Bias-Based Bullying Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Living With Disabilities

Abstract

Both sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) and youth living with disabilities are disproportionately impacted by bias-based bullying in school settings. While research has separately examined how sexual and gender minority status and disability status are associated with experiences of bullying, very little research has explored the experiences of youth living with these identities simultaneously. This study examined to what extent SGMY report differential experiences of bias-based bullying depending on various identities and the type of disability an individual reports. Utilizing a diverse sample of SGMY aged 13–17 (N= 2,239), multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to test whether there were differences in the likelihood of being bullied for having specific identities, based on disability type, among SGMY. Results indicated a variety of differences in bullying based on gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual and gender minority identity, and disability. Participants who reported having a mental disability were more likely to experience multiple forms of bias-based bullying surrounding their gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, sexual and gender minority status, and disability type when compared with other gender minority youth with disabilities. These findings may help to inform supportive services in school settings.