Strengthening Our Schools to Promote Resilience and Health Among LGBTQ Youth: Emerging Evidence and Research Priorities fromThe State of LGBTQ Youth Health and WellbeingSymposium

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) adolescents face well-documented health disparities in suicide risk, substance use, and sexual health. These disparities are known to stem, in part, from stigma directed toward LGBTQ youth in the form of minority stressors such as violence, discrimination, and harassment. Given the proportion of time that LGBTQ students spend in school, schools provide a critical context within which protective factors may be developed and leveraged to improve the health and wellbeing of these populations. This article provides a summary of key findings from a discussion among researchers, practitioners, and community members who participated in ''The State of LGBTQ Youth Health and Wellbeing: Strengthening Schools and Families to Build Resilience,'' a public symposium held in June 2017. We detail emerging science on and future priorities for school-based research with LGBTQ youth which were identified by attendees at this meeting, with a particular focus on intersectionality, supportive adults in schools, and in-school programs. We call for more school-based research on priority gaps such as how LGBTQ students' intersecting identities affect their in-school experiences, how to design professional development programs that cultivate supportive educators, and how to leverage gay-straight alliances/gender and sexuality alliances as sites of health programming for LGBTQ students.

Trends in Violence Victimization and Suicide Risk by Sexual Identity Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2015–2019

“…These findings highlight the continued need for policies and practices within school environments that reduce victimization and bolster the mental health of LGB students. Substantial evidence exists for the role of antiharassment policies, gaystraight alliances (or other student-led clubs designed to support sexual minority students), and programs aimed at improving staff support of LGB students in improving school environments for these students (22). In addition to in-school programs and policies, schools might consider engagement with community organizations and stakeholders to collaborate on implementation of comprehensive violence and suicide prevention strategies that address a range of risk and protective factors at the individual, relationship, community, and societal levels.…”

The Influence of Families on LGBTQ Youth Health: A Call to Action for Innovation in Research and Intervention Development

“…2 Schools may also be well positioned to provide support to parents, and a companion article in this issue reviews the influence of schools on LGBTQ adolescent health in greater detail. 51…”

School sex education: Teachers' and young adults' perceptions of relevance for LGBT students

“…higher than their heterosexual, cisgender peers (Johns, Poteat, et al, 2019). Even more alarming is the fact that LGBT youth in grades 9 through 12 reported suicide attempts at approximtely three times the rate of their heterosexual peers (Johns, Poteat, et al, 2019;Kann et al, 2016). Stigma, operating at both individual and institutional levels, represents a fundamental cause of health disparties among LGBT youth.…”