부산대학교 도서관

Coming out is a journey that sexual minority individuals appear to be undertaking at increasingly younger ages. Yet, there is limited research to date examining the coming out experiences of adolescents. The present study addressed this gap in the literature by exploring female adolescents' experiences of coming out as bi+. Using a qualitative design, this study comprised individual one-to-one semi-structured interviews with six participants. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis identified three Group Experiential Themes: one, daunting and arduous nature of acknowledging and exploring one's sexual orientation; two, fear and desire to control; selective and strategic disclosures; and three, protective factors facilitate survival and thriving. The findings supported the existing literature highlighting the importance of social connection and support to promote resilience throughout the coming out journey, and this formed the basis of implications for Educational Psychology practice.