Sexual Minority Girls Research Articles

Parent-child Relationships and Sexual Minority Youth: Implications for Adult Alcohol Abuse.

Sexual minority (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and same-sex attracted) youth and adults report elevated rates of alcohol use and abuse relative to their heterosexual peers; these differences are strongest for sexual minority girls and women. Although preliminary evidence suggests that unsupportive parenting and maladaptive parent-child relationship qualities are associated with concurrent substance use among sexual minority youth, questions remain about the long-term implications of these early familial experiences on drinking behaviors among sexual minority youth and adults. Nationally-representative prospective data (n = 14,800; 53.1% female; Wave 1 Mean age = 15.61; Wave 4 Mean age = 28.51) were used to test the longitudinal association between parent-child relationships and parental autonomy granting between the ages of 13-18, and sexual-orientation-related disparities in alcohol abuse during adulthood. The findings showed that adolescent same-sex attraction was associated with alcohol abuse during adulthood for sexual minority women and that deficits in parent-child relationship quality statistically mediated this association. No sexual orientation differences in alcohol abuse were found among men. The findings suggest that the quality of relationships with parents in early adolescence has long-lasting impact on sexual minority women's vulnerability for alcohol abuse. Early interventions that bolster supportive parent-child relationship qualities may have enduring consequences for sexual minority women's alcohol use across the life course.

Who sees opportunity to help? A prospective study on adolescents’ detection of intervention opportunities in situations of sexual and dating violence

Adolescent bystanders (i.e., witnesses to violence) can prevent sexual and dating violence among their peers and create a safer social environment if they detect the opportunity. The current study prospectively examined the association of demographic (i.e., age, gender, sexual orientation), psychosocial (i.e., knowledge, rape myth acceptance, victim empathy), and behavioral (i.e., binge drinking) factors with bystander opportunity detection in situations regarding sexual and dating violence among adolescents ( N = 1,322, 50.3% girls/women, 88.9% White/non-Hispanic, 85.9% heterosexual, 18.6% free/reduced lunch, aged 13–19). Sexual minority girls, adolescents with greater victim empathy, and binge drinkers were more likely to detect bystander opportunity than heterosexual girls, boys, adolescents with less victim empathy, and nonbinge drinkers. These findings suggest that current theoretical frameworks used to understand bystander opportunity and action may be enhanced by the consideration of demographic and personal characteristics.

Sexual Minority High School Boys' and Girls' Risk of Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence, Stalking, and Bullying.

We report the prevalence and number of violent events of sexual violence, sexual harassment, stalking, and bullying experienced among sexual minority girls, sexual minority boys, heterosexual girls, and heterosexual boys. We conducted covariate-adjusted analyses of variance on 16,243 high school youth from 13 schools in Kentucky. Sexual minority boys and girls and heterosexual girls had higher rates of all forms of violence compared with heterosexual boys, but rates of violence between sexual minority girls and boys were statistically equivalent. Prevention and intervention programs must incorporate elements of minority stress theory to disrupt heterosexist norms that contribute to violence.

Do Depression and Binge Drinking Explain the Increased Risk of Sexual Violence Among Sexual Minority Middle and High School Girls?

Sexual violence (SV) occurs at rates higher among sexual minority youth than heterosexual youth, but the mechanisms explaining this higher risk are understudied. We examined if binge drinking and depression explain the higher rates of SV victimization among sexual minority middle and high school girls. Female students (N = 1,145) in Grades 7th to 10th completed a survey that assessed for SV, binge drinking, depression, sexual orientation identification, and sex at birth. Sexual minority girls had higher rates of SV victimization compared with heterosexual girls. Binge drinking and depression fully mediated the relationship between sexual orientation status and SV victimization among girls. SV prevention programming for sexual minority girls are urgently needed. Programs that seek to reduce binge drinking and depression may be especially impactful in reducing the risk of violence among sexual minority girls.

