RESUMO
Background: LGBTQ+ youth experience disproportionately high rates of online victimization (OV), referring to harmful remarks, images, or behaviors in online settings, which is associated with suicidal risk. Current services have gaps in supporting LGBTQ+ youth facing OV events. To address these gaps, this study aims to develop Flourish, a digital suicide prevention intervention for LGBTQ+ youth who have experienced OV. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 LGBTQ+ youth with past-year history of OV and lifetime history of suicidality, 11 of their parents, and 10 LGBTQ+-serving professionals. Subsequently, an iterative codesign process was conducted with 22 youth through individual and group design sessions, followed by usability testing. Data were recorded and transcribed. Qualitative interviews were analyzed using a qualitative description approach, and data from design sessions and usability testing were analyzed using rapid qualitative techniques. Results: Interviews with youth, parents, and professionals suggested preferences for Flourish to be a partially automated, text message intervention leveraging web-based content that is a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth to seek support for OV through education, coping skills, and help-seeking resources. School and mental health services professionals considered the potential for implementing Flourish within youth services settings. Usability testing, assessed through the System Usability Scale, yielded an average rating of 91, indicating excellent perceived usability. Conclusions: Flourish has potential to be an acceptable intervention to support LGBTQ+ youth following OV. Future steps will include testing the feasibility and efficacy of Flourish and further examining Flourish's potential for implementation within services for LGBTQ+ youth.
RESUMO
Cyberbullying is a growing problem for middle school students. Bystander interventions that train witnesses to positively intervene can prevent cyberbullying. Through six focus groups, we explored forty-six middle school students' experiences with cyberbullying and opportunities for school-based prevention programs to encourage positive bystander behavior. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis. Students viewed cyberbullying as an important problem with significant consequences. They noted hesitancy in reporting to parents and school personnel and felt more comfortable discussing cyberbullying with a near-peer (e.g., older sibling or friend). Students desired combining school-based and online programming with near-peer mentorship. This study suggests need for targeted prevention programs that center middle school students' lived experiences with cyberbullying and their preferences for learning and utilizing positive bystander strategies.
