual and Contextual Factors Related to LGBTQ+ Bullying: A Systematic Review of Two Decades of Research

Scientific interest in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and any other sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression (LGBTQ+) bullying in educational settings has grown exponentially in recent years. However, the varied ways of measuring its occurrence and associated factors have made it difficult to achieve a holistic understanding of this problem. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to provide an updated overview of individual and contextual factors related to LGBTQ+ bullying over the past two decades, based on the measurement approach to this phenomenon. Studies published from 2000 to 2020 were analyzed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses strategy. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied in a staggered process, and 111 articles met all the criteria. Studies focusing on LGBTQ+ bullying victimization or aggression were eligible for inclusion. Our analysis revealed LGBTQ+ bullying is usually examined by measures of general aggressions (47.8%) from the victims' perspective (87.3%). The best-represented factors across studies were individual characteristics (63.1%; n = 70), especially participants' sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (68.5%). Boys/males, from a binary gender perspective, and sexual and gender minority youth in general, were more at risk of being targeted for LGBTQ+ bullying. Although contextual factors were far less well-represented, the results revealed that gay-straight alliances, anti-homophobia policies, and social support act as protective factors. This review highlights the need to analyze LGBTQ+ bullying considering the full spectrum of sexual and gender diversity, to examine in more detail its contextual risk/protective factors, and to design public policies and psychoeducational programs in order to address the low effectiveness of generic interventions. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

The Relationship of School Connectedness to Adolescents' Engagement in Co-Occurring Health Risks: A Meta-Analytic Review

School connectedness is an important factor in the lives of youth and are a leverage point for optimizing youth's social, emotional, and physical health. This study presents a meta-analysis examining the relationship between school connectedness and four health domains that are prevalent in adolescence, have implications for adult health, and often co-occur: mental health, sexual health, violence, and high-risk substance use. Ninety articles published between 2009 and 2019 were included in the analysis. The study found that school connectedness had a protective average effect size across all health domains (Hedges' g = -0.345, p-value<0.001). When examined separately, school connectedness had a significant protective relationship with substance use (g = -0.379, p < 0.001), mental health (Hedges' g = -0.358, p < 0.001), violence (Hedges' g = -0.318, p < 0.001), sexual health (Hedges' g = -0.145, p < 0.001), and with co-occurring risks (Hedges' g = -0.331, p < 0.001). These results provide strong evidence that school connectedness has the potential to prevent and mitigate multiple health risks during adolescence.

Prevalence and Predictors of Intimate Partner Violence Among Youth With Foster Care Histories

A small but growing body of research suggests that adolescents and young adults involved with the child welfare system and those transitioning out of foster care are at heightened risk of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). Understanding the factors that place youth at risk of IPV is central to prevention and treatment of this public health problem. However, questions remain about the prevalence and correlates of IPV among youth in foster care. Additionally, emotional abuse, a particular form of IPV in intimate partnerships, remains an understudied area in this population. This study aimed to address these gaps in research by exploring factors associated with IPV using longitudinal data from a representative sample of older youth in California Foster Care who participated in the California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study (CalYOUTH). Our IPV outcome measures included victimization, perpetration, bidirectional IPV, and emotional abuse. Findings suggest that approximately one-fifth (20.4%) of CalYOUTH respondents had experienced some form of IPV at age 23, with emotional abuse and bidirectional violence being the most commonly reported types of IPV. Females reported emotional abuse, as well as bidirectional violence, at nearly double the rates of their male counterparts. Self-identified sexual minority youth (SMY; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning) were more likely to report IPV victimization, IPV perpetration, and bidirectional violence than their non-SMY peers. Youth with histories of emotional abuse, caregiver IPV victimization, sexual abuse in foster care, placement instability, substance use, anxiety, and incarceration were also at heightened risk of IPV involvement. Emotional abuse was most prevalent with SMY. The findings contribute to the growing research on IPV among transition-age foster youth with important implications for future research, practice, and policy.

A Systematic Review of the Prevalence and Correlates of Emotional Violence by Teachers

There is increasing evidence for the deleterious impact of emotional violence on children`s well-being and development. This systematic review focused on a) the prevalence and (b) correlates of emotional violence by teachers. A literature search of quantitative and peer-reviewed studies published in English between 1980 and April 2021 was conducted. Eighty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies represented all geographical regions of the world, were predominantly cross-sectional and of moderate quality. Studies were heterogeneous in terms of their samples, conceptualization, and measurement of emotional violence. Results indicated that emotional violence by teachers is prevalent across cultural settings, although large variations within and between regions are noted. It is related to mental health, behavioral and academic problems of children above and beyond physical violence by teachers and victimization by peers and parents. Boys are at higher risk of experiencing emotional violence by teachers than girls. Family dysfunction, low socioeconomic status (of the family or the community), and violent school environments appear to increase risk as well. The observed patterns of co-occurrence of emotional violence with physical violence by teachers and victimization by peers as well as perpetration of violence against peers and teachers lend support to notions of poly-victimization and cycles of violence in the school settings. Future research should use representative surveys, examine antecedents, and consequences of emotional violence by teachers using longitudinal and experimental designs and evaluate interventions to prevent emotional violence by teachers.

