LGBTQ+ Youth Face Increased Bullying, Harassment, and Violence in Schools: Here Are the Effects
Are you in the LGBTQ+ community or do you know someone who is? Or is that a topic much too terrifying for you to confront? The reality is this: LGBTQ+ youth are more than four times as likely to commit suicide than their peers. The question is why? It’s an easy question to answer as it no surprise that for years the LGBTQ+ community has been neglected and mistreated for simply existing. This has caused a generational cycle of hatred towards the community, one that is still in effect today and is negatively affecting LGBTQ+ youth. Correspondingly, The American Psychological Association shares that multiple present-day studies have confirmed that schools are often unsafe for LGBTQ+ youth, who are more likely in comparison to their heterosexual peers to be bullied, harassed, or victimized in school or school contexts. This conversation will be about LGBTQ+ youth, a large portion of the future of our society- whether accepted or not- and the factual statement that LGBTQ youth are facing increased mental health issues due to bullying, harassment, and violence.
We all know what bullying is and many may have experienced it throughout elementary, middle, and or high school. Many who have been bullied still experience the effects today through feelings of self-doubt and worthlessness, or mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety. For LGBTQ+ youth, who already may experience neglect from family members or guardians, bullying, harassment, and violence is increased in schools, and the effects are scarily dangerous. According to Stomp Out Bullying, 9 out of 10 LGBTQ+ students reported harassment and bullying the year of 2022. Sadly, it gets worse. Over one-third of LGBTQ+ students are physically assaulted at school, two-thirds reported past sexual harassment- this includes sexual remarks and inappropriate touching-, and over half report hearing homophobic remarks. This is in school: a place that is supposed to inspire intellectual growth and the acceptance of students regardless of their cultural backgrounds- in this case: sexual identity and sexual orientation.
The Effects of Bullying On LGBTQ+ Youth
There is always a consequence to an action. For LGBTQ+ Youth who have experienced bullying, harassment, and violence whether in their own school environment or home, the effects are devastating. The American Academy on Pediatrics states that LGB youth are more than twice as likely as their heterosexual peers to experience persistent sadness or hopelessness while transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth are more than twice as likely as their non-TGD peers to experience depressive symptoms, serious suicidal ideation, or suicide attempts. Found on The Trevor Project, statistics on LGBTQ+ youth state that suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10-24. In comparison, LGBTQ+ youth are at a significantly higher risk with 45% seriously considering attempting suicide in the past year and more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth. Without a doubt, change needs to happen. Without change, LGBTQ+ youth are going to disproportionately and continuously suffer with suicidal ideations and ultimately, death. Are the lives of LGBTQ+ youth not precious?
Why Should You Care?
Many of you may think, “It is not affecting me. Why should I care about this issue?” or “I don’t even agree with the idea of the LGBTQ+ community”, but there are many reasons why this topic is important and necessary to discuss. You may not know it, but someone in your family may be a member of the LGBTQ+ community or may be in the future. This could be a person you love or will come to love. While it is a difficult topic to discuss for many, LGBTQ+ individuals are normal and have been recorded throughout history for thousands of years now. Alongside bullying, violence, and harassment in school environments, LGBTQ+ youth face a multitude of trials including questioning their sexuality or gender and familial abandonment or mistreatment. In relation, The Trevor Project explains that 28% of LGBTQ+ youth reported experiencing homelessness or housing instability at some point in their lives due to running away from home, mistreatment, fear of mistreatment, or being kicked out and abandoned due to their identification.
Being the Change
To change the devastating and disproportionate demographic of mental health disparities, suicidal ideations, and suicide attempts within LGBTQ+ youth, a lot must change. This includes social support and acceptance from adults and peers, the creation of affirming spaces and activities, and policies and practices which support transgender and nonbinary youth. Educators and staff in schools also have a big role in creating safe and welcoming school environments for LGBTQ+ youth. An article by Western Governors University shares that for educators to create an inclusive classroom environment, the educator must educate themselves on LGBTQ+ issues in schools through programs and media, plan inclusive activities in the classroom which allows students to express the name they go by and their pronouns, use nongendered language, take a stand on bullying by addressing classroom issues, form an LGBTQ+ positive curriculum, and encourage healthy social relationships between students. LGBTQ+ youth, all human, deserve to feel safe and welcomed in school without the worry of bullying, violence, or harassment by others. LGBTQ+ youth today create a large portion of our future society and they deserve the same treatment as heterosexual and cisgender youth. How will you help LGBTQ+ youth today?
Link to Microsoft Word essay: UNIT 3 - WESTERN JOURNAL
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