GLSEN report: 9 out of 10 LGBT Students Experience Harassment in School

Sorry for more sad news, but GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) released results from their The 2009 National School Climate Survey. The findings were not good:

The 2009 survey of 7,261 middle and high school students found that at school nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT students experienced harassment at school in the past year and nearly two-thirds felt unsafe because of their sexual orientation. Nearly a third of LGBT students skipped at least one day of school in the past month because of safety concerns.

Here are some key findings:

Student Experiences, a Hostile School Climate and the Effects on Educational Outcomes and Psychological Well-Being:

84.6% of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed, 40.1% reported being physically harassed and 18.8% reported being physically assaulted at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation.

63.7% of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed, 27.2% reported being physically harassed and 12.5% reported being physically assaulted at school in the past year because of their gender expression.

72.4% heard homophobic remarks, such as "faggot" or "dyke," frequently or often at school.

Nearly two-thirds (61.1%) of students reported that they felt unsafe in school because of their sexual orientation, and more than a third (39.9%) felt unsafe because of their gender expression.

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.

The reported grade point average of students who were more frequently harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender expression was almost half a grade lower than for students who were less often harassed (2.7 vs. 3.1).

Increased levels of victimization were related to increased levels of depression and anxiety and decreased levels of self-esteem.

Being out in school had positive and negative repercussions for LGBT students – outness was related to higher levels of victimization, but also higher levels of psychological well-being.

GLSEN has been doing their research for 10 years. Although there has been some good things, many of our LGBT youth are still suffering abuse and harassment.

I REALLY want schools to take this seriously. As leaders, guides and mentors they can really take a stand and protect our students. They should not have go through so much Hell. Our youth, needs support and they need it now!

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