Inequities in Educational and Psychological Outcomes Between LGBTQ and Straight Students in Middle and High School

This study finds that, compared with straight-identified youth, youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) are at greater risk of suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, victimization by peers, and elevated levels of unexcused absences from school. Results disaggregated by LGBTQ subgroups reveal het-erogeneity within the broad LGBTQ group, with bisexual youth appearing to be particularly at risk. Also, although the risk gaps in school belongingness and unexcused absences are significant in high school, we find that these gaps are significantly greater in middle school, suggesting heightened early risk for LGBTQ-identified students. By raising awareness of educational inequities related to LGBTQ identification, this study lays the descriptive groundwork for interventions aimed at improving psychological and educational outcomes for these students. P revious research has indicated that sexual minority youth—lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ)—tend to have higher rates of negative psychological and educational outcomes than do straight youth recently, studies have suggested that LGBTQ youth are not a homogeneous group in relation to their educational and psychological experiences, with some LGBTQ youth reporting few mental health or educational concerns (Horn, Kosciw, & Russell, 2009). However, much more research is needed in order to understand the heterogeneity of this population, as well as whether there are developmental differences between LGBTQ and straight students in terms of when risk factors become elevated. Using a large, population-based sample of students spanning middle school to high school, we explore differences between LGBTQ-and straight-identified youth in both psychological and educational outcomes, testing for evidence of grade-related developmental differences. Specifically, we explore differences in mental health outcomes (i.e.ness to study with LGBTQ youth), and truancy. The sample is unique in that it includes middle school students, not just high school students. This feature permits us to explore whether risk levels for LGBTQ-and straight-identified youth change at different rates between middle and high school. This analysis will add to our understanding of whether interventions need to be targeted to different grade levels. In addition, we add much-needed work on heterogeneity of outcomes among LGBTQ-identified students. Our sample is also unique in including students who identify as transgender, and the sample recruitment methods did not specifically target sexual minority students; thus our sample is more likely to reflect the full spectrum of LGBTQ students, including students who are questioning their sexuality, which allows us to explore hetero-geneity among the LGBTQ-identified students. Some preliminary studies suggest …