Bullying In The United States

LGBT youth are most commonly targeted by bullying because society does not fully understand what these kids are going through in life. One of the main reasons for this is due to something that may set themselves apart from the norm and that includes sexual orientation. Gay and lesbian teens are two to three times as more likely to commit suicide than any other youths. Those who are rejected by their family are up to nine times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. About 30 percent of all completed suicide have all been related to bullying.

Montano (2016), states bullying is unwanted aggressive behavior caused by the actual or perceived power imbalance. This power imbalance in bullying refers to when the perpetrator feels stronger “physically” or “socially”. An example of a social power imbalance is when the perpetrator makes the victim an outcast of not just a group but the classroom. According to the statistics provided by Montano (2016), “one in four adolescents experience bullying”. However LGBT students are a higher target for bullying because of the negative stigma on same-sex attraction. Bullying increases the chances of the victim having depression or being lonely, at the same time the most severe effect is suicide. According to Montano (2016), LGBT students six times more likely to consider suicide this is an alarming number. Bullying is not something that just happens at youth and disappears, the effects of it can last into adulthood. If bullying is not noticed and prevented at the young age it will continue on into the later years of life where the victim can still be affected by the events of bullying. Montano (2016) talks about states having “Enumerated laws”, these laws give school authorities the ability to “prevent and to correct” bullying based on “sexual orientation” and “gender identity”. The number of states that currently have this law according to the article is eighteen.

The purpose of this study was to add the growing literature on bullying and suicide among sexual minorities. To do this they examined public high school students by gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual minority status differences in the victims of bullying, those who report suicide ideation, and the association between being bullied and suicide ideation. This study used state and local data from the 2009 and 2011 YRBS. In 2009, a sexual orientation survey was asked in 8

“For more than two decades, researchers have documented the prevalence of school-based bullying toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youths in schools.

School is an important part of any kids’ life, and the sexual orientation of their parents is an argument that has been made against LGBT parents by saying their kids will not be as smart or intelligent as children with straight parents. For children of LGBT parents, the most important people in their academic career are the school staff, the same with children who have straight parents. Tests showed with LGBT children “the presence of supportive school staff was related to their academic achievement. For example, students with LGBT parents who could identify many supportive staff at their school reported a GPA half a grade higher” (Allen and Goldberg). A study had even been done while trying to determine the psychological aspects of LGBT parents and social relationships which “reported no differences between children raised by lesbians and those raised by heterosexuals with respect to crucial factors of self-esteem, anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, performance in social arenas (sports, school and friendships)” (Gilfoyle). While only 33 out of 1,010 principals about 30% (Allen and Goldberg) studied had professional development help to handle the bullying LGBT children went through, there was no effect on the grades. All the tests showed that even as these children of LGBT parents were bullied, their grades did not suffer, and

31% of the homosexual youths that reported attacks or bullying said the school did not do anything to help but instead ignored or down played the attacks or bullying, which only makes the problem worse because the bullying will continue until the student breaks, or, although it is very unlikely, the bullies stop on their own. 86% of homosexual students are bullied or harassed; compared to the 27% of overall students that are bullied, those who are lesbian, gay, transgender, or bisexual are at a much higher risk than the average student. Finally, and perhaps the most worst of it all, is that someone who is homosexual is 2 to 3 times more likely to attempt or commit suicide, and they are eight more times likely to attempt suicide if their family doesn’t accept them and abandon them which is sad because family is something we expect to always be there and be there for us through anything, I never understood how someone can just disown their child because of their sexual orientation. Because of this, 1/3 of all suicides are because the person was harassed due to conjectures about their sexual orientation by others. Suicide and bullying is a very serious issue, and those who are homosexual are more likely to be trapped by its giant hands, and disappear into the

Nicholas Heck studied the mental health of LGBT students who had been victims of hate based bullying and abuse. His research in “School Belonging, School Victimization, and the Mental Health of LGBT Young Adults: Implications for School Psychologists,” found that “when compared to heterosexual youth, ...evidence indicates that the odds of experiencing bullying and victimization are 124% and 82% higher, respectively, for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth” (as cited in Fedewa & Ahn, 2011). This is especially damaging because LGBT students usualy do not have the option to confide in their heterosexual counterparts. They are handling their abuse on their own which can have a serious effect on their mental

Bullying is a problem world-wide. “ Bullying has always been a fact of life in American schools. For generations, people accepted that bullying was simply a part of growing up” (Morais, Carmen). Bullying and cyberbullying is a daily problem. In some states bullying is considered a crime. “ Laws making bullying a crime are becoming the go-to solution” ( Morais, Carmen ).