Sexual Identity Differences in Health Behaviors and Weight Status among Urban High School Students

Although racial/ethnic disparities in childhood obesity are well documented in the United States (U.S.), fewer studies have investigated elevated body mass index (BMI) and related health behaviors among sexual minority youth (SMY; gay/lesbian, bisexual, not sure). We examined pooled data from the 2009-2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, which included high school students from 12 urban U.S. school districts. We used sex-stratified logistic regression models to estimate the association of sexual identity with health behaviors and elevated BMI (reference = heterosexual participants). A total of 133,615 participants were included. Sexual minority boys were more likely to report physical inactivity than heterosexual boys. Gay and not sure boys were also less likely to consume the recommended daily intake of fruit. Bisexual girls were more likely than heterosexual girls to report watching television ≥ 3 hours on a school day and to consume sugar-sweetened beverages (AOR 1.30, 95% CI= 1.18-1.43). All SMY reported higher rates of current tobacco use than their heterosexual peers. Sexual minority girls and bisexual boys had significantly higher rates of obesity than their heterosexual counterparts. These findings can inform tailored health promotion initiatives to reduce obesity risk in SMY.

“Even if you think you can trust them, don’t trust them”: An exploratory analysis of the lived experiences of sexual health among sexual minority girls in foster care

Girls in foster care are at heightened risk for poor sexual health outcomes compared to their general population counterparts. Sexual minority girls are also at greater risk for poor sexual health compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Yet, little is known about the sexual health of sexual minority girls in foster care. This study aims to provide a preliminary understanding of how sexual minority girls in foster care experience the phenomenon of sexual health. Using a single-case interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) design, we interviewed five sexual minority girls in foster care using a single in-depth focus group discussion and analyzed the data using a series of IPA steps. Analysis revealed three major themes about the lived experiences of sexual health among sexual minority girls in foster care: fear of being victimized and distrust within sexual relationships, self-protection from sexual relationship harm, and sexual health communication. Further research is warranted to investigate the sexual health experiences and needs of sexual minority girls in foster care, with particular sensitivity to the potential impact of past sexual victimization and abuse on their sexual health and wellbeing.

Reasons Lesbian and Bisexual Adolescent Girls Have or Might Have Sex with Females or Males: Implications for Discordance between Sexual Identity and Behaviors and for Prevention of Pregnancy and STIs

ABSTRACT We examined reasons lesbian and bisexual adolescent girls have sex or, if sexually inexperienced, might have sex with girls or boys, and the role of internalized homonegativity in these relations and among lesbians. Girls were recruited online and classified as lesbian (n = 129) or bisexual (n = 193); the classification was validated. Love and pleasure were common reasons for having sex with girls, although more lesbian girls (LG) than bisexual girls (BG) endorsed love. BG, relative to LG, had sex with girls because they were curious or wanted to verify their sexual identity. Love and pleasure were motives for having sex with boys for BG. They were common reasons for potentially having sex with either sex among sexually inexperienced girls, but both were more likely for BG than LG for sex with boys. Internalized homonegativity did not mediate the relation between sexual identity and reasons for sex, but LG just with male partners were more homonegative than LG just with female partners. The findings indicate that LG and BG should not be combined into a single group, provide insights into the discordance between sexual identity and behaviors, and have implications for reducing risk for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among sexual minority girls.

Peer Victimization of Sexual Minority and Transgender Youth: A Cross-Sectional Study of High School Students.

