Orange County Middle School and High School Youth 12,868 ... · of health-related behaviors and...

TheCaliforniaHealthyKidsSurvey(CHKS)hascollectedhealthinformationfrommiddleandhighschoolstudentsforover20years.Thesurveyquestionscoverawiderangeofhealth-relatedtopics,includingphysicalactivity,nutrition,druguse,bullying,mentalhealth,andprotectivefactorsatschool.Beginningwiththe2013-15administrationofthesurvey,studentswereaskedtoself-identifyasheterosexual,gay,lesbian,orbisexual.Studentswerealsoaskedtoself-identifyasmale,female,ortransgender.Thesetwoquestionsallowforthecomparisonofhealth-relatedbehaviorsandexperiencesoflesbian,gay,bisexual,andtransgenderyouth(LGBT)withthosestudentswhodonotidentifyasLGBT(non-LGBT).ChapmanUniversityinconjunctionwiththeACLUofSouthernCaliforniahasanalyzedthedatafromthe2015administrationoftheCHKStobetterunderstandthehealth-relatedstatusofLGBTyouthinOrangeCounty.HowManyLGBTYouth?In2013,5.0%ofCaliforniamiddleandhighschoolstudentsidentifiedaslesbian,gay,orbisexual,with95%ofstudentsidentifyingasnon-LGB.Inthesameyear0.8%ofstudentsidentifiedastransgender.InOrangeCountyin2015,thenumberofstudentsidentifyingasLGBwas5.4%andthenumberidentifyingastransgenderwas1.0%.BasedonenrollmentforschoolsinOrangeCountyforthe2014/2015schoolyearthispercentagetranslatestoapproximately12,868studentsidentifyingasLGBand2,383studentsidentifyingastransgenderinthisagegroup.ThefollowingaresomeofthehighlightsfromtheOrangeCountyCHKS2015administration.AttendanceLGBYouthwerealmost4timesmorelikely(4.1%)thantheirnon-LGBpeers(1.1%)tomissschoolintheprevious30daysbecausetheydidnotfeelsafeatschool.Transgenderyouthwerealmost8timesmorelikely(8.8%)tomissschoolthannon-transgenderstudentsforthesamereason(1.2%).SafetyTransgenderyouthwere4timesmorelikelythantheirnon-transgenderpeerstoreportnotfeelingsafeatschool(21.2%versus4.3%).ForLGByouth,10.3%admittedtonotfeelingsafeatschoolcomparedwith4.1%fortheirnon-LGBpeers.Transgenderyouth(32.2%)weretwiceaslikelyto

reportbeingafraidofbeingbeatenupthantheirnon-transgenderpeers(11.9%).ThesameistrueforLGByouth(22.9%versus11.4%).

BullyingTransgenderyouthweremorelikely(36.3%)toreporthavingbeenpushed,shoved,slapped,hit,kickedbysomeone1ormoretimesonaschoolcampusthantheirnon-transgenderpeers(19.5%).LGByouthwerealsomorelikelytoreportthesame(29.5%versus19.1%).LGByouthweremorelikelytoreporthavingsexualjokes,comments,orgesturesdirectedatthematschool(53.0%versus26.9%).Transgenderyouthreportedsimilarexperienceswith52.6%reportingbeingthetargetofsexualjokes,comments,orgesturesatschoolversus28.1%fornon-transgenderstudents.Almosthalf(43.2%)ofself-identifiedLGByouthreportbeingbulliedbecausetheywerelesbian,gay,bisexualorsomeonethoughttheywere.Fewernon-LGByouth(5.0%)reportbeingbulliedbecausesomeonethoughttheywerelesbian,gayorbisexual.Amongtransgenderyouth,42.4%werebulliedforthesamereasonversus6.7%amongnon-transgenderyouth.AlcoholandDrugUseLookingatlifetimeuseofalcoholandotherdrugsacrossgrades7through12,therewerenoticeabledifferences.Lifetimeusemeasuresthenumberofyouthwhohaveeverusedaparticulardrug.LifetimeuseofalcoholwashigherforLGByouth(41.9%)thanfortheirnon-LGBpeers(21.2%).Transgenderyouthalsoshowedahigherrate(38.3%)thannon-transgenderyouth(22.1%).Lifetimeuseofmarijuanawas29.8%forLGByouthand13.1%foryouthidentifyingasnon-LGB.Asimilardisparitywasevidentfortransgenderyouth(28.1%versus13.9%).LGByouthreportedahigheruseofmethamphetamineand

