Teens Helping Teens: Investigating Adolescents' Talk About Sexual Identity on an Online Message Board

• In Event: Supporting Positive Youth Development: Understanding and Resolving Issues of Belonging, Confusion, and Rejection

Abstract

Adolescents increasingly use online, peer-to-peer platforms as a site of identity exploration and development. Prior research suggests that experiences online can foster feelings of connection and belonging, as well as promote a willingness to engage in self-disclosure during a critical developmental period; however, only recently has research explored how LGBTQ youth use these spaces. This study investigates how adolescents using an online message board to discuss sexuality and sexual identity describe their reasons for writing. Drawing on a content analysis and qualitative coding, our findings suggest that LGBTQ adolescents often visit this space to resolve feelings of confusion, isolation, or rejection. Implications for researchers and practitioners are explored.

Authors

• Gretchen A. Brion-Meisels, Harvard University

• Katharine Parodi, Harvard Graduate School of Education