To identify rates of victimization experiences by gender identity and sexual orientation in a large regional sample of 14-to-17-year old high school students. All 10th grade students from 27 Northeastern high schools were invited to participate in a survey of dating and sexual experiences (N = 2,766). Compared with heterosexual youth, sexual minority youth reported greater peer victimization of every kind (i.e., bullying, sexual harassment, unwanted sexual contact and intercourse, and every type of dating conflict [threatening behavior, physical abuse, and sexual abuse]). Sexual minority girls evinced particularly high levels of bullying. Similarly, transgender youth were more likely than nontransgender youth to experience every form of peer victimization except physical abuse in a dating relationship. Cumulatively, 91% of sexual minority girls, 86% of transgender youth, and 79% of sexual minority boys experienced at least one form of peer victimization, compared to 78% of heterosexual girls and 63% of heterosexual boys. Further, 14% of transgender youth experienced all 4 victimization types in the past year alone. Finally, bias-based harassment was rarely the only form of victimization experienced by these youth. The victimization of sexual minority youth, particularly girls, and transgender youth was pervasive across individual forms of victimization and multiple forms of victimization concurrently. Further, bias-based harassment was imbedded within a pattern of victimization, such that youth experienced it in concert with multiple other forms of victimization. Researchers implementing prevention-based programs for interpersonal violence should examine the experiences of and impact on youth of diverse gender and sexual identities.

Early roots of sexual-orientation health disparities: associations between sexual attraction, health and well-being in a national sample of Australian adolescents

BackgroundResearch documents substantial adolescent health disparities by sexual orientation, but studies are confined to a small number of countries—chiefly the USA. We provide first-time evidence of associations between sexual orientation...

The Prevalence of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth in the Justice System: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Theoretical models, such as the minority stress model, suggest that sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth may be overrepresented in the justice system. However, few studies have examined rates of SGM youth in the system, and even fewer have compared them with rates of these youth in the broader community. To obtain a more accurate estimate, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 31,258 youths and compared rates of SGM youth in the justice system with those in the community. Contrary to claims that SGM youth are overrepresented generally, this review suggests that sexual minority girls, specifically, are disproportionally involved in the justice system. Rates of involvement appeared to differ across ethnic subgroups of sexual minority youth, and evidence is inconclusive regarding the prevalence of gender minority youth in the system. Implications of these findings for researchers and justice system professionals are discussed.

10. Psychosocial Effects of Homonegative Verbal Interaction Among High School Students In Canada

Homonegative verbal comments, i.e., degrading or stigmatizing comments in reference to sexual orientation, whether they are direct or overheard, can have negative effects on youth. However, less is known about the association between the source (friends and non-friends) of homonegative comments and psychosocial well-being. Canada has adopted clear laws against discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation, and schools have established practices and policies to protect and empower sexual minority youth. In an increasingly inclusive context like Canada, this investigation examined the effect of the sources of hearing and overhearing comments on psychosocial well-being. Further, participants’ gender identity and sexual minority status were tested as moderators of the links between homonegative comments and psychosocial well-being. Data were obtained from a cohort of students in the second year of a four-year school-based Wellness Initiative in urban western Canada (N=1371; 51% male, mean age = 15.26 years, SD 1.5). Students were in grades 8 to 12, and 21% identified as a sexual minority (including mostly heterosexual as members of the sexual minority group). The survey was administered during regular school hours on individual tablets running survey software. Self-reported measures included the Homophobic Content Agent Target (HCAT) Scale, Mattering to Others Questionnaire (MTOQ), Modified Depression Scale (MDS) and Perceived Safety at School Scale. Analyses included chi-square to compare prevalence of overhearing and being targets of homonegative comments by gender and orientation, and by source of the comments (none, friends, others and both). 2 X 4 ANOVAS for gender by source of comments, and for orientation by source, were used to test associations between exposure to homonegative comments and mattering to others, depressive symptoms, and perceived safety. Homonegative comments were pervasive: only one third (34%) reported no homonegative comments, 13% overheard only friends, another 13% overheard only others, and 37% overheard homonegative comments by both; being directly targeted was somewhat less common, with 53% reporting no comments, 12% targeted by friends, 8% by others, and 24% targeted for comments by both friends and others. Boys reported overhearing [χ2(3)=54.76, p<.001] and being targeted [χ2(3)=161.24, p<.001] for homonegative comments more than girls, and sexual minority boys and girls were more likely to overhear homonegative comments than non-sexual minorities. ANOVAs showed regardless of orientation, youth who were both targeted and overhead homonegative comments were less likely to perceive themselves as mattering to friends, and had higher scores on depressive symptoms than youth who never heard or were targeted by comments. Gender moderated the association between comments and mattering to friends with boys affected more than girls. Students’ sense of safety at school was positively associated with the absence of homonegative speech or only hearing it from friends, rather than others. In Canada, despite efforts towards reducing discrimination and fostering inclusion for sexual minority and gender diverse youth, homonegative speech is still present in schools, and sexual minority and heterosexual youth alike continue to experience its negative effects on their sense of safety, mattering to others, and mental wellbeing.

