Inclusion and Wonder: Describing the Status of School-Based Supports for LGBTQ Students in New York State Middle Schools
Date
2023
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Abstract
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer, and other gender and sexual minority (LGBTQ) individuals often face challenges of discrimination and victimization. This is especially true for LGBTQ youth, who may be vulnerable as they grow and develop their sexual and gender identities while in schools. As such, specific school-based supports that mitigate the risks associated with discrimination and victimization have been shown to prevent negative outcomes for LGBTQ youth. LGBTQ-supportive policies, LGBTQ-inclusive curricula, and student-led clubs such as gender and sexuality alliances (GSAs) are particularly promising system-level interventions. However, existing research identifies several gaps in the application of these school-based supports, especially in middle schools. Primarily, many middle schools simply do not have any such supports in place or have only partial support available. Further, LGBTQ students often encounter barriers in using such supports, including stigma from peers and lack of knowledge about support availability. Thus, the present study examined the extent to which LGBTQ-supportive policies and LGBTQ-inclusive curricula were predictive of the presence of GSAs in New York State middle schools and what factors middle school administrators identified as supports and barriers to GSAs. Results of a logistic regression found that policy and curricula scores failed to predict the presence of a GSA at a statistically significant level. Administrators identified several factors influencing the presence of a GSA in their school, with a particular emphasis on student and faculty-related factors. Further analyses found inconsistent applications of supportive practices within the present sample. Such information may be useful in implementing systems change efforts to improve school climate and provide further resources for LGBTQ students.
Description
Dissertation completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Psychology degree in School Psychology at Alfred University, Alfred, NY.
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Dissertation
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LGBTQ studies, Psychology, Education