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Numerous studies reveal that anti-LGBT bullying and harassment remain commonplace in America's school. But how pervasive is the problem?
Fact 1
A recent study found that 75.4% of students heard derogatory remarks such as "faggot" or "dyke" frequently or often at school.
Fact 2
More than a third of students experience physical harassment at school on the basis of sexual orientation and more than a quarter experience bullying on the basis of their gender expression.
Fact 3
Nearly 1 in 5 students have been physically assaulted because of their sexual orientation and more than 1 in 10 because of their gender expression.
Fact 4
LGBT students are five times more likely to report having skipped school in the last month because of safety concerns than the general population of students.
Fact 5
LGBT students are twice as likely as the general population of students to report they are not planning to purue any post-secondary education.
Fact 6
Having a supportive teacher(s) contributes to a greater sense of safety, fewer reports of missing days of school, and a higher incidence of planning to attend college.
Fact 7
Students in schools with a Gay-Straight Alliance are less likely to feel unsafe, less likely to miss school, and more likely to feel they belong at school than students in schools with no such clubs.
Fact 8
Having a comprehensive anti-bullying policy is related to a lower incidence of hearing homophobic remarks and to lower rates of verbal harassment.
Fact 9
Students at school with inclusive policies report higher rates of intervention by school staff when homophobic remarks are made.
Fact 10
Only nine states and DC have comprehensive anti-bullying laws that specifically address bullying and harassment based on sexual orientation and only three of these laws mention gender identity.
Fact 11
Nine states have "generic" anti-bullying laws that do not clearly define "bullying" or detail categories of protected classes such as sexual orientation or gender identity. 32 states do not have any laws at all.
Source
GLSEN