Reduction of Stigma in Schools©Elizabethe C. Payne, PhDMelissa J. Smith, MA

Syracuse UniversitySchool of EducationCultural Foundations of EducationQ Center @ AIDS Community Resources

Program Objectives

•To establish an understanding of the relationship between social stigma and risk for LGBTQ youth.

•To provide tools and education for creating more positive learning environments for all students in Central New York schools.

•To actively create opportunities for dialogue and change around the issues facing LGBTQ youth and the children of LGBTQ parents in Syracuse schools and schools in the surrounding areas.

LGBTQ Students at Risk

Academic Risk

•30% of LGBT youth drop out of school. This is three times the national average.

•Grade point averages for visible LGBT youth are 10% lower than their heterosexual peers of the same socioeconomic status.

GLSEN 2007

Academic Risk: Attendance

GLSEN 2007

Substance Abuse

• Substance use for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) youth is on average 190 percent higher than for heterosexual youth.• For some sub-populations of LGB youth,

the odds are substantially higher, including 340 percent for bisexual youth and 400 percent for lesbians.

Marshal et al (2008)

Stigma at School

Stigma at School•98% of LGBTQ students report hearing anti-gay

remarks in school.•55% of LGBTQ youth experience “electronic”

harassment.•44% of LGBTQ youth report experiencing physical

harassment in school.•86% of LGBTQ youth report experiencing verbal

harassment in schools. •87% of LGBTQ youth report being a victim on rumors

and lies in their school.

•GLSEN 2007

Educator Intervention

GLSEN 2007

What can RSIS do for your school?

Program Components•Research-based program •Educator-to-educator model•Tailored to meet the needs of individual

schools•Each workshop addresses:

▫National trends in the school experiences of LGBTQ youth

▫Correlation between social stigma and risk▫Resources for creating more affirming school

climates for ALL students▫Workshop/discussion activities to give

educators opportunities to start developing strategies for their own schools