Everyone has encountered a bully at one point in their lifetime and if you say you have not then it was probably you. They are like the plague everyone avoids them at all cost even if it means taking the longest way to class. Bullies are not just born bullies they have something that fuels the fire and rage inside. School is supposed to be a safe place for children, but some kids fear school because they get bullied or picked on. Bullies often seem superior to others when really, they feel inferior inside because they are insecure or are having something go on in their home life. There are three common reasons a bully lashes out, the bully comes from a dysfunctional family, the bully feels the need to be in control, Bullying behavior gets rewarded.

78% of the LGBT teens are teased or bullied in their schools or communities. LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender. People bully others because of their sexual orientation due to social & religious convictions as well as ignorance about the LGBT community.

According to research it has been examined how race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation are likelihood of being bullied and vulnerability to suicide by the article “Suicide Ideation and bullying Among US Adolescents: Examining the Intersections of Sexual Orientation, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity”. Race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation play a huge role in bullying. After the special needs students, the majority people to be bullied are White and Hispanic gay, bisexual males, White lesbian and bisexual females, and Hispanic bisexual females. Notice people in these groups who are being bullied does not relates to what race they belong to instead the only thing that matters here is the label “bi sexual”. People who are bisexual appear differently, they stand out because of their appearance, the way they carry their self, the way they talk, the way they walk, etc. People who are not bisexual view bisexual people in a different way, they see their self as the better people. Often do people forget that people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc. have feelings too. They hear, see, and feel everything, then why do people feel the need to criticize them? To prevent bullying against gender there should be new anti-bullying policies everywhere especially in schools. As mentioned in the article “School personnel should develop anti-bullying and ant- homophobia policies

The purpose of this paper is to address various types of discrimination among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered youth (LGBT). This research will identify the different types of discrimination that affect LGBT students, grades 9 through 12, and the mental health impacts discrimination has on LGBT youth. The data provided is from a school-based, empirical survey conducted in 2009 by Joanna Almeida, Renee M. Johnson, Heather L. Corliss, Beth E. Molnar and Deborah Azrael. Their survey measured the number of LGBT youth in Boston, Massachusetts, during the 2008-2009 school year. Factors that were accounted for in the survey include sexual minorities, individual race and ethnicity, depressive symptomatology, self-harm, and suicidality (likelihood of completed suicide). This paper is targeted at school administrators and community leaders dealing with LGBT youth.

“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself”, said by Harvey Feinstein. In today’s society the federal law Title IX of The Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits any person in the United States , on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. Even while this law is intact bullying is still prevalent in our school systems, particularly targeted towards lesbian, gay, and transgendered students. 2011 National School Survey reported 63.5% of students felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation. It was also noted that gay and lesbian students are 4 times more likely to attempt suicide because of bullying. Schools are less likely to investigate accusations of bullying and protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) students because they want to remain neutral. Unfortunately, all states have not mandated nondiscriminatory laws designed to protect students based on their sexual identity. All states should implement anti-bullying laws tailored to the LGBT students.

most likely kids to be bullied are gay or are perceived to be gay, and in a nationally representative sample 1/3 of 3,500 students were bullied due to sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. Thereby, illustrating that even though times are changing, there are still several issues concerning sexual orientation. Though the LGBT community has made headway, especially with the Obergefell v. Hodges case decision, they have had to deal with a large amount disparity, much more than there heterosexual counterparts’ relative to issues of love, marriage, intimacy, and relations. Ultimately, there are still issues facing the LGBT community, but with the ruling in the Obergefell v. Hodges case, there is evidence of those issues, as they pertain to equality, being addressed.

America is the country of freedom, where all men and women are treated equal. Sadly, this principle is not true when it comes to one’s sexual orientation. According to the gay bullying statistics from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, “About one fourth of all students from elementary age through high school are the victims of bullying and harassment while on school property because of their race, ethnicity, gender, disability, religion, or sexual orientation.” Being set apart from the norm is the primary reason for this particular type of bullying. To stop this discrimination based on sexual orientation, working with organizations such as Campus Pride or It Gets Better Project, is a step in the right direction.