Cited by 110LGBTQ Health, Identity, and PolicySexual Assault and Victimization StudiesBullying, Victimization, and Aggression

Homophobia is online: Sexual victimization and risks on the internet and mental health among bisexual, homosexual, pansexual, asexual, and queer adolescents

Open access
Gámez-Guadix, Manuel, Incera, Daniel·2021·Computers in Human Behavior

Abstract

The first aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence and frequency of different forms of online sexual victimization and risks among sexual minorities, including sexting, sexual orientation- and gender-based victimization, unwanted sexual attention, sextortion, and revenge porn. The second aim was to examine whether online sexual victimization and risks mediate the relationship between being a sexual minority and mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety. The sample was composed of 1779 adolescents (50.9% girls) between 12 and 18 years old (mean age = 13.92, SD = 1.27), and 146 of them (8.2%) were sexual minorities (specifically, bisexual, homosexual, pansexual, asexual, or queer adolescents). About 17.3% of sexual minority adolescents have sent a sext. Four out of ten adolescents (41.1%) had experienced online sexual orientation discrimination and 28.4% gender-based victimization. More than forty percent (45.2%) experienced unwanted sexual attention, 9% were victims of sextortion, and 5.5% had been targets of revenge porn. Sexting, online sexual orientation victimization and gender-based victimization, and unwanted sexual attention partially mediated the relationship between being a sexual minority and mental health outcomes (i.e., depression and anxiety). More prevention programs aimed to reduce online sexual victimization and risks for sexual minorities are needed.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.chb.2021.106728

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  • Findings across these studies show that sexual minorities were more likely to experience sextortion victimization than their heterosexual counterparts.

    “Findings across these studies show that sexual minorities were more likely to experience sextortion victimization than their heterosexual counterparts (Eaton et al., 2022; Gámez-Guadix & Incera, 2021; Henry et al., 2019; Pacheco et al., 2019; Patchin & Hinduja, 2020).”

    From Sextortion: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Gámez-Guadix & Incera, 2021

  • A preliminary version of the forms of victimization has shown adequate exploratory factorial validity in a previous study.

    “A preliminary version of the forms of victimization has shown adequate exploratory factorial validity in a previous study (Gámez -Guadix & Incera, 2021).”

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1 of the 78 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. Bentler, P. M. (1995). In EQS structural equations program manual (Vol. 6). Encino, CA: Multivariate software.
  2. Byrne, B. M. (2013). Structural equation modeling with EQS: Basic concepts, applications, and programming. Routledge.
  3. Orue, I., Calvete, E., & Fernandez-Gonzalez, L. (2018). Adaptación de la "escala de acoso escolar homofobico" y magnitud del problema en adolescentes españoles. Behavioral Psychology, 26(3), 437-456.

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Authors
Gámez-Guadix, M., & Incera, D.
Venue
Computers in Human Behavior
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-06
Volume
119
Pages
106728
ISSN
0747-5632 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3127618208
Cited by
110
References
78
Citations by year
2026: 22 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 5
FWCI
14.97
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Computers in Human Behavior (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Biblos-e Archivo (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
  • Hispana (submittedVersion)
Funders
Government of Spain Ministry of Science and Innovation
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
Keywords
online sexual victimization, sexual minorities, adolescents, sexting, sextortion, revenge porn, unwanted sexual attention, sexual orientation discrimination, depression, anxiety, mental health, mediation, homophobia, queer youth

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