I was up late one night thinking about the best way to approach this particular topic. Then it dawned on me that I should just state my own experiences, be honest and follow up with some facts.
I remember my freshman year in high school back in Jackson, MS. I was bullied because I wasn’t masculine enough. Being fairly feminine, I became an easy target sexually for older gay guys as well. Factoring in the fact that I was molested multiple times prior to my freshman year, I was already confused, silent and terribly vulnerable. “Surprisingly”, no one noticed I was in pain. I wasn’t outgoing and popular like my three older brothers, so that added to the complications. Long story short, I held my own and I kept my chin up because I dreamed of a day where I’d be much cooler, wiser and outspoken. Though keep in mind, not everyone has that same type of hope. Some give up while on their journey.
According to recent gay bullying statistics, gay and lesbian teens are two to three times as more likely to commit teen suicide than other youths. About 30 percent of all completed suicides have been related to sexual identity crisis. Students who also fall into the gay, bisexual, lesbian or transgender identity groups report being five times as more likely to miss school because they feel unsafe after being bullied due to their sexual orientation. About 28 percent out of those groups feel forced to drop out of school altogether. Although more and more schools are working to crack down on problems with bullying, teens are still continuing to bully each other due to sexual orientation and other factors.
- Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender bullying is alarming. In fact, 9 out of 10 LGBT students reported being harassed and bullied last year.
- Over one-third of LGBT students are physically assaulted at school because their sexual orientation and gender identity are different than those of heterosexual students.
- About two-thirds of LGBT students reported having ever been sexually harassed (e.g., sexual remarks made, being touched inappropriately) in school in the past year.
- Over half of all students report hearing homophobic remarks often at school. More than 30% reported missing at least a day of school in the past month out of fear for their personal safety.
- LGBT students at schools with comprehensive policies on bullying and harassment are much more likely to report harassment to school authorities who, in turn, were more likely to respond effectively.
- The average GPA for students who were frequently physically harassed because of their sexual orientation was half a grade lower than that of other students.
- LGBT students are twice as likely to say that they were not planning on completing high school or going on to college.
- Gay teens are 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide and 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression compared with peers from families that reported no or low levels of family rejection.
If you know someone younger who may need some resources, please pay attention and start the conversation and/or simply send them to:
Details and research via: www.stompoutbullying.org