Out on the web: The Experiences of LGBT Youth on the net

GLSEN’s “Out Online: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth” First National are accountable to Look In-Depth at LGBT Youth Enjoy on the web

MEDIA CONTACTAndy MarraPublic Relations Manager646-388-6575

NEW YORK – Jul. 10, 2013 – Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth experience almost 3 x the maximum amount of bullying and harassment online as non-LGBT youth, but additionally find greater peer support, usage of wellness information and possibilities to be civically involved, in accordance with a report that is new today by GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & directly Education system. The research, Out on the web: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth on the web, is dependent on nationwide studies of 5,680 pupils in 6-12th grade.

The report could be the very first to examine in-depth the experiences of LGBT youth on the web.

“The Web impacts practically all facets of our life, it is specially entrenched within the everyday lives of youth, who will be probably the most connected individuals online within our culture, ” said Dr. Eliza Byard, GLSEN’s Executive Director. “LGBT youth continue steadily to face extraordinary hurdles inside their day-to-day life whether in school or online, but the online world may be a source that is valuable of and help if they don’t have any one or nowhere else kept to check out. As social media evolve, so must our efforts to provide LGBT youth to make certain their security, health insurance and wellbeing. ”

Out on line reveals that LGBT youth were much more likely than non-LGBT youth to be bullied or harassed online (42% vs. 15%) and doubly prone to state that they had been bullied via text (27% vs. 13%). Study participants also reported these were as expected to report maybe not feeling safe online (27%) because they were in school (30%) even though planing a trip to and from school (29%). On line victimization contributed to self-esteem that is negative higher depression Youth who experienced bullying and harassment both in person along with online or via text reported lower grade point averages, reduced self-esteem and greater degrees of despair than youth who had been bullied just in person, only online or via text, or perhaps not after all.

“The Web will not provide to merely reinforce the negative characteristics discovered offline bullying that is regarding harassment, ” said Dr. Michele Ybarra, President and analysis Director of this Center for Innovative Public wellness Research. “Rather, this technology also provides youth that is LGBT tools for handling these negative experiences, including use of understanding and accepting buddies, and contact with wellness information that is unavailable somewhere else. ”

“This research increases the literature that is growing increased risk for victimization among LGBT youth, finding that this increased danger also includes the world-wide-web and texting, ” said Dr. Kimberly Mitchell, analysis Associate Professor at the Crimes against Children analysis Center. Effective prevention efforts want to target maybe maybe perhaps maybe not interactions that are just face-to-face but on line and text messaging-based situations too. ”

Despite experiences of harassment and bullying online, LGBT youth indicated the world-wide-web can be a area which provides safer possibilities to show who they really are, find peer support and get access to resources not always obtainable in individual. LGBT youth were more prone to have looked for health insurance and medical information contrasted to non-LGBT youth (81% vs. 46%), and half (50%) reported having a minumum of one close online buddy, in comparison to just 19per cent of non-LGBT youth.

LGBT youth reported high prices of civic engagement online since well. A majority of LGBT youth reported having taken part in an internet community that supports an underlying cause or problem (77%), promoted a reason or problem (76%), written a weblog or posted remarks on another weblog about an underlying cause or problem (68%), and utilized the world wide web to take part in or recruit individuals for a meeting or task (51%) into the year that is past.

The studies had been carried out by Harris Interactive with respect to GLSEN, the guts for Innovative Public wellness analysis (CiPHR) additionally the Crimes against Children analysis Center during the University of brand new Hampshire during 2010 and January 2011 august. Funding with this scholarly research ended up being generously sustained by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver nationwide Institute of Child health insurance and Human developing.

Key Findings on Bullying/Harassment and Protection

LGBT youth were almost 3 times because likely as non-LGBT youth to express that they had been bullied or harassed online (42% vs. 15%) and two times as expected to state that they had been bullied via text (27% vs 13%).
1 in 4 youth that is LGBT26%) stated they’d been bullied online particularly for their intimate orientation or sex phrase within the previous 12 months, and 1 in 5 (18percent) stated that they had skilled bullying and harassment of these reasons via text.
1 in 3 (32%) LGBT participants stated that they had been intimately harassed on the web in the previous 12 months. 1 in 4 youth that is LGBT25%) stated that they had been intimately harassed via text.
LGBT youth were four times since likely as non-LGBT youth to state they’d live sex chat been sexually harassed online (32% vs. 8%) and 3 times as prone to state that they had been intimately harassed via text (25% vs. 8%).

Key Findings on LGBT Resources and Information-Seeking On Line

LGBT youth were 5 times because likely as non-LGBT youth to own looked for information online on sexuality or intimate attraction as non-LGBT youth (62% vs. 12%).
LGBT youth were additionally very likely to have looked for health insurance and information that is medical to non-LGBT youth (81% vs. 46%).

Key Findings on Peer Aids

50% of LGBT youth reported having a minumum of one close friend that is online in comparison to just 19per cent of non-LGBT youth.
LGBT youth rated their online buddies as more supportive than non-LGBT youth rated their online buddies.
Two-thirds of LGBT youth (62%) had utilized the web to get in touch with other LGBT people when you look at the year that is past.
Significantly more than 1 in 10 youth that is LGBT14%) stated they had first disclosed their LGBT identity to some body online.
1 in 4 youth that is LGBT29%) stated these people were more out online compared to individual.
Over fifty percent (52%) of LGBT youth have been maybe maybe maybe not out to peers in individual had utilized the web along with other LGBT people.

Key Findings on Civic Participation

LGBT youth reported high prices of civic engagement on the web, including having taken component in a community that is online supports an underlying cause or problems (77%), gotten the term out about an underlying cause or a concern (76%), written an article or posted opinions on another weblog about an underlying cause or a problem (68%) and utilized the net to take part in or recruit individuals for a meeting or activity (51%).
Over fifty percent (54%) of LGBT youth had used texts into the year that is past help or have the term out about a concern or a reason and simply under half (42%) had took part in or encouraged other people to take part in an in-person task or occasion.
The overwhelming bulk of LGBT youth in this research (68%) had engaged in volunteering along with online/text-based civic tasks within the previous 12 months.
One out of five LGBT youth (22%) stated that they had just been involved civically online or via text in past times 12 months, suggesting that online technologies may act as a significant resource and foster civic involvement for many LGBT youth.

Key Findings on distinctions by Individual and Contextual aspects

• Transgender youth had been much more likely than many other LGB youth to possess sought out health insurance and medical information.

• LGBT youth in rural areas skilled considerably greater degrees of victimization on the web and via text compared to LGBT youth in residential district and areas that are urban.

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Methodology

Data found in this study originate from the Teen Health & tech study carried out by Harris Interactive Inc. With respect to the Center for Innovative Public Health analysis (CiPHR), GLSEN, additionally the Crimes against Children analysis Center in the University of Hampshire. The analysis ended up being supported by Award Number R01 HD057191 through the nationwide Institute of Child health insurance and Human developing, and a study had been carried out online between August 2010 and January 2011, having a sample that is total of U.S. 13-18 12 months olds. Whenever examining differences when considering non-LGBT and LGBT youth, we draw with this complete sample of 5,680 youth. But, this report mainly examines the precise experiences regarding the 1,960 LGBT youth contained in the dataset. For extra questions regarding the report, contact GLSEN Research Associate, Neal Palmer at npalmer@glsen.org.