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School Climate and Implications for LGBT Youth

School Climate and Implications for LGBT Youth . Heather L. Bravener, M.S., NCSP Lincoln Intermediate Unit #12 York, Pennsylvania March 5, 2010. Overview. Assessment of School Climate School Climate and Impact on LGBT Youth Barriers to School Climate Improvement

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School Climate and Implications for LGBT Youth

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  1. School Climate and Implications for LGBT Youth Heather L. Bravener, M.S., NCSP Lincoln Intermediate Unit #12 York, Pennsylvania March 5, 2010

  2. Overview Assessment of School Climate School Climate and Impact on LGBT Youth Barriers to School Climate Improvement Improving School Climate: A Multi-Tier Approach Implications for Practice

  3. NEW YORK, April 9, 2009 - An 11-year-old Massachusetts boy, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, hanged himself Monday after enduring bullying at school, including daily taunts of being gay, despite his mother's weekly pleas to the school to address the problem. This is at least the fourth suicide of a middle-school aged child linked to bullying this year (2009). (Posted on GLSEN website, April 9, 2009)

  4. School Climate A “School’s Personality” (Bell, 1985 as cited in Christenson & Sheridan, 2001) Provides a welcoming atmosphere in which teachers, parents, and students feel respected Promotes open communication Sets the tone for the quality of interactions between and among students and teacher Impacts feelings of trust and safety

  5. The Current State Schools often fail to recognize the impact of school climate on LGBT youth As of January 1, 2009 PA schools are required to have adopted or amended an existing policy related to bullying and incorporate it into the code of student conduct; however, districts often fail to include students of sexual minority (Bully Police USA, n.d.) Only one state has a comprehensive state-wide program to address the needs and safety of LGBT youth (Kosciw, Byard, Fischer, & Joslin, 2007).

  6. National School Climate Survey • The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) conducts the National School Climate Survey every 2 years to document LGBT youth school experiences • The NSCS was developed from the following scales: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale among Adolescents, and the Brief Symptom Inventory (anxiety and depression subscales) • Reliability of individual sections (biased language, harassment/assault, feelings of safety): Cronbach’s alpha range from .70 to .90

  7. National School Climate Survey • Examines indicators of negative school climate • Hearing biased remarks • Feeling unsafe in school • Missing class or days of school • Experiences of harassment and assault *Local School Climate Survey available at http://www.glsen.org/cgibin/iowa/all/research/index.html

  8. 2007 National School Climate Survey(GLSEN, 2009) 6,209 LGBT secondary school students from the 50 states and District of Columbia Grades 6-12 64.4% white 57.7% female 53.6% identified as gay or lesbian

  9. 242 Pennsylvania respondents: 98% of LGBT students heard the word “gay” used as a negative connotation 88% of students were harassed because of sexual orientation 63% were harassed based on their gender expression National results: 90.2% of LGBT students heard the word “gay” used as a negative connotation 86.2% of students were harassed because of sexual orientation 63.3% were harassed based on their gender expression 2007 National School Climate Survey: Results

  10. Results continued… • Sexual Orientation: • 86.2% of students reported verbal harassment • 44.1% reported physical harassment • 22.1% reported physical assault. • Teacher Response • 30% of students heard teachers make negative comments about gender expression • 23% regularly heard teachers make homophobic remarks

  11. LGBT Students…. Have a tendency to skip class or school due to feeling unsafe Demonstrate a high dropout rate Avoid reporting incidence of harassment to both parents and teachers Experience both verbal and physical harassment 20-40% of all homeless youth identify as LGBT (National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute/National Coalition for Homeless) Experience academic and learning problems Are less involved in school activities (Weiler, 2003)

  12. Additional Studies Homophobic remarks used in a derogatory manner have been identified as more prevalent in US schools in comparison to racist and sexist comments (Kosciw & Diaz, 2006). A study completed by the American Association of University Women (1993), found that students in grades 8-11 reported that the most common form of harassment was being the target of sexual comments, jokes, gestures, or looks. *Boys reported that the most disturbing form of harassment was being called gay, even more upsetting than actual physical abuse.

