Resources for LGBTQ Youth & Bullying

Sean’s Legacy gratefully acknowledges Lucy Dollinger, CHES for the assistance in the preparation of this report.

Sources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). The 2017 Youth risk behavior surveillance - United States, 2017. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/ss/pdfs/ss6708a1-h.pdf

GLSEN. (2017). The 2017 national school climate survey. Retrieved from https://www.glsen.org/research/school-climate-survey

Lester, L. and Cross, D. (2015). The relationship between school climate and mental and emotional wellbeing over the transition from primary to secondary school. Psychology of Well-Being. Retrieved from https://psywb.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13612-015-0037-8

Stop Bullying.org (2017). LGBTQ youth. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.stopbullying.gov/bullying/lgbtq

Wolke, D. and Lereya, S.T. (2015). Long term effects of bullying. Archives of Disease in Childhood;100:879–885. Retrieved from https://adc.bmj.com/content/archdischild/100/9/879.full.pdf

According to Stop Bullying, a program run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, bullying is defined as “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children. It involves a real or perceived power imbalance, and the behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time” (Stop Bullying, n.d.). A recent report from the CDC found that LGBTQ youth are bullied on average more than heterosexual peers. The 2017 Youth Risk surveillance survey stated that nationwide, lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) high school students reported being bullied on school property (33%) and online (27.1%) more than compared with heterosexual peers who reported 17.1% and 13.3% respectively (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). Additionally, the 2017 National School Climate Survey conducted by GLSEN found that 83.7% of transgender students and 69.9% of gender nonconforming students were bullied or harassed at school (GLSEN, 2017).

These experiences of bullying can have long term effects, including an increase in mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, and even increase likelihood of suicide attempts (Wolke and Lereya, 2015). These experiences of bullying can have long term effects, including an increase in mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, and even increase likelihood of suicide attempts (Wolke and Lereya, 2015). This is why it is vital to create a safe and secure environment for LGBTQ+ students. A study by Lester and Cross found that “feeling safe at school was protective against all emotional difficulties subscales, while feeling connected to teachers was protective against conduct problems, hyperactivity and peer problems, and was predictive of pro-social behavior” (Lester and Cross, 2015). Below we’ve listed some ways an educator or adult can provide proper support to LGBTQ+ youth. We’ve also included resources and help for youth who might be bullied themselves. Together we can create a safer world for LGBTQ+ youth.

How to Create a Safe Environment for LGBTQ Youth:

Build connections with LGBTQ youth and demonstrate that you accept them the way they are. Establish open communication and be an adult that they can come to if they need help (Stop Bullying, 2017).
Provide positive feedback and encouragement, active listening, believe in their abilities, care about them, and provide interactive teaching and learning styles (Lester and Cross, 2015).
Protect youth’s privacy. You never know if they are out or more specifically who they are out with. Do not disclose their sexual identity with parents, students, or other staff unless there is an immediate threat to their safety or wellbeing (Stop Bullying, 2017).
Create a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) extracurricular club for students to meet and build friendships with other students (Stop Bullying, 2017).

Resources to check out:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

LGBTQ Youth Resources | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health: https://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth-resources.htm
2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance - United States, 2017. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/ss/pdfs/ss6708a1-h.pdf

GLSEN: