Who, what, where, when, and why: demographic and ecological factors contributing to hostile school climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth.
This study examines how locational (region and locale), community-level (school district poverty and adult educational attainment), and school district-level (district size and ratios of students to key school personnel) variables are related to indicators of hostile school climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. Indicators of hostile climate included frequency of homophobic remarks and victimization regarding sexual orientation and gender expression. We used data from a national survey of LGBT secondary school students (N = 5,420; 57.6% female; 65.5% White; mean age = 15.9). Results from regression analyses demonstrated that LGBT youth in rural communities and communities with lower adult educational attainment may face particularly hostile school climates. School district characteristics contributed little to the variation in LGBT youth's experiences. Findings highlight the importance of considering the multiple contexts that LGBT youth inhabit, particularly as they pertain to educational experiences.
Kosciw
Joseph G
JG
GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), New York, NY 10004, USA. jkosciw@glsen.org
Greytak
Emily A
EA
Diaz
Elizabeth M
EM
D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017406:Sexual Harassment / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014189:Transsexualism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult