Disparities in persistent victimization and associated internalizing symptoms for heterosexual versus sexual minority youth

This study investigated whether lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents were at higher risk for persistent victim- ization of bullying compared to heterosexual adolescents, and how victimization trajectories were associated with inter- nalizing symptom development across LGB and heterosexual adolescents. Data came from a five-wave study (MageT1 = 11.1 to MageT5 = 22.3; n = 151 LGB; n = 1,275 heterosexual) and informants were adolescents and their par- ents. Adolescents were classified in three victimization trajectories: persistent (5.6%), decreasing (28.1%) or low (66.3%) victimization. LGB adolescents reported more persistent victimization, relative to no (OR = 6.79, 95% CI [3.52, 13.13]) or decreasing victimization (OR = 3.09, 95% CI [1.53, 6.24]), compared to heterosexual peers. Further, persistent victim- ization was more strongly associated with anxiety among LGB than among heterosexual adolescents.