FAP Publishes Report on LGBT Bullying

16 May 2011

The Family Acceptance Project has published a new paper in the Journal of School Health entitled “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Adolescent School Victimization: Implications for Young Adult Health and Adjustment.” The study, unique in its long-term scope, examines how LGBT-specific bullying leads to an increase in suicidal thoughts, social adjustment issues, risky sexual behavior and adult depression. Youth who experience anti-LGBT victimization as teens are 5.6 times more likely to attempt suicide and more than twice as likely to report clinical depression. Bullying is also correlated with a doubled likelihood of an LGBT youth being diagnosed with an STI by young adulthood.  The study further establishes that anti-LGBT bullying is more prevalent amongst male adolescents than their female counterparts.

These findings will supplement arguments in favor of passing more extensive anti-bullying legislation. Here are a few LGBT/Anti-Bullying bills that are currently pending in Congress.

The Safe Schools Improvement Act—would require schools receiving federal funds to adopt codes of conduct prohibiting bullying/harassment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity

The Student Non-Discrimination Act—would protect LGBT students by establishing a federal ban on discrimination based on perceived or actual sexual identity and provide the victims with appropriate remedies

Reconnecting Youth to Prevent Homelessness Act—would aim to decrease LGBT homelessness through job training, education and permanency planning

For more information on the Family Acceptance Project, visit their website at http://familyproject.sfsu.edu/home.  For an abstract on the study, please click here.

By Brad Sickels
SPSSI Administrative Assistant


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