Developmental Effects of Screen Time on Gender Diverse Student’s Experiences of Bullying Victimization

ABSTRACT

We used a large state-wide sample of adolescent students in 8th, 10th, and 12th grades (N = 58,689) to examine the predictive value of screen time on bullying victimization, as well as its interaction with age by gender, including transgender and gender nonconforming identities. Participants were majority boys/men (52.3%), heterosexual (88.1%), and White (73.7%). Findings generally supported previous literature related to cisgender differences, but highlighted differences for transgender and gender nonconforming youth. While screen time and technology use, as well as development and maturation, appear to be important predictors of bullying victimization for cisgender students identifying as boys/men and girls/women, they did not predict bullying victimization for transgender or gender nonconforming youth. Results suggest we cannot assume previous bullying research on binary cisgender students will generalize to transgender and gender nonconforming youth. Practical implications for advancing bullying and victimization research with gender diverse students are outlined.

KEYWORDS:

• Bullying
• victimization
• transgender
• gender nonconforming
• screen time

Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the generosity of the UDoH and DSAMH staff for making this project possible.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data collection was sponsored and facilitated by the Utah Department of Health (UDoH) and Utah Department of Human Services Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) as part of a larger project evaluating adolescent substance use, anti-social behavior, and the risk and protective factors that predict these adolescent problem behaviors (see https://dsamh.utah.gov/sharp-survey). Data availability is subject to the UDoH and Utah DSAMH.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sean Weeks

Sean Weeks is a graduate student in the Psychology Department at Utah State University.

E. Tish Hicks

E. Tish Hicks is a graduate student in the Psychology Department at Utah State University.

Demi Culianos

Demi Culianos is a graduate student in the Psychology Department at Utah State University.

Tyler L. Renshaw

Tyler L. Renshaw is an associate professor in the Psychology Department at Utah State University.