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Gay high school students raped, attacked far more often

NEW YORK » Gay, lesbian and bisexual high school students are far more likely than their classmates to be raped or assaulted in a dating situation, according to the first national survey of its kind.

The research also found gay teens were far more likely to have attempted suicide, taken illegal drugs and engaged in other risky behaviors.

The finding echoes results of smaller surveys and findings from advocacy groups, but it is the first nationally-representative government survey to look at the issues.

For years, advocacy groups have been saying gay and lesbian kids are more often bullied, ostracized and at high risk for many other problems. But earlier research by the government was limited to a small number of states and cities. The new survey includes students in rural areas and other parts of the U.S.

“This is the first time we can say that nationwide these are consistent challenges faced by lesbian, gay and bi- youth,” said David W. Bond of The Trevor Project, a national suicide-prevention organization focused on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth.

Shontay Richardson says the survey reflects her experience in high school. “There’s of course the physical bullying, but also the emotional bullying that takes place,” she said.

Now 24 and a graduate student at Purchase College in suburban New York, she says she was lesbian but tried to hide it from her classmates. Still, she was seen as different. She was ostracized by her classmates and sexually assaulted by a boy she knew, she said.

The research results are based on responses from about 15,600 students to an anonymous survey conducted last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC released the report today.

Of the survey participants, about 2 percent said they were gay or lesbian, 6 percent said they were bisexual and 3 percent said they weren’t sure of their sexual identity.

That suggests that of the 16 million students who attended public and private high schools last year, roughly 321,000 were gay or lesbian and 964,000 were bisexual, CDC officials said.

Among the findings:

—Nearly 1 in 5 of the gay, lesbian and bisexual students said they’d been raped at some point in their lives, compared to 1 in 20 heterosexual students.

—Nearly 1 in 5 who had gone out with someone in the past year said their date had hit them, slammed them against a wall, or committed some other form of physical violence. That was more than twice what straight kids reported.

—About 1 in 3 said they had been bullied at school, while 1 in 5 straight kids had.

—More than 1 in 10 said they’d missed school the past month because of safety concerns. Less than 1 in 20 heterosexual kids reported that.

—More than 1 in 4 said they had attempted suicide in the previous year. In contrast, about 1 in 16 straight kids reported recent suicide attempts.

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National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

The Trevor Project: http://www.thetrevorproject.org

4 responses to “Gay high school students raped, attacked far more often”

  1. Blunt says:

    Watch the LGBT needs is a vigilante squad. Armed assassins who will go out and avenge their fellow brothers and sisters in arms. Learn Mafia hit tactics. Use brass knuckles, clubs, rocks, hammers, pipe wrenches, ice picks, acid, vice, pliers, and such. Give them back their abuse plus interest. Employee ninja tactics of surprise and ambush. Don’t let them get away with it.

  2. Mr Mililani says:

    Many studies have shown that being gay is not a choice. Those kids need help and understanding.

  3. saywhatyouthink says:

    Bullied and harrassed I can believe but rape? So gay students dating other gay students are more likely to commit rape? Or is it straight students raping the gay ones? Hard to believe a straight male student would rape an openly gay male or even an openly gay female student. I’ve never heard of such sex crimes occurring before, at least not here in Hawaii.

    • btaim says:

      Rape is a crime of violence and of control and of exerting superiority over someone else. It is not done primarily for the pleasure of a sexual experience.

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