ERIC Number: EJ787316
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2002
Pages: 12
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0018-1498
EISSN: N/A
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students: Perceived Social Support in the High School Environment
Munoz-Plaza, Corrine; Quinn, Sandra Crouse; Rounds, Kathleen A.
High School Journal, v85 n4 p52-63 Apr-May 2002
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth (LGBT) continue to face extreme discrimination within the school environment. Existing literature suggests that LGBT youth are at high risk for a number of health problems, including suicide ideation and attempts, harassment, substance abuse, homelessness, and declining school performance. This exploratory study consists of face-to-face interviews with 12 male and female participants, 18-21 years old, who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. The purpose of the study is to determine the types of social support (emotional, appraisal, instrumental and informational) available to these young adults in high school. In addition, the study examines the connection between social support and sexual identity development. Participants found non-family members, which included peers and non-family adults, to be more supportive than family members. More specifically, participants perceived heterosexual and LGBT-identified friends and non-family adults as providing emotional and instrumental support. However, participants perceived limitations to the emotional support they received from heterosexual peers to whom they disclosed their orientation. In addition to providing emotional support, peers and adults who also identified as LGBT provided valuable informational and appraisal, support. Finally, most participants did not disclose to their parents during high school and perceived their parents and family members as offering limited emotional, appraisal and informational support. Confronted with their own sense of alienation and confusion, as well as the overwhelmingly negative messages about homosexuality in their home and school environments, respondents described their sexual identity formation as a process characterized by varying degrees of denial and acceptance. The need for multiple resources emerged as a major theme from participant responses to questions about what types of services and support they would have valued from their high school. (Contains 1 table and 1 footnote.)
Descriptors: High Schools, Young Adults, Homosexuality, Sexual Identity, Educational Environment, Alienation, Student Attitudes, High School Students, Social Bias, Social Discrimination, Social Attitudes, At Risk Persons, Social Support Groups, Peer Influence, Family Relationship
University of North Carolina Press. 116 South Boundary Street, P.O. Box 2288, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2288. Tel: 800-848-6224; Tel: 919-966-7449; Fax: 919-962-2704; e-mail: uncpress@unc.edu; Web site: http://uncpress.unc.edu/journals/j-hsj.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A