Many social workers have had minimal training and preparation in servicing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Questioning (LGBTQ) clients. It is not uncommon or unlikely that even the most seasoned practitioner will display some form of negative bias or utilize misinformation with assisting these clients. Because the Universe and the norms are steadily changing and evolving we as social workers must do the same to better assist our clients especially our oppressed populations. This research paper will provide an in depth look at the LGBTQ community, in particular the adolescent victimization of LGBTQ students in a school setting. Research suggests that youth who identify as LGBTQ are at greater risk of suicidal thoughts, suicidal attempts, …show more content…
Various interventions implemented within the school setting have shown to improve the social environment for the LGBTQ population. A report by the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University traced the effects of LGBTQ bullying in a school setting included unintentional statements like “that’s so gay,” or more direct verbal harassment, and physical violence in school hallways (Russell, Ryan, Toomey, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2011, p. 225). The data from the project’s survey of 245 LGBTQ adolescents links bullying to long-term health and developmental problems. It was discovered that LGBTQ targeted bullying related to gender expression or sexual orientation during school years led to increased adolescent depression, suicidal thoughts, social adjustment issues and risky sexual behavior (Russell, Ryan, Toomey, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2011, p. 225). LGBTQ adolescents that reported high levels of anti-LGBTQ victimization as teens were 5.6 times more likely to report suicide attempts than those victimized less frequently. Those who reported suicide attempts were more than double as likely to be diagnosed clinically depressed, and they were more than twice as likely to report having been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease by young adulthood. In the paragraphs to come we will examine how bullying impacts …show more content…
According to www.dictionary.com homophobia is defined as the “unreasoning fear of or antipathy toward homosexuals and homosexuality (Homophobia | Define Homophobia at Dictionary.com, n.d.).” A lot like racism and sexism, homophobia can be subtle or it can be overt. “Harassment is not only limited to name calling but can include obscene gestures, intentional gay jokes, or finding nasty notes on your belongings. It can also escalate to physical threats of
The Bullying Policy has been introduced around the world which, according to the 2014 observations , rates of bullying vary across studies from 9% to 98%. An observation of 80 studies analyzing bullying involvement rates for both bullying others and being bullied for 12-18 year old students reported an estimate rate of 35% for traditional bullying involvement and 15% for cyberbullying involvement (Modecki, Minchin, Harbaugh, Guerra, & Runions, 2014). This means the Bullying Prevention Policy affects million of students nationwide due to the programs created. More specifically, females face a higher indication of bullying victimization than males do. To explain, high percentages of each gender are faced with the aggressive acts of violence, making it extremely hard to perform well in the school environment. Furthermore, as many as 93 percent of students hear derogatory words about sexual orientation at least once every day at school or in their community (violencepreventionworks). Negative name calling and harassment about sexual orientation can be disrespectful to all students. For an example, 3 out of 4 students who are bullied/harassed with such remarks are not identified as lesbian, gay,
Along with verbal abuse, LGBTQ youth also experience physical violence in schools across the country everyday. Back in the 1980’s and 1990’s sociologists such as Joyce Hunter thought that much of the physical abuse happening towards the LGBTQ population stemmed from the stigma and fear that came from the AIDS epidemic that was spreading rapidly among the gay community in that time. In a study as recent as 2003, 60% of LGBTQ youth had reported being assaulted physically due to their sexual orientation (Chesir-Taran, 2003) These physical actions towards the gay and lesbian youth has caused many to fear going to school. In fact, many LGBTQ students avoid school in order to escape the physical harassment. This drop in attendance has detrimental effects on the student’s academics (American Educational Research Association).
A clear policy on homophobic bullying provides a framework for an effective response. This defines the problem, identifies
Over decades, research has been devoted to many issues related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth (Dragowski, McCabe, & Rubinson, 2016, p 127). This essay presents a literature review examining research conducted on different aspects of the LGBTQ youth. The review was conducted using key terms of “LGBTQ youth”, “bullying,” and “school safety.” Findings presented in the study cross the topics of how KGBTQ youth struggle, how they become victims because of their sexual preferences, the incidence of LGBTQ victimization in schools, and what schools can do be more aware of and address the related issues.
Gay bulling is a tragic epidemic that often occurs on school campuses. Every 9 out of 10 gay students experience harassment at school. Due to these catastrophic situations, gay youths are 3 times more likely to commit suicide than any other youths. Though incidents of school bullying are very common, celebrities and nationally known figures have instituted an Internet campaign that attempts to encourage gay youths by reminding them that it does get better. They encourage gay youths that they are not alone by telling them that they futures after school hold something better. ABC’s “What would you do” segment featured teen actors bullying a gay classmate in a public area.
