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Gay‐Straight Alliances, Inclusive Policy, and School Climate: LGBTQ Youths’ Experiences of Social Support and Bullying
Author(s) -
Day Jack K.,
Fish Jessica N.,
Grossman Arnold H.,
Russell Stephen T.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of research on adolescence
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.342
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1532-7795
pISSN - 1050-8392
DOI - 10.1111/jora.12487
Subject(s) - lesbian , transgender , psychology , queer , sexual orientation , social support , homosexuality , heterosexism , social psychology , developmental psychology , psychoanalysis
Gay‐Straight Alliances ( GSA ) and school policies focused on support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning youth may reduce bias‐based bullying and enhance social supports in schools. Using multivariate regression, we tested the relationship between youth reports of the presence of GSA s and LGBTQ ‐focused policies, independently and mutually, with experiences bullying and perceived support ( n = 1,061). Youth reported higher classmate support in the presence of GSA s and higher teacher support in the presence of LGBTQ ‐focused policies; the presence of both GSA s and LGBTQ ‐focused policies was associated with less bullying and higher perceived classmate and teacher support. The findings indicate that GSA s and LGBTQ ‐focused policies are distinctly and mutually important for fostering safer and more supportive school climates for youth.