New report finds violence against LGBT+ students on rise in American schools

A new study from the University of Oregon has found that LGBT+ students are twice as likely to be subjected to “verbal, physical, psychological, and sexual violence” as their straight counterparts. The study, titled ‘State of the Schools’, surveyed 27,000 students from 600 schools – most of which already reported high levels of bullying. The aim of the study was to better understand how LGBT+ students are affected, as such, researchers made use of inclusive language.

Julie Heffernan, graduate director at the University of Oregon and co-chair of the Oregon Safe Schools and Communities Coalition, explained why LGBT-specific studies were so necessary: “In 2017, bias-based bullying, violent harassment, sexual assault and fear-based absences were at alarming rates among our LGBT youth. We’ve known these are issues for a long time, but this is the first time we’ve had Oregon data that highlights just how bad conditions can be in our schools.”

The study also includes a guide on policy recommendations for schools to better address their LGBT+ students.

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