School should be a place that is a sanctuary for students. It should be a place that helps students’ feel safe and ready to learn. They should not be a place of terror or fear. Students should not walk the hallways in fear that a bully is waiting for them near their locker or in the classroom. There are many ways that bullying can be prevented because it is easier to prevent bullying rather than trying to stop bullying. Seattle Public Schools have been trying to develop a creative method in supporting a better school environment for their students, since the mid-1980’s. Now the schools are especially developing programs that support LGBTQ students, or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer. However these programs are not just for students, but they are also for staff members and family members. These programs help families become involved and increase safety. A study was conducted to show how Seattle Public Schools have implemented these programs that help students who are a part of the LGBTQ community (Hillard et al.). On the other hand, not all schools are as involved as the public schools in Seattle. This is especially true in urban areas. Four hundred and twenty-seven urban middle school students were asked what their perception was on bullying, cyberbullying, and school safety (Varjas et al.).
“Does it get better: A Longitudinal Analysis of Psychological Distress and victimization in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Youth.”
Nationally 93% of youth hear homophobic slurs occasionally while 51% hear these slurs on a daily basis. Homophobic language and attitudes are used by these boys more than girls and they rate them more seriously. Understanding the homophobic bullying as a part of their gender socialization suggests that the current disclosure about bullying must be changed. By framing young men for their aggressive behaviour known as bullying elides a complicated way to the central part of the gender socialization process that supports and reproduces gender and sexual inequality.
The mental health of individuals in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) community is something that is a serious problem. For most of the history of the United States and many different parts of the world LGBT people faced much persecution and in some cases even death. This constant fear of discovery and the pressure that one feels on oneself when “in the closet” can lead to major mental distress. Research has shown that people who identify as LGBT are twice as likely to develop lifetime mood and anxiety disorders (Bostwick 468). This is extremely noticeable the past couple years in the suicides of bullied teens on the basis of sexual identity and expression. The stigma on simply being perceived as LGBT is strong enough to
Another study found that 28% of LGBT youth dropped out of school due to peer harassment. The National Network of Runaway and Youth Services estimates that between 20-40% of homeless youth are LGBT”. From middleearthnj‘s data, we can see that many gay youths have been discriminated against by violence and exclusion when their classmates knew they are homosexuality, then they may suffer physical and emotional violence. From the data, we knew that so many homosexual students drop out of school or even homeless because they can not stand the emotional violence. More important, all these violent incidents are basically taking place after they come out to their
Marginalization may also be the explanation for the high risk of self-harm in gay, bisexual, transsexual teenagers who are 2 to 3 times more likely to self-harm than heterosexual young people, this groups results in regular absenteeism at school due to homophobic harassment. 50% of those reported bullied at school had contemplated self-harm, 40% of those had self-harmed at least once. A survey in 2000 to 2002 interviewed 2,430 lesbian women, gay men and bisexual men and women in England and Wales and concluded that there is a greater link between discrimination and mental health issues. (Truth Hurts, Mental Health Foundation 2006).
A lot of teenagers are discriminated at school as a result of their sexual orientation. The strong effect of sexual orientation on suicidal thoughts is mediated by critical youth suicide risk factors, including depression, hopelessness, alcohol abuse, recent suicide attempts by a peer or a family member, and experiences of victimization (Stephen T. Russel). They go through a lot of bullying. They feel everyone does not equally notice them. Gay people do no choose their sexual orientation; they are born like that. Only ignorant individuals cannot accept people that are not like them. Young teenagers get very depressed to see that world has turned on them, and a lot of them choose to end their life, so they do not have to deal with this terrible feeling. The teenager stage is one of the most difficult stages throughout the life span. It is important to teach our children respect towards everybody to prevent this type of things caused by bullying at school. By legalizing gay marriage, young teenagers will feel accepted by society, and they will feel
This study’s main purpose was to explain the predominance of homophobic name-calling in a case of Dutch teenagers where they also analyze the experience of teenagers who has been targeted by homophobic name-calling associated to psychological distress. The study has suggested three different types of hypothesis for this experiment. First hypothesis, the authors describe that victimization from homophobic name-calling would be
According to a study as many as 93 percent of teenagers have heard words that were derogatory in nature about sexual orientation with half of the teens who heard those words in the community and every day in school. While 78 percent of gay or perceived to be students are teased and bullied both in their schools and communities. LGBT teens live
The study critiqued was “Factors Predicting Student Intervention when Witnessing Anti-LGBTQ Harassment: The Influence of Peers, Teachers, and Climate.” The study was comprised of high schoolers completed a self-reporting survey on their individual intentions to intervene when witnessing bullying or harassment particularly towards LGBTQ individuals or derogatory statements of that nature. The goal of the study was to gain an understanding as to what would promote intervention in students; the three possibilities or variables tested included homophobic language, teacher intervention or student-led intervention. The study provided a thorough discussion and comprehensible data, although well intended, several concerns were raised with how the