Correlates of bullying in Quebec high school students: The vulnerability of sexual-minority youth

- SMY are more likely to experience cyberbullying and other forms of bullying.
- SMY and victims of bullying report higher psychological distress and suicidal ideations, and lower self-esteem.
- Gender and sexual orientation variations need to be taken into account in bullying prevention.
- Interventions buffering the effect of bullying on mental health need to be developed and implemented.

PurposeBullying has become a significant public health issue, particularly among youth. This study documents cyberbullying, homophobic bullying and bullying at school or elsewhere and their correlates among both heterosexual and sexual-minority high school students in Quebec (Canada).MethodA representative sample of 8194 students aged 14-20 years was recruited in Quebec (Canada) high schools. We assessed cyberbullying, homophobic bullying and bullying at school or elsewhere in the past 12 months and their association with current self-esteem and psychological distress as well as suicidal ideations.ResultsBullying at school or elsewhere was the most common form of bullying (26.1%), followed by cyberbullying (22.9%) and homophobic bullying (3.6%). Overall, girls and sexual-minority youth were more likely to experience cyberbullying and other forms of bullying as well as psychological distress, low self-esteem and suicidal ideations. The three forms of bullying were significantly and independently associated with all mental health outcomes.ConclusionsThe results underscore the relevance of taking into account gender and sexual orientation variations in efforts to prevent bullying experience and its consequences.