Characteristics of Bias-Based Harassment Incidents Reported by a National Sample of U.S. Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 253487
• Journal: Journal of Adolescence Volume: 65 Dated: June 2018 Pages: 50-60
• Author(s): Lisa M. Jones; Kimberly J. Mitchell; Heather A. Turner; Michele L. Ybarra
• Date Published: June 2018
• Length: 11 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2012-IJ-CX-0024
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description

Annotation

This article reports on a study that used a national sample of youth from the United States to examine incidents of bias-based harassment by peers that included language about victims' perceived sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, religion, weight or height, or intelligence.

Abstract

Telephone interviews were conducted with youth who were 10-20 years old (n=791). One in six youth (17 percent) reported at least one experience with bias-based harassment in the past year. Bias language was a part of over half (52 percent) of all harassment incidents experienced by youth. Perpetrators of bias-based harassment were similar demographically to perpetrators of non-biased harassment; however, bias-based incidents were more likely to involve multiple perpetrators, longer timeframes, and multiple harassment episodes. Even controlling for these related characteristics, the use of bias language in incidents of peer harassment resulted in significantly greater odds that youth felt sad as a result of the victimization, skipped school, avoided school activities, and lost friends, compared to non-biased harassment incidents. (publisher abstract modified)