While a life-altering pandemic has caused a substantial uptick in anxiety and depression symptoms among adults and children alike, LGBTQ+ youth have turned to peers in anonymous online discussion forums for support. New research from UC Davis suggests these LGBTQ+ teenagers — who already experience disproportionate levels of psychological adversity — exhibited increased anxiety on the popular r/LGBTeens subreddit throughout 2020 and the start of 2021.
Teens who bully, harass, or otherwise victimize their peers are not always lashing out in reaction to psychological problems or unhealthy home environments, but are often using aggression strategically to climb their school’s social hierarchy, a UC Davis study suggests. These findings point to the reasons why most anti-bullying programs don’t work and suggest possible strategies for the future.
Each episode of the newly released second season of "13 Reasons Why" starts with a warning from the actors that the show tackles tough topics like sexual assault, substance abuse and suicide. The warnings, and a downloadable discussion guide provided by Netflix, come out of research recently conducted by Drew Cingel, a assistant professor of communication at the University of California, Davis, with colleagues at Northwestern University.
