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REVIEW article

Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1493745
This article is part of the Research Topic Breaking Barriers in LGBT+ Health: Innovations and Insights View all 3 articles

Bullying of LGBTQ+ Children and Adolescents in Schools: Understanding the Phenomenon, Consequences, and International Standards with a Focus on the Polish Context

Provisionally accepted
ADRIANNA H. SENCZYSZYN ADRIANNA H. SENCZYSZYN *Bartłomiej Stańczykiewicz Bartłomiej Stańczykiewicz
  • Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Silesian, Poland

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Bullying refers to repetitive, aggressive behavior intended to harm or intimidate others. Cyberbullying extends this aggression to digital platforms, involving harassment via social media, texts, or emails. These forms of bullying are particularly damaging to LGBTQ+ youth, who often face discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. In the context of LGBTQ+ individuals, bullying and cyberbullying can lead to severe emotional and psychological harm, contributing to higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Despite extensive global efforts and campaigns to combat homophobia, LGBTQ+ students continue to face significant challenges, with the situation in Poland being notably severe. The review highlights various forms of bullying, including physical, verbal, and social aggression, and underscores the alarming involvement of school personnel in perpetuating such behaviors. The focus on the Polish context enriches the global discourse on LGBTQ+ rights and highlights the critical need for targeted interventions to support vulnerable youth in regions with prevalent conservative and religious sentiments.

    Keywords: Bullying1, LGBTQ+2, Children3, Adolecents4, mental health5. (Min.5-Max. 8)

    Received: 09 Sep 2024; Accepted: 07 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 SENCZYSZYN and Stańczykiewicz. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: ADRIANNA H. SENCZYSZYN, Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, 50-367, Silesian, Poland

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.