School engagement among LGBTQ high school students: The roles of safe adults and gay–straight alliance characteristics

Seelman, Kristie L.; Forge, Nicholas; Walls, N. Eugene; Bridges, Nadine

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.07.021

Cited by 50 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The influence of GSAs on psychological well-being may be related less to generic participation and more to the quality and amount of time spent in GSA activities. Thus, it may be that in order to test psychological benefits of GSAs, multiple dimensions of GSAs need to be assessed (Griffin, 2004, Poteat et al, 2015; Seelman, et al, 2015). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to the length of time the GSA had been established, Seelman and colleagues (2015) found that other GSA characteristics may be consequential. In a survey of LGBTQ youth ( N = 152), they found that although GSA presence and participation did not predict school engagement, specific GSA characteristics were predictive of school engagement, including GSA size, visibility, activity, and the level of support for the GSA among people at school (Seelman, Forge, Walls, & Bridges, 2015). …”

Section: Gsas: Experiences At Schoolmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The protective role of gay–straight alliances for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning students: A prospective analysis.

Ioverno

Belser

Baiocco

et al. 2016

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

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Prior studies show a strong association between gay-straight alliances (GSAs) and the well-being and safety of sexual minority students at school. However, nearly all existing literature has relied on cross-sectional data. Using data from the first two panels of a multi-site longitudinal study on risk and protective factors for suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning (LGBQ) youth in three U.S. cities, we examined the influence of presence of and participation in a GSA on perceptions of safety at school, homophobic bullying experiences, and psychosocial adjustment (depression and self-esteem) in 327 LGBQ students across two school years. LGBQ students who had GSAs in their schools or were members of GSAs in the prior year showed no differences in psychological adjustment, but they reported perceptions of more school safety and less homophobic bullying in the following school year. Further, changes in GSA presence (gaining a GSA) and changes in participation (from non-participation to participation) were independently associated with stronger perceived safety in the subsequent school year. This study provides the first prospective evidence of the lasting positive role of GSAs for high school students, and documents that changes in GSA presence and participation are associated with safety at school. Education policy and practice implications are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Gsas: Experiences At Schoolmentioning

confidence: 99%

The protective role of gay–straight alliances for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning students: A prospective analysis.

Ioverno

Belser

Baiocco

et al. 2016

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

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“…89 Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth have been shown to be at risk for poor school connectedness, and poor school connectedness is a risk for poor attendance. 90 Finally, students with higher numbers of ACEs are more likely to have chronic absenteeism than students with fewer ACEs. 91…”

Section: Causes Of School Absenteeismmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Link Between School Attendance and Good Health

Allison

Attisha²

2019

Pediatrics

157

122

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More than 6.5 million children in the United States, approximately 13% of all students, miss 15 or more days of school each year. The rates of chronic absenteeism vary between states, communities, and schools, with significant disparities based on income, race, and ethnicity. Chronic school absenteeism, starting as early as preschool and kindergarten, puts students at risk for poor school performance and school dropout, which in turn, put them at risk for unhealthy behaviors as adolescents and young adults as well as poor longterm health outcomes. Pediatricians and their colleagues caring for children in the medical setting have opportunities at the individual patient and/or family, practice, and population levels to promote school attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism and resulting health disparities. Although this policy statement is primarily focused on absenteeism related to students' physical and mental health, pediatricians may play a role in addressing absenteeism attributable to a wide range of factors through individual interactions with patients and their parents and through community-, state-, and federal-level advocacy.

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“…Along with effective GSA leadership training, access to queer‐based resources is another barrier that may impede GSA boundary‐spanning efforts around transgender issues (Greytak et al, ). Research examining LGBTQ populations as a whole articulates the value of in‐school resources that specifically address queer issues, such as LGBTQ‐inclusive curricula (Kosciw, Greytak, Diaz, & Bartkiewicz, ; Russell, Kostroski, McGuire, Laub, & Manke, ; Porta, Singer, et al, ), comprehensive anti‐bullying policies with explicit protections around gender identity/expression and sexual orientation (Kosciw et al, ; Szalacha, ), as well as supportive educators (Diaz et al, ; Murdock & Bolch, ; Seelman, Forge, Walls, & Bridges, ). A central debate within this literature questions whether LGBTQ‐related resources are more beneficial for “LG” students than their “BTQ” peers with varying results being gleaned (see Elia, ; Green, ; Greytak et al, ; McCarthy, ).…”

Section: Gsa Membership and In‐group Solidarymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…LGBTQ-inclusive curricula (Kosciw, Greytak, Diaz, & Bartkiewicz, 2010;Russell, Kostroski, McGuire, Laub, & Manke, 2006;Porta, Singer, et al, 2017), comprehensive anti-bullying policies with explicit protections around gender identity/expression and sexual orientation Szalacha, 2003), as well as supportive educators Murdock & Bolch, 2005;Seelman, Forge, Walls, & Bridges, 2015). A central debate within this literature questions whether LGBTQ-related resources are more beneficial for "LG" students than their "BTQ" peers with varying results being gleaned (see Elia, 2014;Green, 2010;Greytak et al, 2013;McCarthy, 2003).…”

Section: Gsa Membership and In-group Solidarymentioning

confidence: 99%

The push for transgender inclusion: Exploring boundary spanning in the gay–straight alliance

Sutherland

2019

Sociology Compass

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Gay–straight alliance (or gender‐sexuality alliance; GSA) is a high‐school based club aimed at providing a safer environment for sexual and gender minority youth as well as their straight allies. Yet, as a club historically rooted in addressing sexual orientation‐related concerns, less attention has been given to understanding the changing relational dynamics of internal GSA activities aimed at expanding membership boundaries through the promotion of transgender inclusivity. I address this by bridging existing scholarship on GSAs, social movements, and the sociology of culture to showcase the impact boundary‐spanning strategies are having on GSA mobilization, in‐group solidarity, and external political and social activism. My findings reveal that membership boundary negotiations around gender diversity issues are shifting the social landscape of these clubs. Emerging barriers that impede boundary‐spanning efforts are also highlighted and discussed. More broadly, I generate new theoretical insights into how boundary spanning can shape political and social activism as well as offer promising future research directions in this area.

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School engagement among LGBTQ high school students: The roles of safe adults and gay–straight alliance characteristics

Cited by 50 publications

References 37 publications

The protective role of gay–straight alliances for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning students: A prospective analysis.

The protective role of gay–straight alliances for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning students: A prospective analysis.

The Link Between School Attendance and Good Health

The push for transgender inclusion: Exploring boundary spanning in the gay–straight alliance

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