  13. We Belong // Current

  14. Barriers to the Improvement of School Climate Overall school and community climate (Varjas et al., 2007) “Blame the Victim” mentality or “Boys will be boys” Lack of training in LGBT issues Staff personal beliefs and attitudes Failure to acknowledge the problem School Policy

  15. Improving School Climate: A Multi-Tier Approach • The public health framework recommends incorporating three levels of service simultaneously: Primary Level, Secondary Level, and Tertiary Level (Merril, Ervin, & Gimpel, 2006, as cited in Fisher et al., 2008) • It is recommended that by utilizing the public mental health model, prevention and intervention programs can be developed for LGBT youth (Fisher et al., 2008)

  16. Primary Level • The entire school community is considered • Development of policies and procedures that include language regarding sexual orientation and gender expression • Incorporate LGBT individuals and content within the educational curriculum • Guest speakers, “coming out” stories • Children’s literature • Homophobic name-calling analysis (Goldstein, Russel, & Daley, 2007) • Textbooks • Macgillivray and Jennings (2008) reported that LGBT persons are often portrayed as victims falling adjacent to drug abuse and suicide, thus reinforcing stereotypes.)

  17. “The Invisible Minority” • "Within the typical secondary school curriculum,  homosexuals  do not exist.   They are 'nonpersons' in the finest Stalinist sense. They have fought no battles, held no offices, explored nowhere, written no literature, built nothing, invented nothing and solved no equations.  The lesson to the heterosexual student is abundantly clear: homosexuals do nothing of consequence. To the homosexual student, the message has even greater power: no one who has ever felt as you do has done anything worth mentioning."    -Gerald Unks, editor, The Gay Teen, p. 5. (http://www.lambda.org/famous.htm)

  18. Primary Level: Continued • School-Wide Prevention Programs • Olweus Bullying Prevention Program(NCJRS, 1999) • One of ten violence prevention programs meeting high scientific standards of effectiveness • Includes: student questionnaire, school conference day, coordinating committee, supervision of students during break periods • Classroom level: class rules against bullying, classroom meetings, meetings with parents • Individual level: teacher intervenes and contacts parents • Teachers found to more frequently implement classroom interventions if they had read distributed information • The most consistent intervention included the incorporation of literature and explanation of bullying (Kallestead & Olweus, 2003)

  19. Primary Level: Continued • Project ACHIEVE Social Skills Program(Knoff, 2000) • School-wide intervention project to decrease school violence and increase a safe, positive school environment • Incorporates cognitive-behavioral approach • Lessons teach the following skills: prerequisite, interpersonal, problem-solving, and conflict resolution • Studies indicate significant decrease in bullying and improvement in social skill development and classroom functioning (Kilian, Fish, & Maniago, 2006)

  20. Primary Level: Continued • Additional Prevention Programs: • Expect Respect • 12-week classroom curriculum based upon Bully Proof: A Teacher’s Guide on Teasing and Bullying for Use with Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Students • Also includes training for staff, education/ support for parents, antibullying policy, and support for students • Bully Busters • Psychoeducational program focusing on developing a Bully Busters support team group • Steps to Respect • Comprehensive elementary program (Grade 3-5 or 4-6) • School-wide environmental intervention and social-cognitive curricula (Felix & Furlong, 2008)

  21. Secondary Level • At-risk students are targeted for intervention • Support Groups (ex. Gay-Straight Alliance) • “Diversity Room” (Nichols, 1999) • Safe Zone/Safe Space programs • Group Counseling

  22. Gay-Straight Alliance • Gay-Straight Alliance (GSAs) are student initiated, student run groups for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning and heterosexual youth • The goal is to improve school climate and acceptance for all • Allies can be recognized as those who support awareness and are committed to LGBT issues • Research: National School Climate Survey • LGBT students report: less feelings of fear and greater safety, are less likely to be absent from school, can readily identify a supportive adult, and report higher grade point averages and aspirations for secondary schooling (Kosciw & Diaz, 2006; Lee, 2002)

