Bystanders' helping behaviors are essential to mitigate bullying and its consequences, although bystanders do not always intervene on behalf of those who are victimized. One study (N = 170) tested, experimentally, the impact of different forms of common identities (one-group and dual-identity vs. control) on youth (aged between 12 and 19 years)…

Nearly 4 million adolescents in the United States experience clinical depression, and this alarming rate has increased in recent years. Adolescents' perceptions of their school's climate may moderate the association between victimization and depressive symptoms, including suicidality; however, it is unclear whether perceived school climate would…

For lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer (i.e., sexual minority [SM]) youth, coming out is an important developmental milestone and is typically associated with positive well-being. However, coming out in high school may entail a higher risk of school-based victimization. Due to the greater risk of homophobic bullying, the implications of being out in…

While the role of and consequences of being a bystander to face-to-face homophobic bullying has received some attention in the literature, to date, very little is known about the relationship between witnessing and perpetrating homophobic cyberbullying. It is also unknown how empathy and toxic online disinhibition might impact the association…

Sexual minority adolescents have worse sleep health than their peers. Adolescents who identify as heterosexual and report prior same-sex sexual contact (termed 'discordant heterosexuals') have elevated health risks, but little is known about this group's sleep health. This study examined 2015-2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data (n = 12,773 high…

Suicide is a global mental health problem. In recent years, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicides have increased in children and adolescents. In this population, cyberbullying is a public health problem that has grown along the increase in use of devices with internet access. Cybervictimization is related to negative health effects,…

Heterosexual adolescents with same-sex sexual partners may be at increased risk for psychological distress from victimization; this may lead to suicidality. We tested if sexual identity modified the association between bullying at school and suicide planning among adolescents with the same-sex sexual partners. We sampled 924 youth with same-sex…

Bias-based bullying focused on sexual orientation or gender identity in schools has significant negative implications for the academic, social, and emotional well-being of students who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, or who are perceived to behave in gender nonconforming ways. Despite empirical support for the influence of bystander…

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…

In this stimulus essay on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) bullying in schools, Keith Berry, describes assumptions and other aspects of his phenomenological lifeworld (everyday reality) that guide his orientation to this problem. He then turns to two recent surveys to explore the prevalence and meaning of bullying for LGBT youth as…

Bullying and cyberbullying have negative consequences on adolescents' mental health. The study had two objectives: 1) to analyze possible differences in sexual orientation (heterosexual and non-heterosexual) in the percentage of victims and aggressors of bullying/cyberbullying, as well as the amount of aggressive behavior suffered and carried out;…

As the education system turns its attention to climate, bullying, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) issues in the classroom, there is a focus on developing our student population abilities to be more accepting and tolerant of diversity. This study explored how ten students, aged 16-17, interacted with virtual literacy events on…

This article reports of findings from a study among Spanish school students, with the goal of examining homophobia as perceived and expressed in three different contexts: education, the family and socially. A survey on adolescence and sexual diversity was administered to 128 tenth-grade students in their 4th year of secondary school in Castellón,…

In this stimulus essay on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) bullying in schools, the authors begin by describing assumptions and everyday reality that guide their orientation to this problem. They then turn to two recent surveys to explore the prevalence and meaning of bullying for LGBT youth as it pertains to issues of relational…

"Am I safe here?" LGBTQ students ask this question every day within the school system. This book shines a light on the marginalization and bullying faced by LGBTQ youth, offering a new conceptualization of school safety. Donn Short treats students as the experts on what happens in their schools, giving them a chance to speak for…