title: Gay-Straight Alliances are Associated with Lower Levels of School-Based Victimization of LGBTQ+ Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
abstract: Gay-straight alliances (GSAs) are school-based organizations for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth and their allies that often attempt to improve school climate for sexual and gender minority youth. This meta-analysis evaluates the association between school GSA presence and youth's self-reports of school-based victimization by quantitatively synthesizing 15 primary studies with 62,923 participants. Findings indicate GSA presence is associated with significantly lower levels of youth's self-reports of homophobic victimization, fear for safety, and hearing homophobic remarks, and these results are robust, controlling for a variety of study-level factors. The findings of this meta-analysis provide evidence to support GSAs as a means of protecting LGTBQ+ youth from school-based victimization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human and Organizational Development, Peabody College of Education, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN, 37203-5721, USA. robert.a.marx@vanderbilt.edu.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Marx
authors.affiliation: Peabody Research Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Heather Hensman
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Kettrey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D058445:Bullying / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D063509:Homophobia / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012574:Schools; D057566:Self Report; D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities / Q000523:psychology*; D012933:Social Identification; D013334:Students
keywords: Bullying; Gay-straight alliances; LGBTQ+ youth; Victimization