TY - JOUR
T1 - Gay-Straight Alliances, Social Justice Involvement, and School Victimization of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Youth
T2 - Implications for School Well-Being and Plans to Vote
AU - Toomey, Russell B.
AU - Russell, Stephen T
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article, a grant from The California Endowment to the Gay-Straight Alliance Network. The research was also supported by the Frances McClelland Institute for Children, Youth, and Families, and the Fitch Nesbitt Endowment, University of Arizona. Support for the first author’s time spent on the revisions of this article was provided by a National Institute of Mental Health Training Grant (T32 MH018387) to Russell B. Toomey.
PY - 2013/12
Y1 - 2013/12
N2 - Few studies have investigated school-based, positive development for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) youth, despite knowledge of their heightened negative school experiences compared to heterosexual youth (e.g., school victimization). This study examines associations among participation in Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA)-related social justice activities, GSA presence, and GSA membership with victimization based on sexual orientation and school-based well-being (i.e., school safety, school belongingness, grade point average [GPA]) and future plans to vote. Using data from the Preventing School Harassment Study, a survey of 230 LGBQ students in 7th through 12th grades, the study finds that participation in GSA-related social justice activities and the presence of a GSA are positively associated with school belongingness and GPA. GSA membership is also positively associated with school belongingness. However, moderation analyses suggest that the positive benefits of GSA-related social justice involvement and the presence of a GSA dissipate at high levels of school victimization. Implications for schools are discussed.
AB - Few studies have investigated school-based, positive development for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) youth, despite knowledge of their heightened negative school experiences compared to heterosexual youth (e.g., school victimization). This study examines associations among participation in Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA)-related social justice activities, GSA presence, and GSA membership with victimization based on sexual orientation and school-based well-being (i.e., school safety, school belongingness, grade point average [GPA]) and future plans to vote. Using data from the Preventing School Harassment Study, a survey of 230 LGBQ students in 7th through 12th grades, the study finds that participation in GSA-related social justice activities and the presence of a GSA are positively associated with school belongingness and GPA. GSA membership is also positively associated with school belongingness. However, moderation analyses suggest that the positive benefits of GSA-related social justice involvement and the presence of a GSA dissipate at high levels of school victimization. Implications for schools are discussed.
KW - LGBT issues
KW - academic achievement
KW - gay-straight alliances
KW - social justice
KW - victimization
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U2 - 10.1177/0044118X11422546
DO - 10.1177/0044118X11422546
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84888397004
SN - 0044-118X
VL - 45
SP - 500
EP - 522
JO - Youth and Society
JF - Youth and Society
IS - 4
ER -