  23. Gay-Straight Alliance: Cont. • Research: Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey (MYRBS) (as cited in Kosciw et al., 2007) • Completed since 1993, includes questions about sexual orientation to differentiate between sexual minority and heterosexual youth and risk behaviors • Conducted by the Massachusetts Department of Education Safe Schools Program for Gay and Lesbian Students every 2 years. • Evaluates drug use, sexual and injurious behavior, and diet • LGBT students hear less homophobic remarks, hear more positive comments from teachers, and report greater support from faculty • Important factors for improving school climate included faculty training of program and student desire for a safer school climate for sexual minority youth (Szalacha, 2003)

  24. Gay-Straight Alliance: Cont. • Top leading states for the registration of GSA organizations (2007): • California-517 • New York-315 • Massachusetts-242 • Pennsylvania-145 • Illinois-139 (GLSEN, 2007)

  25. Safe Zone/Safe Space • Provides a means by which LGBT youth can identify a safe person or place to communicate • Incorporates the use of stickers to identify Safe Zone/Safe Space • Training is essential (information on sexual orientation and gender identity, use of terminology, and self-awareness) • Data was collected by Indiana University of Pennsylvania in order to determine the impact of the Safe Zone. Preliminary results indicate that students identify the campus as LGBT friendly due to the number of Safe Zone stickers.

  26. Tertiary Level • Intensive services for LGBT students experiencing significant social/emotional issues • Individual therapy • Clinician must have an understanding of LGBT issues • Clinician must be aware of one’s attitude and beliefs • Additional training and education recommended

  27. Conclusions… • As school psychologists, it is our responsibility to ensure that students feel safe to learn and express their individuality (NASP Position Statement) • Through conducting school climate surveys, problems of harassment and bullying can be identified and addressed • In addition, school psychologists can promote and model an affirming attitude by using language that is nondiscriminatory and inclusive (NASP Position Statement)

  28. Implementing Best Practice • Incorporate professional training and fieldwork for school psychologists in issues related to sexual orientation and sexual minority youth. (Crothers & Altman, 2007) • Assist schools in establishing and reinforcing nondiscriminatory procedures by incorporating gender orientation and expression in school anti-discrimination policies. • Advocate for the inclusion of accurate information about sexual minority persons within the curriculum. • Encourage the formation of support groups and diversity awareness through initiating Gay-Straight Alliances, diversity groups, and Safe Space projects • Provide in-service training for school staff on sexual minority issues including understanding the legal responsibility to protect all students and protocol in responding to the harassment of sexual minority youth.

  29. Our Goal… …to create a warm, accepting school climate that appreciates diversity, is sensitive toward others’ beliefs and values, and promotes cooperative interactions among faculty, parents, and students. (Dupper & Meyer-Adams, 2002)

  30. References American Association of University Women. (1993). Hostile hallways: The AAUW survey on sexual harassment in America’s schools. Journal of School Health, 63(8), 355-357. Bully Police USA. The general assembly of Pennsylvania House Bill No. 1067 Session of 2007. Retrieved June 19, 2009 from http:www.bullypolice.org/pa_law.html. Christenson, S.L., & Sheridan, S.M. (2001). Schools and families: Creating essential connections for learning. New York: Guilford Press. Crothers, L. & Altman, C. (2007). Bullying of sexually diverse children and adolescents. NASP Communique, 35(5), 28-30. Dupper, D. & Meyer-Adams, N. (2002). Low-level violence: A neglected aspect of school culture. Urban Education, 37(2), 350-364. Felix, E. & Furlong, M. (2008). Best practices in bullying prevention. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes, Best practices in school psychology V. Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists. Fisher, E., Komosa-Hawkins, K., Saldana, E., Thomas, G., Hsiao, C., Rauld, M., & Miller, D. (2008). Promoting school success for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning students: Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention and intervention strategies. The California School Psychologist, 13, 7-18. GLSEN. (2009). Inside Pennsylvania schools: The experiences of LGBT students. (GLSEN Research Brief). New York: Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network.

