Religiosity as a Protective Factor for Bullying Victimization and Substance Use in the USA: Examining Differences for Heterosexual and Sexual Minority African American Adolescents in Chicago’s Southside

Introduction: Research consistently shows that victims of bullying are at significant risk of using substances in an attempt to manage the stress associated with victimization. Theories, including the self-medication hypothesis, general strain theory, social control theory, and social disorganization theory, elucidate how bullying victimization and substance use may be related. Researchers have also explored several protective factors, such as religiosity, that may disrupt the link between bullying victimization and substance use. The current study investigated whether various aspects of religiosity (i.e., importance of religious/spiritual beliefs and practices, praying/meditating, and attending church/religious services) would independently buffer the association between bullying victimization and substance use among African American adolescents. Despite the significant role of religion in the lives of African American youth, it is unclear the extent to which religiosity serves a protective role for youth who identify as a sexual minority. Methods: The study included a sample of African American adolescents residing in four Chicago’s Southside neighborhoods who identified as heterosexual or a sexual minority. Results: Bullying victimization was positively associated with substance use among both heterosexual and sexual minority adolescents. Among heterosexual adolescents, attending church/religious services was negatively associated with substance use, and believing in God moderated the association between bullying victimization and substance use. Among sexual minority youth who were bullied, attending church/religious services was positively associated with substance use. Conclusions: The role of religiosity as a protective factor is complex and additional research is needed to understand better what aspects of religiosity might be protective for heterosexual and sexual minority adolescents. Policy Implications: Policymakers need to understand the importance of developing a supportive environment that affirms students’ sexual orientation and gender identities.