OrangeCountyMiddleSchoolandHighSchoolYouth

12,868LGB2,383Transgender

cocaineduringtheirlifetimethantheirnon-LGBpeers(6.3%versus2.4%)withtransgenderyouthreportingasimilardisparity(11.6%versus2.6%).

MentalHealthThe2015datarevealedindicatorsofmentalhealthchallengesforLGBTyouth.WhenaskedDidyoumissschoolbecauseyoufeltverysad,hopeless,anxious,stressed,orangryduringthepastthirtydays?25.1%ofLGBrespondedintheaffirmative,comparedwith6.9%oftheirnon-LGBpeers.Transgenderyouthreportedsimilarexperienceswith23.1%havingmissedschoolbecausetheyfeltverysad,hopeless,anxious,stressed,orangryversus7.7%ofnon-transgenderyouth.WhenaskedDidyouseriouslyconsiderattemptingsuicideduringthepast12months?45.8%ofLGByouthreportedthattheyhadseriouslyconsideredattemptingsuicideversus13.5%oftheirnon-LGBpeers.Similarresultswerefoundfortransgenderyouth,with49.2%admittingtohavingseriouslyconsideredsuicideversus15.2%ofnon-transgenderyouth.Whentranslatedintorealnumbers,thisindicatesthatinoneyearinOrangeCountyapproximately7,065middleschoolandhighschoolLGBTyouthseriouslyconsideredattemptingsuicide.ProtectiveFactorsProtectivefactorsaretheconditionsandstructuresataschoolthathelptoshieldstudentsfrompotentialharmfuloutcomes.Thesearethehumanrelationshipsandprogramsataschoolsitethat“protect”againsttheriskfactorsalreadymentionedhere.

YouthEngagementandConnectiontoSchoolLGByouthweremorelikelytosaythattheydidnotfeelclosetopeopleatthisschoolthandidtheirnon-LGBpeers(21.8%versus12.3%).Transgender-identifiedstudentswereevenlesslikelytoreportfeelingclosetopeopleatschool(27.0%)incomparisontonon-transgenderstudents(12.6%).WhenpresentedwiththestatementIfeellikeIamapartofthisschool,LGByouthwerelesslikelytoagreewiththestatement(25.1%)whencomparedwithnon-LGBpeers(13.7%).Transgenderyouthweremorethantwiceaslikelytosaythattheydidnotfeelliketheywereapartoftheirschool(32.0%)ascomparedtonon-transgenderstudents(14.1%).RespondingtothestatementTeachersatmyschooltreatstudentsfairly,19.7%ofLGBidentifiedstudentsweremorelikelytodisagreewiththestatementcomparedto13.9%oftheirnon-LGBpeers.Transgenderstudentswereevenmorelikelytodisagreewiththestatementthannon-transgenderstudents(30.1%versus14.0%).MovingForwardTheresultsoftheCHKSsurveyresponseshighlighttheimportanceofincreasingpositiveconnectionsandprotectivefactorsasawaytocreatesafeandinclusiveenvironmentsforourlesbian,gay,bisexualandtransgenderyouth.Theseprotectivefactorsshould:

• Guaranteethatallyouth—andespeciallyLGBTidentifiedyouth--havecaringandsupportiveadultstospeakwithandtomentorthem.

• Createschoolenvironmentsthataresafe,supportive,andinclusiveofall.

• Implementpolicies,programs,andresourcesthatpromotehealthequityamongLGBTyouth.

• CreateopportunitiesforLGBTyouthtoengageinmeaningfulparticipationinschoolsandcommunities.

Inanaverageclassof30studentsinOrangeCounty,twoofthosestudents

willidentifyasLGBT