Sexual Minority Youth Report High-Intensity Binge Drinking: The Critical Role of School Victimization

PurposeTo examine standard binge drinking (≥4 drinks for females, ≥5 drinks for males) and high-intensity binge drinking (≥8 drinks for females, ≥10 drinks for males) among heterosexual and sexual minority youth in the US and whether reports of school-based victimization mediate this association. MethodsSurvey data are from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS; n = 10,839, Mage = 16.07). Logistic regression adjusted for race/ethnicity and age compared rates of standard and high-intensity binge drinking among heterosexual and sexual minority youth and whether experiences of school-based victimization mediated this association. Effects were tested in full sample and sex-stratified models. ResultsLesbian and bisexual girls and girls with male and female partners were more likely than heterosexual girls to report standard rates of binge drinking. Lesbian girls and girls reporting male and female sexual partners were more likely than heterosexual girls to report high-intensity binge drinking in the past 30 days. Compared with heterosexual boys, gay boys were significantly less likely to participate in high-intensity binge drinking. School-based victimization mediated all significant associations between sexual minority status and standard and high-intensity binge drinking, with the exception of lesbian girls. ConclusionLesbian and behaviorally bisexual girls have elevated risk for high-intensity binge drinking relative to heterosexual girls. Findings point to the importance of policies that reduce school-based victimization as these experiences are associated with higher rates of standard and high-intensity binge drinking among sexual minority girls.

Smoking behaviours among heterosexual and sexual minority youth? Findings from 15 years of provincially representative data.

Sexual identity disparities in smoking behaviours are well established; however, there is limited research on whether these disparities have diminished as the social and political landscape has changed for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Thus, we examined changes in prevalence and sexual identity disparities in three smoking behaviours among Canadian adolescents from 1998 to 2013. Data are from the provincially representative British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey (N = 99 373). Using sex-stratified, age-adjusted logistic regression models, we estimated: (i) trends in lifetime cigarette use, early onset, and past 30-day use for heterosexual and three subgroups of sexual minority (i.e. mostly heterosexual, bisexual and gay/lesbian) youth; (ii) sexual identity disparities in these cigarette-related behaviours within each survey year (1998, 2003, 2008, 2013); and (iii) whether the size of the disparity has changed from 1998 to 2013. Smoking has declined for all youth from 1998 to 2013, although less consistently for sexual minority youth. Within-year disparity estimates indicated elevated prevalence of cigarette use for sexual minority compared to heterosexual youth, particularly among females. Trends in sexual identity and smoking behaviours indicated that the degree of differences between heterosexual and sexual minority youth have remained stable or, in some cases, widened. Heterosexual and sexual minority youth differences widened for early onset among sexual minority boys and lifetime and past 30-day use for sexual minority girls. Efforts to prevent smoking behaviours among youth should continue. Tailored preventive strategies for sexual minority youth might help address existing disparities.