Bullying and suicide risk among sexual minority youth in the United States

Bullying is associated with increased suicide risk and maladaptive development for sexual minority youth (SMY). The purpose of this study is to determine whether multiple forms of bullying mediate the relationship between biological sex and suicide risk among SMY and to determine whether sexual identity moderates these relationships (i.e., moderated mediation). Data from the 2015-2019 National Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey was analyzed using multiple group structural equation modeling with the 5967 youth that self-identified as Lesbian/Gay, Bisexual, or Not sure of their sexual identity. All forms of bullying were associated with suicide risk. After controlling for bullying, Male SMY reported less suicide risk in comparison to female SMY. Female SMY were more likely to be cyberbullied while male SMY were more likely to be threatened or injured with a weapon. Sexual identity did not moderate these relationships. These finding align with the minority stress theory which posits the victimization experiences are linked to negative mental health outcomes among minority youth. Although sexual identity did not moderate these relationships, this study reveals new mechanistic pathways influencing sex-based suicide risk disparities among SMY. Findings can inform future research and the development of suicide prevention interventions that address the unique needs of SMY occurring at the intersection of sex and sexual identity.

LGB prevalence in schools is associated with unhealthy weight-control behaviors in lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth: a multilevel analysis

Background

Previous studies have found that a school climate of more heteronormativity is associated with adverse effects on the mental health of LGB students. Accordingly, our aim was to assess the association between lower LGB prevalence in schools and unhealthy weight-control behaviors among LGB youth.

Methods

A cross-sectional, multilevel study based in public high schools in the city of Olinda, Northeast Brazil. A multilevel logistic regression was performed, including 2500 adolescents enrolled in 27 schools. The contextual variable was the prevalence of LGB youth in each school (as a proxy for heteronormativity in schools), while the outcome was unhealthy weight-control behaviors (fasting, purging, and taking diet pills). We controlled for socioeconomic characteristics (age, sex, receiving a family allowance), obesity, and self-reported happiness.

Results

Lower LGB prevalence in schools was associated with higher odds of engaging in unhealthy weight-control behaviors (OR: 1.5, 95%CI: 1.0, 2.2) among all youth, regardless of sexual orientation. No cross-level interactions between school context and individual characteristics were statistically significant.

Conclusion

Lower LGB prevalence in schools was associated with a higher risk of unhealthy weight-control behaviors in youth regardless of sexual orientation, which may reflect either the contextual influence of school climate, or may be due to residual confounding.

Feeling Unsafe at School and Associated Mental Health Difficulties among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

This study systematically reviewed the literature on perceived school safety. We investigated the prevalence, factors and associated mental health difficulties, as well as cross-cultural findings. Five databases were searched up to 9 February 2021 for peer-reviewed papers published in English. We included quantitative studies that explored the perception of school safety among children and adolescents. The reference lists of the selected papers were also searched. We conducted a narrative synthesis of the included studies. The review included 43 papers. The mean prevalence of the students who felt unsafe at school was 19.4% and ranged from 6.1% to 69.1%. Their perceived safety was associated with a wide range of personal, school, and social factors. Not feeling safe at school was related to being victimized and mental health difficulties, including depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior. Higher perceived school safety was associated with measures such as the presence of a security officer and fair school rule enforcement. The results showed the lack of cross-cultural studies on perceived school safety. Empirical studies are needed that examine the mechanisms of school safety, using valid measures. A clear definition of school safety should be considered a key aspect of future studies.

School Climate Among Transgender High School Students: An Exploration of School Connectedness, Perceived Safety, Bullying, and Absenteeism

This study used self-administered survey data from seven high schools in Florida with a majority Black and/or Hispanic sample to examine transgender students' perceptions and experiences related to school climate in comparison to cisgender students. Using propensity score matching, a matched analytic sample was created of transgender and cisgender students (n = 542, including 186 transgender youth). Adjusted weighted logistic regression models indicated that transgender students were significantly more likely to report ever being bullied at school, being bullied in the past 3 months, and not going to school ≥3 days during the past 30 days. Transgender students were significantly less likely to report feeling safe at school and having positive perceptions of all five school connectedness items compared to cisgender students. Recent bullying experiences moderated the association between transgender status and past month absences. Findings can inform potential roles for school nurses in improving school climate for transgender youth.