A Critical Look at LGBTQ Bullying in Schools

1. A Critical Look at LGBTQ Bullying in Schools Amanda Cheetham Alex Trocino

2. Overview of Today’s Discussion • Define Bullying • Types of bullying • Do you Dare to Cross the Line? • “Bully” Movie Discussion • Bully Roles • Data • GLSEN • Public Health Implications • Verbal Sunshine • Prevention • Laws/Healthy People 2020

4. Definition • Bullying: when a person intentionally hurts or harms another person physically or emotionally. • Fighting • Hitting • Name-calling • Gossiping • Exclusion

5. The Four Types of Bullying • Physical • Verbal • Covert or Indirect • Cyber

6. Physical Bullying • Physical Harm • Damage of property or taking something that belongs to someone is also physical bullying

7. Verbal Bullying • Verbal bullying: name calling, insults, teasing, intimidation, making offensive remarks, or joking about a person's religion, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or the way they look.

8. Covert or Indirect Bullying • Covert or indirect bullying: is designed to harm someone's social reputation and/or cause humiliation. • Covert or indirect bullying accounts for 18.5% of all bullying

9. Cyberbullying • Cyberbullying can be either obvious or covert, simply put it is bullying using digital technologies. • As of November 2011, 38% of young people have been affected by cyber-bullying outside of school. • 4% of bullying in 2004 to 38% in 2011

10. A message from Ellen…

12. LGBTQ Bullying • Homophobic remarks • Power of Language • Students & Teachers • Bias or prejudice bullying shown to have even more negative consequences than “traditional” bullying

14. Bully Movie Debate • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1g9RV9OKhg • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJlax028hdw

15. Bullying Roles What are the different roles in a bullying situation?

16. Four Roles in a Bullying Situation • Bully: the individual that is doing the teasing • Bystander: an individual who is watching but not participating or intervening • Target: the individual that is being teased • Ally: an individual who is on the targets side, helping him/her out during the situation

17. Additional Roles • Reinforcer: an individual who provide encouragement to the bully by laughing and encouraging people to watch while the peer is being victimized. • Assistant: an active participant in the bullying behavior. Will catch or hold the victim.

18. Statue Activity

19. Four Roles in a Bullying Situation • Bully: the individual that is doing the teasing • Bystander: an individual who is watching but not participating or intervening • Target: the individual that is being teased • Ally: an individual who is on the targets side, helping him/her out during the situation

20. “The Myths of Bullying” “I think the new law crosses the line because it is trying to legislate good manners… That’s what parents are supposed to be teaching.”

22. LGBTQ Population • In the United States over 9 million or 3.8% of the population identify themselves as either lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, or questioning individuals. • 15.1% students identify as LGBTQ

23. GLSEN • 82 % of LGBTQ individuals were verbally harassed • 38 % reported not only verbal harassment, but physical harassment.

24. GLSEN • 85 % of students heard the word “gay” used in a negative way • 71% heard other homophobic remarks • 18% of LGBTQ students were physically assaulted or injured with a weapon in the past year because of their sexual orientation • 55 % of LGBTQ students have experienced electronic harassment in the past year via text message or postings on Facebook (GLSEN 2011).

25. GLSEN DATA • 60% of students who had been harassed or assaulted did not report the incident to school staff thinking little or no action would be taken or the situation would simply become worse if reported. • 36.7% of the LGBTQ students who did report an incident said school staff did nothing in response.

26. Public Health Implications • School attendance • LGBTQ Students 5x more likely to skip • Drop out rates • 30% of LGBTQ students will drop out • Substance abuse • Highest rates among “questioning” youth

28. Public Health Implications • Mental Health: Depression & Anxiety • 41% of males, 28% of females depressed • Self Harm • 50% of lesbian & bisexual females under age 20 self-harm • Suicide • 30% of all suicides are LGBTQ

29. Break Time!

31. What can be done to help? Primary prevention • Educating Staff • Supportive Educators and School Staff • School legislation • Inclusive Curriculum

32. Primary Prevention • 22% of students with supportive staff had missed school in the past month compared to over half 51.2% with no supportive staff • Students with supportive staff reported higher GPAs (3.2 vs. 2.9) and reported higher educational aspirations

33. Primary Prevention • 43.4% of students in schools with an inclusive curriculum felt unsafe because of their sexual orientation compared to two thirds or 67.5% of students • Students in schools with an inclusive curriculum had a greater sense of connectedness to their school community than other students

34. What can be done to help? Secondary prevention • Support Groups • Group Counseling • Diversity Room

35. Secondary Prevention • Students with a GSA in their school had fewer homophobic remarks and fewer expressions where gay was used in a negative way • Students with a GSA were less likely to feel unsafe because of their sexual orientation • Students with a GSA had a greater sense of connectedness to their school community

36. What can be done to help? Tertiary Prevention • Individual Counseling • Should only be done by a psychologist

37. Lyric Lesson Plans • Born this Way • Firework • You Are Beautiful

38. Anti-Bullying Laws

39. Healthy People 2020 • Adolescent Health • AH-5.6: truancy • AH-8: school safety perceptions of parents • AH-9: protecting safety of student regardless of sexual orientation • Injury & Violence Prevention • IVP-35: “Reduce bullying among adolescents” • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Health • New category

40. Additional Resources • http://www.itgetsbetter.org/ • http://bornthiswayfoundation.org/