Social Media And Its Effects On The Lesbian Community

The first source, “Suicidality Among Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Youth,” researches a study of 21,927 sexually active students in the grades 9 through

School psychologists must help create and foster an environment that educates administrators, teachers, and non LGBT students. Many lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender youth do not feel safe in school. Sexual minority students may suffer harassment (verbal and/or physical) from teachers and peers. As a result, they may experience more absences than heterosexual students. In addition, LGBT youth may turn to drugs and alcohol as a means of coping with the stressful school environment (Patterson 2013, p.192). Many will contemplate or even commit suicide.

The young people of the LGBT community do in fact have increased risks when it comes to their mental health. For example: Compared to homeless youth that identify as heterosexual, LGBT adolescents are more likely to have major depressive episodes (41.3% vs. 28.5%), suicidal thoughts (73% vs. 53.2%), at least one suicide attempt (57.1% vs. 33.7%), and posttraumatic stress disorder (47.6% vs. 33.4%) (Keuroghlian, A. S., Shtasel, D., & Bassuk, E. L., 2014). It is also shown that homeless youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, ranging from 13 to 21 years of age are more apt than youth who identify as heterosexual to experience and report symptoms of depression and use street drugs such as, methamphetamines, cocaine and or crack (Keuroghlian, A. S., Shtasel, D., & Bassuk, E. L., 2014).

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

Heterosexism, is a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships. The United States

Gay teens have significantly higher rates of both attempts and thoughts of suicide. In his study on gay teen suicide, Patrick Healy concluded that gay teens are "five times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers"(2001). As reported in "Lesbian News", "these youth account for 35% of the American population and 15% of all suicide deaths"(Ocamb 2001). Of the 4,000 students who were surveyed in 1997, 40 percent out of the 10 percent of high school students who attempted suicide were gay. For many gay teens their everyday existence can cause severe psychological damage. When they are at school they are taunted and

Classrooms, consisting of 9th-through-12th graders from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, were randomly sampled to complete the Boston Youth Survey. The correlation research study excluded schools that served adults, previously incarcerated students, suspended students, and severely disabled students to minimize introduction of confounding variables. Participants in the Boston Youth Survey (BYS) were asked specifically with regards to their individual-level sexual orientation and suicidal ideation and attempts among other questions. Of the 2725 individuals sampled, 1878 completed the survey and were asked, on the sexual orientation item in the BYS questionnaire, to identify themselves with 1 of 6 categories that best described themselves: (1) completely heterosexual, (2) mostly heterosexual, (3) bisexual, (4) mostly homosexual, (5) completely homosexual (i.e., gay or lesbian), or (6) not sure. Respondents were then asked explicitly "Have you seriously considered attempting suicide?" and "Have you actually attempted suicide? [within the 12 months preceding survey administration]" with yes and no response options for those questions (Duncan & Hatzenbuehler, 2014). To test their hypothesis, researchers then obtained LGBT hate crimes data with help from the Boston Police Department Community Disorders Unit and linked the community information to

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

More than 25% of LGBT community are students in high school. Two-fifths of the LGBT student population have been beaten up because they are different. Because of the verbal and physical harassment 66% of these kids feel scared to attend school. The outcome of finishing school and getting the right learning skills is low when they feel unwanted where they are put to learn. Students in high school feel targeted and bullied because of their sexual orientation, therefore leading them to drop out of high school. Failure to get a GED results in failure to get a real job later on in life and succeed. More failure rises when the outcome of no GED produces a low amount of money, therefore contributing low amounts of money to the economy. A persons sexual orientation does not need to determine the type of education they will uphold (Salazar). In February of 2016 a bill was passed denying schools to have transgender bathrooms. The students would have to go the restroom with the gender they were born with. North Carolina also passed legislation that discriminated against LGBT community. House Bill 2 provided protection against discrimination for all communities except LGBT. Schools were banned from giving LGBT kids the permission to use the bathroom they sexually orientated with. Many workers were not happy about this and spoke against the bill. Later, Dennis Daugaard, repealed the law. The

LGBTQ are 8x more likely to attempt suicide, 6x more likely to experience high levels of depression, 3x more likely to use illegal drugs, 3x as likely to be at risk for HIV/AIDS.

Heterosexism is the belief that all people are heterosexual, and that heterosexuality is superior and more desirable than homosexuality or bisexuality. Throughout history the term homosexuality has always been associated with negative connotations, such as uncleanliness, criminal behavior, sin or a mental disorder. In fact, homosexuality was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Associations and was not removed as a specific mental illness until 1973. This is a great example of how individuals with authority and prestige label and stigmatize individuals and behaviors that differ from their established norms.

Same-sex sexual orientation has its significant risk factors. Those factors being hopelessness, depression alcohol abuse, suicide, and victimization. The reading discussed adolescent suicide risk factors and raised the issue on how this may affect their health. An issue this reading raised for me is the importance of understanding these factors while reassuring that one does not discriminate against sexual orientation preferences in the workplace.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention listed in the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, that within the past year, the general population suicide attempt rate was 1.6%. More specifically, the suicide attempt for heterosexual teens is 4% and 20% for LGB teens.2 Another way to view these numbers is that 1 in 4 LGB attempted suicide within the past year. Some reasons behind these ratings are LGB youth experience more bullying, including physical

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