Today, Bisexual Health Awareness Month spotlights the high rates of bullying and interpersonal violence experienced by bisexual+ youth, including resources that can support them. Various reports and research studies have found that:
- In one report by the Rainbow Health Initiative, 44% of bisexual youth reported being bullied about their weight or physical appearance one or more times during the past month, and 45% of bisexual youth reported ever having mean rumors or lies spread about them over the past month
- In a report by the Human Rights Campaign, 37% of gender-expansive youth are verbally harassed at school, and 25% of gender-expansive youth report being verbally harassed online frequently or often
- For most surveys, more than 1 in 4 bisexual boys compared to 1 in 5 gay boys reported sexual abuse
- In one study, bisexual identity and behavior was associated with a history of forced/unwanted sex among female high school students
- More bisexual homeless youth reported that someone tried to touch them sexually before age 12 than their straight and gay peers
Safer spaces and policies in schools and communities that are inclusive and supportive of bisexual+ youth are needed to decrease bullying. More intersectional approaches for sexual and intimate partner violence are also needed to prevent and decrease the high interpersonal violence rates experienced by bisexual+ youth.
Today’s Featured Resources: Are you a bisexual+ youth being bullied? There are resources like It Gets Better and GLSEN that can help. If you are in an abusive relationship, you call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for resources and support. Help is also available for bisexual+ youth survivors of sexual violence – Call 800.656.4673 to connect with a sexual assault service provider near you. You are not alone.