Group-based trajectories of parent-child communication and parental knowledge between sexual minority and heterosexual girls and their associations with substance use

IntroductionSexual minority girls (SMGs) may be at high risk for substance use partially due to anti-gay discrimination. Low levels of parent-child communication and parental knowledge may contribute to this risk. This study seeks to identify parent-child communication and parental knowledge trajectories, determine the likelihood of SMGs following these trajectories, and describe the relationships between these trajectories, sexual orientation, and substance use. MethodsThis is a secondary data analysis of the Pittsburgh Girls Study (N = 2450), a longitudinal study on the changes in behaviors among girls throughout childhood. We generated group trajectory models of parentchild communication and parental knowledge starting from age 12 to age 17 years. We then tested the likelihood of SMGs belonging to these group trajectories and the association between group trajectory membership and substance use at age 18 years. ResultsSMGs were more likely than were heterosexual girls to follow the infrequent decreasing parent-child communication trajectory and the slowly decreasing parental knowledge trajectory and were more likely than were heterosexual girls to engage in substance use at age 18 years. Parent-child communication and parental knowledge trajectories were statistically significant mediators between sexual orientation and substance use. ConclusionFrequency of parent-child communication and levels of parental knowledge may be determinants of substance use among SMGs. These results have implications for developing substance use prevention programs among sexual minority youth targeting parent-child relationships.

Sexual orientation disparities in eating disorder symptoms among adolescent boys and girls in the UK.

Much of the research on sexual orientation disparities in eating disorder behaviors has been conducted in the USA, Canada, and Australia. Data on the associations of sexual orientation and eating disorder symptoms among adolescents in the UK are lacking. Participants were children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a youth cohort born 1991-1992 (n = 5048; 53% female; 12% sexual minority). Sexual orientation was assessed at 16years. Eating disorder symptoms were assessed at 14 and 16years. Multivariable regression models (adjusting for BMI, ethnicity, socioeconomic status) examined associations between sexual orientation and (1) odds of past-year purging and binge eating, and (2) mean differences in body dissatisfaction, pressure to increase muscularity (boys only), and Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire subscales. At age 14, gay and bisexual boys and mostly heterosexual girls reported greater body dissatisfaction than their same-gender heterosexual peers. All sexual minority boys and mostly heterosexual girls reported greater mean dysfunctional eating behaviors than their same-gender heterosexual peers. At age 16, gay and bisexual boys had 12.5 times the odds of heterosexual boys of binge eating; mostly heterosexual boys had over three times the odds of reporting binge eating. Sexual minority girls had over twice the odds of heterosexual girls of purging and binge eating. By mid-adolescence, sexual minority youth in the UK had elevated risk for eating disorder symptoms, suggesting the need for early prevention efforts.

Sexual Orientation and School Discipline: New Evidence From a Population-Based Sample

Sexual minorities’ risk for exclusionary discipline is a commonly cited indicator of the challenges that these students face. The current study addresses this issue by introducing a new data source for research on sexual minority students: the Fragile Families and Childhood Wellbeing Study. In this geographically diverse, population-based sample, I find that sexual minorities continue to face higher rates of discipline than their peers. However, this risk is highly stratified by sex: Same-sex attraction is associated with 95% higher odds of discipline among girls but no apparent discipline risk among boys. Sexual minority girls’ risk for discipline is only partially mediated by behavior, a result that is plausibly consistent with the interpretation that these students continue to face discriminatory treatment in schools.

Harassment and Mental Distress Among Adolescent Female Students by Sexual Identity and BMI or Perceived Weight Status.

Sexual minority girls (lesbian/bisexual) and girls with overweight/obesity experience high rates of discrimination and mental distress. This study explored whether BMI or perceived weight status might compound sexual minority girls' risk for harassment and mental distress. Data on female students from the national 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (n = 7,006) were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to examine differences in bullying, harassment, and mental distress across sexual identity/BMI groups: heterosexual/normal-weight, heterosexual/overweight, sexual minority/normal-weight, and sexual minority/overweight. Procedures were repeated with four analogous groups created from sexual identity and perceived weight. Across sexual identity/BMI groups, being overweight increased heterosexual females' odds of being bullied or experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Regardless of weight status, sexual minority females had greater odds for each outcome than heterosexual females. Sexual minority females who perceived themselves as overweight had greater odds of suicidality than all other sexual minority/perceived weight groups. Double jeopardy may exist for sexual minority female students who perceive themselves as overweight. Professional development with school staff on how to create a positive climate for sexual minorities and those with overweight/obesity and addressing positive identity and body image within school-based suicide prevention efforts may be important to the well-being of adolescent girls.

