141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

277594
School violence and bullying among sexual minority high school students

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 8:30 AM - 8:45 AM

Emily Olsen, MSPH , Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Laura Kann, PhD , Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Alana Vivolo-Kantor, MPH, CHES , Division of Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Steve Kinchen , Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Background: Gay or lesbian and bisexual (sexual minority) high school students are often victims of school violence and bullying. Purpose: Quantify the risk of school violence and bullying among sexual minority students compared to non-sexual minority students. Significance: This study is one of the first to use large, population-based samples of students to identify the association between sexual identity and school violence and bullying. Methodology: Data from 10 state and 10 local Youth Risk Behavior Surveys conducted in 2009 and 2011 were combined to form a large sample of high school students (n=116,149). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between six school violence or bullying variables and sexual minority status, controlling for sex, grade, and race/ethnicity. Findings/Results: Overall, sexual minority students had higher odds than non-sexual minority students of having been injured in a fight (AOR, 95%CI: 3.6, 2.8-4.5), having carried a weapon on school property (3.4, 2.9-4.1), having been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property (3.1, 2.7-3.5), having not gone to school because of safety concerns (2.4, 2.1-2.8), having been bullied on school property (2.4, 2.2-2.6), and having been in a physical fight on school property (2.4, 2.1-2.7). Analyses stratified by sex and race/ethnicity showed similar patterns. Conclusions/Recommendations: Sexual minority students are more likely to experience school violence and bullying than non-sexual minority students. To avoid these types of victimization, effective policies and programs to curb bullying and violence and create safe environments should be implemented.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe the association between sexual identity and at least three school violence and bullying behaviors among U.S. high school students. Compare the risk of school violence and bullying among sexual minority students by race and sex.

Keywords: School Health, Adolescent Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a health statistician for CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health. During my 3 year tenure with the division, I have published multiple articles on adolescent health and presented my research at least once per year at national conferences, including APHA 2012.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.