Lgbtq Teen Suicide

The mental health of individuals in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) community is something that is a serious problem. For most of the history of the United States and many different parts of the world LGBT people faced much persecution and in some cases even death. This constant fear of discovery and the pressure that one feels on oneself when “in the closet” can lead to major mental distress. Research has shown that people who identify as LGBT are twice as likely to develop lifetime mood and anxiety disorders (Bostwick 468). This is extremely noticeable the past couple years in the suicides of bullied teens on the basis of sexual identity and expression. The stigma on simply being perceived as LGBT is strong enough to

We have all experienced this feeling at least once in our life; the feeling of not being good enough, the feeling of always getting the short end of the stick one would say. Some individuals have felt this for only a few days, some for a few weeks but for others this certain type of negative feeling never goes away until the person does something about it mentally or physically. That something can lead a person to the point they think the only way out is ending their own life. Suicide is a topic that cannot be overlooked. Teen suicide is the third leading cause of death in today’s youth. With these statistics, the question rises are teenagers asking adults for help or are adults ignoring the signs? Teen suicide can be preventable, and the way

The problem of Suicide by LGBT Youth is that majority of them get bullied by their heterosexual peers. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2014) Sometimes their parents will kick them out of the house because of their sexual orientation. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2014) Myself being a part of the LGBTQ community, I never came out to my peers at school. I kept to myself so I never experienced the bullying due to my sexual orientation but I do hear the comments all the time by my father. My father always believed in a marriage should be a male and a female.

Discovering one’s identity, struggling to understand one’s conventionally appropriate gender role, accepting one’s body image, gaining independence from parents, maintaining responsible sexual relationships along with enduring vehement hormones, establishing values relating to marriage and parenthood, and simultaneously managing academic goals, extracurricular activities, and occupational preparations are all psychological and social demands placed on the adolescent. These demands, along with additional factors, such as bullying, drug use/domestic substance abuse, domestic violence, divorce of parents, rape/sexual assault, loss of a loved one, heartbreak, low socioeconomic status, health problems, race, ethnicity, struggles with self-identification, and other traumatic experiences can all increase one’s likelihood to commit suicide.

Gay teenagers are a large portion of teens taking their lives by suicide this source states that 30 to 40% of gay boy and 20% of gay girls have attempted suicide. This group of teens feel isolated, lonely and reminded that

If you would look at it as a sociologist, what are all the variables to teen suicide? Where they gay? Were they bullied? Were they abused at home or elsewhere? Where did they grow

The teen years can often times be very difficult in general, but for homosexual teens their problems can turn out to be more than they can deal with. Being gay for many teens is something that they can not live with because society, most of the time, says that homosexuality is wrong. These teens usually have no one to go to with his or her problems for fear of being taunted or harassed. Also, schools rarely have groups for gay students to go to for help and parents are often unaware of what their children are going through. With no place to go and no one to help them, homosexual teens can feel alienated which may force them think of more harmful ways of dealing with their problems, so at times gay teens may turn to suicide rather than

Suicide rates among LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) youth are some of the highest in nation today. The traumatic end result which has lead lgbt youth seeking an ultimate peace to their life is a saddling fact that is becoming all too real too often in society today. The impact of these young lives being loss has sparked a social shift in the appropriate direction yet the rates are continuing raising throughout the country. As with any shifts it has effect, such in the music world, of once untouched speaking through chord, vocals, and beats have taken center stage. Artists such as lead vocalist, Tim Mcllrath of melodic hardcore, punk band Rise Against song, “Make it Stop (September’s Children)”, album entitled End Game (2011) address the youth in the month of September 2010 which saw a huge spike in lgbt suicides-related deaths, and the need for change in society. Forwarding to the modern day of 2015 and the stride the lgbt has made since then, yet lgbt youth continues to be the leader in youth suicide, artist singer/song writer Pauley Perrette’s, “Beautiful Child” independent single (2015), brings about a light in a pit of darkness as the youth turn to thought of suicide, that light is there and that it can get better for them. Both songs provide a glimpse of the reality of the lgbt youth and the struggle they experience during everyday life. The issue of lgbt related suicde is one that spans over many years, kinds of people and through these lyrical works, we

Various interventions implemented within the school setting have shown to improve the social environment for the LGBTQ population. A report by the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University traced the effects of LGBTQ bullying in a school setting included unintentional statements like “that’s so gay,” or more direct verbal harassment, and physical violence in school hallways (Russell, Ryan, Toomey, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2011, p. 225). The data from the project’s survey of 245 LGBTQ adolescents links bullying to long-term health and developmental problems. It was discovered that LGBTQ targeted bullying related to gender expression or sexual orientation during school years led to increased adolescent depression, suicidal thoughts, social adjustment issues and risky sexual behavior (Russell, Ryan, Toomey, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2011, p. 225). LGBTQ adolescents that reported high levels of anti-LGBTQ victimization as teens were 5.6 times more likely to report suicide attempts than those victimized less frequently. Those who reported suicide attempts were more than double as likely to be diagnosed clinically depressed, and they were more than twice as likely to report having been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease by young adulthood. In the paragraphs to come we will examine how bullying impacts

The article "Gay Teens Are at Risk," was written by Paula Schleis and Kim Hone-McMahan and was published in 2004 in Teens at Risk. This article describes how society is forcing the adolescents in the LGBT community into depression and causing them to attempt suicide. According to the article, gay teens risk loosing friends and loved ones if they 'come out of the closet' and thus either try to fruitlessly hide their sexuality or attempt suicide. Additionally, the article states that one-third of teen suicides are committed by homosexuals because of homophobia. With this article's use of pathos and heart-string-pulling language gain empathy and attention from their readers. Though neither authors have a personal background or connection to the

as likely to die from suicide than a teenager growing up in 1960. One of the

The difficulties and inequities listed above contribute to the overall health and wellness of LGBTQ people. They experience additional stress due to discrimination and bullying in their schools and jobs which lead to a greater risk of depression and anxiety which leads to suicide and self-harm. LGBTQ teens face isolation and depression because they are navigating their sexuality without any support (Subhrajit).

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.

Marginalization may also be the explanation for the high risk of self-harm in gay, bisexual, transsexual teenagers who are 2 to 3 times more likely to self-harm than heterosexual young people, this groups results in regular absenteeism at school due to homophobic harassment. 50% of those reported bullied at school had contemplated self-harm, 40% of those had self-harmed at least once. A survey in 2000 to 2002 interviewed 2,430 lesbian women, gay men and bisexual men and women in England and Wales and concluded that there is a greater link between discrimination and mental health issues. (Truth Hurts, Mental Health Foundation 2006).

School Bullying, violence against LGBT youth linked to risk of suicide, HIV infection. (2011, June 2) Women’s Health Weekly, 138. Retrieved from