Citation

Coulter RW, Herrick AL, Friedman MR, Stall RD. Am. J. Public Health 2016; 106(4): 691-697.

Affiliation

Robert W. S. Coulter, A. L. Herrick, and Ron D. Stall are with the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. M. Reuel Friedman is with the Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh. All authors are associated with the Center for LGBT Health Research, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, American Public Health Association)

DOI

10.2105/AJPH.2015.303005

PMID

26794177

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To examine sexual-orientation differences in positive youth development, and how bullying victimization mediated these differences in a sample of adolescents.

METHODS: In 2007 to 2008, positive youth development was measured in 1870 adolescents from US schools and after-school programs in 45 states by using the validated Five Cs model of competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring/compassion. Sexual-minority youths (6.8%) reported having same- or both-gender sexual attractions. Nonattracted youths (4.2%) reported having no sexual attractions.

RESULTS: Compared with sexual-minority youths, heterosexual and nonattracted youths had lower odds of being a victim of bullying. Heterosexual and nonattracted youths also had higher average scores in competence, confidence, and connection, but these associations between sexual orientation and positive youth development scores were partly attributable to lack of bullying victimization.

CONCLUSIONS: Designing, implementing, and evaluating interventions that reduce bullying can give sexual-minority youths access to several building blocks of health and well-being. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print January 21, 2016: e1-e7. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2015.303005).

Language: en