Students’ perceptions of teachers’ responses to LGBTQ+ bullying and general bullying: a latent profile analysis

Abstract The aims of this study were to identify and compare profiles of students’ individual perceptions of teachers’ responses to LGBTQ+ and general bullying, and to explore their association with students’ bullying roles and students’ sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE). The original sample consisted of 2482 students aged 12–18 from public secondary and vocational schools in Andalusia (Spain). For the present study, analyses were conducted with a subsample of 1,035 students who reported witnessing bullying and completed items about teachers’ responses. Four profiles of perceived teachers’ responses to LGBTQ+ bullying were identified: active and supportive (58.5%), moderately contradictory (11%), highly contradictory (4.2%), and disengaged responses (26.3%). For general bullying, four profiles were also identified: active and supportive (59.6%), intermittent supportive (15.5%), highly contradictory (5.9%), and disengaged responses (19%). Disengaged responses were more prevalent in LGBTQ+ bullying than in general bullying. While response profiles were unrelated to students’ SOGIE, they were linked to their bullying roles. In LGBTQ+ bullying, students who perceived contradictory and disengaged responses were more likely to be bullies or bully-victims. For general bullying, students who perceived teachers as intermittently supportive, contradictory, or disengaged also had higher odds of being bully-victims. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.