Elevated Risky Sexual Behaviors Among Sexual Minority Girls: Indirect Risk Pathways Through Peer Victimization and Heavy Drinking

Sexual minority girls (SMGs), compared with heterosexual females, are more likely to report negative sexual outcomes including earlier age of sexual intercourse debut, more lifetime and recent sexual partners, pregnancy involvement, and sex while intoxicated. Data describing the mechanisms related to these health disparities are limited. The purpose of this study was therefore to longitudinally assess the roles of sexual minority-related peer victimization and heavy episodic drinking (HED) as mediators of the relation between sexual minority status and sexual outcomes. The girls examined in this study were recruited into a longitudinal study of adolescent health from two large, urban adolescent medicine clinics affiliated with academic medical centers. The final sample for this analysis included 79 SMGs and a comparison group of 127 heterosexual girls aged between 14 and 19 years. Mediation models were run in the structural equation modeling framework. Our results provided evidence to support a serial multiple mediation pathway. SMGs were more likely to report sexual minority-related victimization, and sexual minority-related victimization predicted increased HED, which was subsequently found to prospectively predict increased sexual risk behaviors. Taken together, these novel findings indicate that both sexual minority-related victimization and HED may play important roles in explaining disparities in risky sexual behavior among SMGs.

Differences in Parental Monitoring Components and Their Associated Health Indicators Between Sexual-Minority and Heterosexual Girls

ABSTRACTOur study sought to assess whether parental monitoring and their associations with health behaviors differed for heterosexual girls compared to sexual-minority girls (girls who identified as lesbian or bisexual, endorsed same-sex attraction, or had same-sex romantic or sexual partners). We analyzed three components of parental monitoring—adolescent disclosure, parental solicitation, and parental knowledge—between heterosexual and sexual-minority girls. We also tested if the associations between these three constructs and adolescent relationship abuse, suicidality, heavy drinking, binge drinking, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms were different for heterosexual girls compared to sexual-minority girls. Sexual-minority girls were less likely to disclose accurately to their parents their location and activities and perceived their parents asked less and knew less about their location and activities than did heterosexual girls. Heterosexual girls who reported higher levels of adolescent disclosure were less likely than were sexual-minority girls to report suicidality and anxiety symptoms. Additionally, heterosexual girls who reported higher levels of parental knowledge were also less likely than were sexual-minority girls to report anxiety and depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that parental monitoring may not be as protective for sexual-minority girls as it is for heterosexual girls.

Minority Stress and HERoic Coping Among Ethnoracial Sexual Minority Girls: Intersections of Resilience

This study used a focus group methodology to explore the experiences of stress and coping among 40 Hispanic, Caribbean Black, Haitian, and African American cisgender sexual minority girls living in the southeastern United States. An analysis of the data using grounded theory strategies revealed that participants were part of a cultural context in which few boundaries existed between family, religion, and culture, and that they tended to believe that they were betraying family and culture because of their sexual minority identities. Participants described (a) real or perceived transgressions of gender expectations and roles, (b) violating religious doctrine, and (c) emotional exclusion and taunting by family members. In the same context, the theme of HERoic Coping described participants’ resilience that manifested as (a) serving as the family educator, (b) being “out” in the open with family, and (c) creating safety. This study found that the negotiation of complex family, religious, and community environments is critical to understanding resilience in ethnoracial sexual minority girls.