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Gay and lesbian high school students are more likely to be harassed and assaulted because of their sexual identity than heterosexual students, according to the third annual report of the Safe Schools Anti-Violence Documentation Project in Washington state.
The goal of the five-year study, begun in 1994, is to examine in depth the problem of antigay sexual harassment and violence in schools.
In 1995 approximately 8,400 students completed the Seattle Public Schools Teen Health Risk Survey, which included two questions relevant to the identity and safety of gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth, notes the report.
The survey results showed that 91 percent of the students described themselves as heterosexual; 5 percent as gay, lesbian, or bisexual; and 4 percent as unsure about their sexual identity.
Gay, lesbian, and bisexual students were five times more likely than heterosexual students to be targets of harassment or violence at school and on their way to and from school. They were twice as likely to have been threatened or injured by someone with a weapon at school during the past year and three times more likely to have been injured in a fight severe enough to require treatment by a doctor or nurse. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual students were also twice as likely to report feeling unsafe and to miss at least one day of school in the last month.
Thirty-five percent said they were heavy drug users or users of high-risk drugs, compared with 22 percent of heterosexual students. Moreover, gay, lesbian, and bisexual students were twice as likely to have considered suicide in the last year and to have made a suicide plan. They were three times as likely to have attempted suicide in the previous year and four times more likely to have the attempted suicide warrant treatment by a doctor or nurse in the last year.
"Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth often feel discredited and isolated from peers, family members, and religious, social, and educational institutions," commented Jeffrey Akman, M.D., in an interview.
"These findings show that the consequences of antigay harassment and violence on students are profound, and the indications for psychiatrists and mental professionals are obvious," added Akman.