The National Inventory of School District Interventions in Support of LGBTQ Student Wellbeing (original) (raw)
Related papers
Consistently, participants’ evaluations of school climate and their actions to improve it reflected awareness of anti-LGBTQ language in their schools, inconsistent educator intervention, and a belief that increasing empathy in individual students would improve the situation. There were, however, portions of their interviews that revealed an understanding of a problem that they could not link to the bullying discourse or imagine action steps. These issues included patterns of exclusion in students’ social groups, the stigmatization of attending GSA meetings, and silencing of LGBTQ voices in curriculum. These issues were often posed as unsolvable or overwhelming problems, and strategies for intervening were just beyond their reach. The anti-bullying paradigm does not offer the requisite insight for designing interventions that can interrupt marginalization and create sustainable change (Payne and Smith 2014). These teachers intuitively understand that pervasive homophobic language has a negative effect on their school, but they do not have the tools for examining the power dynamics that reproduce stigma.
The California School Psychologist, 2008
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning (LGBTQ) students are likely to be in every classroom in every secondary school in the United States; yet, their needs are often overlooked. LGBTQ students are at risk for developing academic, social, and emotional problems due to harassment and bullying experienced at school. Although schools have an ethical and legal duty to provide a safe educational experience for all students, few schools implement policies and programs to support LGBTQ students. School psychologists, with training in adolescent development, counseling, consultation, and systems change, are in a unique position to help schools be more responsive to the needs of LGBTQ students. By adopting a public health framework that focuses on primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention and intervention for LGBTQ students, school psychologists can implement strategies and make recommendations for school-wide changes to promote positive development for all students. This article highlights challenges faced by LGBTQ students and presents methods for responding to the needs of this minority group using the public health framework.
2019
GLSEN is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established in 1990, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes to creating a more vibrant and diverse community. For more information on our educator resources, research, public policy agenda, student leadership programs, or development initiatives, visit www.glsen.org. This report and all other GLSEN research reports are available at www.glsen.org/research. iii Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures .