Citation

Toomey RB, Ryan C, Díaz RM, Card NA, Russell ST. Dev. Psychol. 2010; 46(6): 1580-1589.

Affiliation

Family Studies and Human Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0078, USA. toomey@email.arizona.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/a0020705

PMID

20822214

Abstract

Past research documents that both adolescent gender nonconformity and the experience of school victimization are associated with high rates of negative psychosocial adjustment. Using data from the Family Acceptance Project's young adult survey, we examined associations among retrospective reports of adolescent gender nonconformity and adolescent school victimization due to perceived or actual lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) status, along with current reports of life satisfaction and depression. The participants included 245 LGBT young adults ranging in age from 21 to 25 years. Using structural equation modeling, we found that victimization due to perceived or actual LGBT status fully mediates the association between adolescent gender nonconformity and young adult psychosocial adjustment (i.e., life satisfaction and depression). Implications are addressed, including specific strategies that schools can implement to provide safer environments for gender-nonconforming LGBT students.

Language: en