Sexual Orientation Disparities: Starting in Childhood and Observable in Adolescence?

A long line of research shows that sexual minority adolescents experience bullying and victimization at higher rates than heterosexual youth [1]. More recently, attention has been given to sexual minority adolescent's experiences and the impact on mental health during key periods of adolescence [2,3]. Although this work is immensely valuable in understanding experiences of bullying and associated mental health outcomes, we still know little about the development of bullying for sexual minority adolescents: When do disparities emerge? And do they persist over time?