Inclusive School Climate as a Protective Factor for LGBTQ Youth

Bullying continues to be a significant public health issue disproportionally impacting LGBTQ youth. Bullying is one of many factors contributing to this population’s increased risk for several adverse physical, social, psychological, and academic outcomes. LGBTQ inclusive school practices have been identified as a potential point of prevention and intervention, leading to decreased victimization and increased reporting behaviors. While extant literature has illustrated the impact of individual school policies and practices, more work is needed to understand the cumulative effect of an LGBTQ inclusive school climate. The current study explored the impact of an LGBTQ inclusive school climate, as defined as the presence of an LGBTQ student organization and inclusive dress code, anti-discrimination policy, and anti-bullying policy, on student victimization experiences, reporting behaviors, and adjustment. The study investigated the climates of nine individual schools with a total of 2,571 participants. Results indicated that LGBTQ youth continue to report high levels of victimization and that victimization experiences are associated with poorer adjustment. An LGBTQ inclusive school climate, however, was not found to moderate the relationship between LGBTQ youth victimization and negative adjustment. Total school climate score was found, however, to predict homo/transprejudice attitudes, with more inclusive school climates associated with less prejudice attitudes. This study provided invaluable insights into the experiences of LGBTQ youth and the role of school climate. Future directions for further clarification of the elements of an inclusive school climate to support LGBTQ youth were also provided.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Graduate College

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Arizona.

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Corcoran, Colleen

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Yoon, Jina

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Bauman, Sheri
• Kirkpatrick, Jennifer

• inclusive school climate
• LGBTQ bullying
• LGBTQ reporting victimization
• LGBTQ school support
• LGBTQ youth outcomes
• school climate

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction, presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10150/665410

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/665410