Sadness and Hopelessness Among Student Victims of Bias-Based School Violence: A California Statewide Study

Background and Purpose: Previous research has shown that school violence is strongly associated with multiple negative mental health outcomes. Studies did not address, however, one of the more insidious types of victimization that is based on bias (e.g., against certain sexual orientations, racial groups or gender). Such victimization may have even stronger effects than other types of victimization. To address this gap, this study examined the association between students’ victimization via nonbiased and bias-based violence with students' report on sadness and hopelessness (SH) and the associations between school-level attributes and school-level SH. The study further predicted SH based on students’ victimization and school attributes.

Methods: This study used data from the 2017–2019 California Healthy Kids Survey (N = 1,025,876 students; N = 2,569 schools), and from California Basic Educational Data System. Student sadness and hopelessness in the last 12 months was assessed. Student level predictors included gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, school victimization (12 items) and biased based victimization due to a number of student’ attributes. School level predictors included school’s size, SES, size, and school climate (aggregated from 22 student-level items. Students were classified as not victimized (42.8%), nonbiased victims (33.6%), and bias-based victims (23.6%). Bivariate analyses were carried out for student and school level variables. A multilevel binary logistic model predicted students’ SH based on victimization and school-level attributes. Control variables were grade (seventh, ninth, 11th); gender (male, female); sexual orientation (LGBTQ+, straight); and ethnicity (Hispanic, Asian, African American or Black, White, mixed, other).

Results: Students who reported bias-based victimization were significantly more likely to report SH (53.8%) than nonbiased victims (36.4%) and nonvictimized students (15.7%; χ²₍₂₎ = 108,788.70; p < .001). School-level SES and school climate were negatively correlated with school-level SH (r = -.22, and r = -.44, respectively; p < .01). The multilevel logistic model indicated that after controlling for background characteristics, nonbiased victims (OR = 3.33, CI [3.29, 3.37]) and bias-based victims (OR = 6.62, CI [6.50, 1.75]) are far more likely to experience SH compared with students who were not victimized. Among school-level attributes, only school climate predicted SH: Students in schools with better climate had far lower risk to SH (OR =.74, CI [.70, .78]).

Following these strong effects of biased-victimization, we identified students at risk for such victimization: female, self-identified LGBTQ+, African American or Black, and Mixed race students

Conclusions and Implications: About one quarter of all students experienced bias-based school violence and demonstrated deleterious mental health outcomes, more than non-bias victims. Our findings suggest that the added component of bias to victimization could lead to greater mental health difficulties. School victimization should be view as a major public health concern, with a special focus on those targeted to bias-based victimization. School social workers should pay particular attention to female, LGBTQ+, African American or Black, and Mixed race students, who face greater odds of bias-based violence. Positive school climate is a protective factor associated with better mental health outcomes and could be used to buffer the negative effect of bias-based violence.