April 4, 2007
Gay Teens Three Times More Likely to Be Bullied
David Foucher READ TIME: 1 MIN.
Lesbian and gay adolescents were three to four times more likely to report having been bullied than heterosexuals, a Children's Hospital Boston study reported.
Researchers Dr. Elise Berlan and Bryn Austin analyzed data from more than 7,500 adolescents, 14 to 22, who participated in the Growing Up Today Study of American youth. About half of the lesbian and gay youth in the study had been bullied in the past year.
About 90 percent of the teens described themselves as heterosexual, 8 percent as mostly heterosexual, 1 percent as bisexual and 1 percent as lesbian or gay.
"It's clear that sexual minority youth are a population vulnerable to bullying," Berlan said in a statement. "This needs to be addressed, particularly in schools."
David Foucher is the CEO of the EDGE Media Network and Pride Labs LLC, is a member of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalist Association, and is accredited with the Online Society of Film Critics. David lives with his daughter in Dedham MA.