  31. References GLSEN. (2007). Number of gay-straight alliances passes 3,000. Retrieved June 12, 2009 from http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/news/record/2100.html. Goldstein, T., Russel,V., & Daley, A. (2007). Safe, positive, and queering moments in teaching education and schooling: A conceptual framework. Teaching Education, 18(3), 183-199. Kallestad, J. & Olweus, D. (2003). Predicting teachers’ and schools’ implementation of the Olweus bullying prevention program: A multilevel study. Prevention & Treatment, 6(1), 3-21. Kilian, J., Fish, M., & Maniago, E. (2006). Making school safe: A system-wide school intervention to increase student prosocial behaviors and enhance school climate. Journalof Applied School Psychology, 23(1), 1-30. Knoff, H. (2000). The stop and think social skills program for children and adolescents: Teaching effective interpersonal and self-management skills. Tampa, FL: author. Kosciw, J., Byard, E., Fischer, S., & Joslin, C. (2007). Gender equity and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues in education. In S. Klein. Handbook for achieving gender equity through education. (pp. 553-571). Kosciw, J. & Diaz, E. (2006). 2005 National School Climate Survey: The experiences of esbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth in our nation's schools. New York: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. Lee, C. (2002). The impact of belonging to a high school gay/straight alliance. High School Journal, 85(3), 13-26.

  32. References Macgillivray, I., & Jennings, T. (2008). A content analysis exploring lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender topics in foundations of education textbooks. Journal of Teacher Education, 59(2), 170-188. Nichols, S. (1999). Gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth: Understanding diversity and promoting tolerance in schools. The Elementary School Journal, 99, 505-519. NASP Position Statement. (2008). Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (GLBTQ) youth.In A. Thomas & J. Grimes, Best practices in school psychology V. Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists. NCJRS. (1999). Blueprints for violence prevention: Book nine. (Abstract). Retrieved June 16, 2009 from http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID-174202. Robertson, M. J. & Toro, P. A. (1998). Homeless youth: Research, intervention, and policy. United States Department of Health and Human Services. As cited in NationalGay and Lesbian Task Force. Lesbian, gay, transgender youth: An epidemic of homelessness.(2006).Retrieved June 24, 2009 from http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/reports/HomelessYouth.pdf Szalacha, L. (2003). Safer sexual diversity climates: Lessons learned form an evaluation of Massachusetts Safe School Program for Gay and Lesbian Students. American Journal of Education, 110, 58-88. Varjas, K., Graybill, E., Mahan, W., Meyers, J., Dew, B., Marshall, M., Singh, A., & Birckbichler, L. (2007). Urban service providers’ perspectives on school responses to gay, lesbian, and questioning students: An exploratory study. Professional School Counseling, 11(2),113-119. Weiler, E. (2003). Making schools safe for sexual minority students. Principal Leadership Magazine, 4(4). Retrieved June 16, 2009 from http://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/nassp_glbqt.aspx

  33. Resources www.nasponline.org/resources/index.aspxNASP provides a variety of resources on working with sexual minority youth and sexual orientation www.glsen.orgGLSEN is a leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Provides a variety of educational resources and National School Climate Study results. www.safeschoolscoalition.orgPartnership of organizations that seek to promote tolerance in schools by providing resources for students, parents, and schools. safezonefoundation.tripod.comProvides support and funding to non-profit organizations, community groups and student organizations that serve the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community. www.lambda.org Youth OUTreach strives to ensure that gay youth are given an opportunity to participate in gay community events and forums.  www.pflag.orgParents and families of lesbians and gays. PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons www.youthresource.comA website by and for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning young people, takes a wholistic approach to sexual health and exploring issues of concern to GLBTQ youth. (Includes mature topics)

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