Direct and Witnessed Bias-Based Harassment Exposures Among Adolescents: Associations With Functioning and the Influence of Protective Factors

Youth who experience bias-based harassment report more adverse functioning than those who report peer victimization not targeted at identity. Yet, there has been little research aimed at understanding how different forms of bias-based harassment influence well-being. The current study adds to the existing research through its comprehensive assessment of adolescents' direct and witnessed bias-based harassment exposures and examination of how exposures are associated with mental health and grades. We also evaluated three protective factors (adult support at school, peer support, and school belonging) for their associations with functioning after taking into account bias-based harassment exposures. Participants were 7,402 high school adolescents in the Northeast (Mage = 15.41 years, SD = 1.08). Results revealed differential associations with mental health and grades based on bias-based harassment types and highlighted the importance of support and belonging.