Lesbian, gay, and bisexual high school students are much more likely
to be victims of physical and sexual violence and bullying, and more
needs to be done to protect them, a new U.S. government study says.
"These tragic disparities call for accelerated action by public
health and education agencies, communities, and families to protect the
lives of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth," said Dr. Jonathan Mermin. He
is director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD,
and TB Prevention at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
Getting a better assessment of the extent of the problem, "is
critical to protect the health and well-being of more than one million
lesbian, gay and bisexual high school students," he added in an agency
news release.
The CDC report found that lesbian and gay students were much more
likely than heterosexual students to report: being raped, 18 percent
versus 5 percent; sexual dating violence, 23 percent versus 9 percent;
being bullied at school, 34 percent versus 19 percent; and being bullied
online, 28 percent versus 14 percent.
These students were also at higher risk for suicide, depression, addiction and poor school performance, the report found.
Among lesbian, gay and bisexual students: more than 40 percent have
seriously considered suicide, and 29 percent said they attempted suicide
during the past 12 months; 60 percent said they felt so sad or hopeless
they stopped doing some of their usual activities; more than 10 percent
said they missed school during the past 30 days because they were
concerned for their safety.
In addition, these students were also up to five times more likely
than other students to use illegal drugs, according to the report.
The national survey data used in the report do not "tell us why we
see these disparities, but other research points to issues that may put
youth at risk for sexual and physical abuse and other types of violence.
These include social isolation, lack of parental or caregiver support,
or not being perceived as being masculine or feminine enough," said Dr.
Deb Houry, director of CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and
Control.
"Tragically, when young people face multiple types of violence or
other adverse events in childhood, especially in the absence of support
from family, peers and communities, the consequences can be
life-threatening," Houry noted.
Mermin stressed that "connectedness -- or social bonds -- to peers,
teachers, schools, or community organizations is key to protecting the
health of these adolescents."
"Students will succeed if they know they matter, and feel safe and
supported socially, emotionally and physically. Solutions may not be
simple, but we can take action to build support for lesbian, gay and
bisexual youth at multiple levels," he explained in the news release
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