TY - JOUR
T1 - Changes in Victimization Risk and Disparities for Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Youth
T2 - Trends From 2009 to 2017
AU - Poteat, V. Paul
AU - Birkett, Michelle
AU - Turner, Blair
AU - Wang, Xinzi
AU - Phillips, Gregory
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2019 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/2/1
Y1 - 2020/2/1
N2 - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify sex-stratified trends in victimization risk specific to heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning youth while considering changes in sexual orientation-disparities from 2009 to 2017. METHODS: Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data collected biennially (five waves; 2009-2017) were pooled across 56 jurisdictions and 454,715 students for one of the most nationally representative samples of heterosexual and sexual minority youth to date. We analyzed a seven-item victimization risk assessment using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended trend analysis approach. We used logistic regression with year-by-identity interactions to test whether sexual orientation-based disparities widened, narrowed, or were maintained over time. RESULTS: Victimization risk declined significantly for male and female bisexual and questioning youth, lesbian, gay, and heterosexual youth. Disparities narrowed between bisexual, questioning, and lesbian females and heterosexual females and between bisexual and heterosexual males. Nevertheless, sexual orientation-based disparities remained significant for all sexual minority youth in 2017. CONCLUSIONS: Distinct patterns of change in victimization risk for specific groups of sexual minority youth underscore the need to consider variability within sexual minority youth communities; treating them as a singular group could mask nuanced disparities. Some of the relatively small decreases in victimization risk also suggest the need for interventions to address a more comprehensive set of victimization-related risks beyond bullying and needed efforts that are not limited to the immediate school context.
AB - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify sex-stratified trends in victimization risk specific to heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning youth while considering changes in sexual orientation-disparities from 2009 to 2017. METHODS: Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data collected biennially (five waves; 2009-2017) were pooled across 56 jurisdictions and 454,715 students for one of the most nationally representative samples of heterosexual and sexual minority youth to date. We analyzed a seven-item victimization risk assessment using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended trend analysis approach. We used logistic regression with year-by-identity interactions to test whether sexual orientation-based disparities widened, narrowed, or were maintained over time. RESULTS: Victimization risk declined significantly for male and female bisexual and questioning youth, lesbian, gay, and heterosexual youth. Disparities narrowed between bisexual, questioning, and lesbian females and heterosexual females and between bisexual and heterosexual males. Nevertheless, sexual orientation-based disparities remained significant for all sexual minority youth in 2017. CONCLUSIONS: Distinct patterns of change in victimization risk for specific groups of sexual minority youth underscore the need to consider variability within sexual minority youth communities; treating them as a singular group could mask nuanced disparities. Some of the relatively small decreases in victimization risk also suggest the need for interventions to address a more comprehensive set of victimization-related risks beyond bullying and needed efforts that are not limited to the immediate school context.
KW - Disparities
KW - Lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning youth
KW - Sexual orientation
KW - Trends
KW - Victimization
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.08.009
DO - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.08.009
M3 - Article
C2 - 31607546
AN - SCOPUS:85090816358
VL - 66
SP - 202
EP - 209
JO - Journal of Adolescent Health
JF - Journal of Adolescent Health
SN - 1054-139X
IS - 2
ER -