School connectedness can help bullied gay and bisexual youth

In a study of 951 lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth, those experiencing both cyber and school bullying were most likely to engage in aggressive and suicidal behaviors. However, bullied youth who felt connected to an adult at school were not more likely to report such behaviors.

"In recent years, clubs such as Gay-Straight Alliances have played an integral role in creating safer environments in schools. These efforts are often student-led with the guidance of only a handful of adult advisors; however, our study highlights just how important adults are in buffering sexual minority youth from bullying's consequences," said Jeffrey Duong, lead author of the Journal of School Health study.

He noted that educators can find resources for supporting such groups at http://glsen.org/article/educators-support-your-gsa.