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LGBT Youth in Schools

LGBT Youth in Schools. Elaine M. Maccio, Ph.D., LCSW Louisiana State University School of Social Work. ACSSW Conference February 11, 2014. Content. What does LGBT mean? Why is this important ? Who are LGBT youth in schools? What are some common problems among LGBT youth?

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LGBT Youth in Schools

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  1. LGBT Youth in Schools Elaine M. Maccio, Ph.D., LCSW Louisiana State University School of Social Work ACSSW Conference February 11, 2014

  2. Content • What does LGBT mean? • Why is this important? • Who are LGBT youth in schools? • What are some common problems among LGBT youth? • What resources are available for LGBT youth? • What can school social workers do?

  3. What does LGBT mean? • Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender • Q = queer and/or questioning • Lesbian and gay (homosexual, same-sex oriented) • Bisexual • Transgender/Gender queer • Transsexual • Androgynous

  4. Why is this important? • LGBTQ youth comprise a substantial portion of the school population. • LGBTQ youth have unique needs. • Few resources exist to meet their needs. • LGBTQ youth are disproportionately the targets of bullies.

  5. Who are LGBT youth? • Approximately 10% of youth in schools identify as LGB, less than 1% as T • Adding in questioning youth increases these figures • 20-40% of homeless and runaway youth identify as LGBT

  6. What are the problems? • LGBT youth are prone to substance use, high-risk sexual behaviors, depression, and suicide. • “72.4% [of LGBT students] heard homophobic remarks…frequently or often at school” 2 • “9 out of 10 LGBT [middle and high school] students experienced harassment at school in the past year” 2 2 Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network

  7. What are the problems? • “19.9% reported being bullied at school in past 12 months; higher among females (21.2%) than males (18.7%)” 1 • “84.6% of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed, 40.1%...physically harassed and 18.8%...physically assaulted at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation” 2 • 7.7% were “threatened or injured with a weapon” at school in previous 12 months 1 1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2 Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network

  8. What are the problems? • “17.5% reported carrying a weapon (gun, knife or club) on one or more days in the 30 days preceding the survey” 1 • 29.1% of LGBT students missed a class at least once and 30.0% missed at least one day of school in the past month because of safety concerns, compared to only 8.0% and 6.7%, respectively, of a national sample of secondary school students. 2 1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2 Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network

  9. What resources? • LGBT youth groups • GSAs • PFLAG • GLSEN • NCTE • LTA (LA) • School social workers!

  10. What can I do? Support • Create a safe environment • Facilitate a support group • Start a GSA • Establish a Safe Space program

  11. What can I do? Education • Educate faculty and staff on LGBT issues • Develop lesson plans, activities, or other presentations for the student body

  12. What can I do? Policy • Introduce policies around appropriate and inappropriate language and behavior • Introduce consequences of violating language/behavior policies • Support the local, state, and federal legislation, such as the Safe Schools Improvement Act and the Student Nondiscrimination Act

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