Recently, the CDC released their new summary report on youth health and risk behaviors. The report provides an overview of findings related to sexual behaviors, substance use, experiencing violence, mental health, school connectedness, parental monitoring, and unstable housing. This is part 3 of my series focusing on the data related to the mental health and violence experiences of adolescent girls and LGBQ+ youth.

Part 1: Alarming Health Trends for Queer and Female Youth
Part 2: Queer Youth are Struggling
Part 3: Queer Youth and Teen Girls’ Experiences of Violence (this post)
Part 4: How to Help Queer and Female Youth

As a reminder, the data can’t tell us anything specific about transgender or nonbinary youth because the CDC didn’t collect that information. The CDC did collect information on both sexual identity and sexual behavior, which allows us to talk about sexuality with a bit more nuance.

Key Findings

While the overall percentage of students who were bullied decreased between 2011 and 2021, all other types of violence the CDC measured became more common. Across the board, LGBQ+ youth and youth who had any same-sex sexual contact were more likely than their peers to experience all types of violence. Female youth were more likely than male youth to experience all forms of violence except for being injured or threatened with a weapon at school.

Sexual Violence

Sexuality and gender related differences were especially striking for the questions related to sexual violence. Trends over time were only given for female and male youth. The percentage of female youth who experienced sexual violence (ever been forced to have sex or experienced sexual violence by anyone in past year) increased over time whereas the percentage of male youth didn’t change. Other findings are outlined in the infographic below.

Bullying

While the overall trends related to bullying showed a small decrease, bullying (both in person and through technology) remains a serious problem. When looked at by group, it is clear that certain groups of students experience higher rates of bullying than others. More details are in the infographic below.

Other Types of Violence

LGBQ+ youth and youth who had any same-sex sexual contact were more likely than their peers to be impacted by violence at school. While female youth were more likely than male youth to avoid school because of safety concerns, male youth were slightly more likely to be threatened or injured by a weapon. More details are in the infographic below.

Other Violence Infographic. Data in image description. — Image Description: Other Violence Infographic. Results from the CDC’s 2021 YRBS Survey by Gender and Sexuality
Did not go to school because of safety concerns during past 30 days: 14% of LGBQ+ youth; 7% of heterosexual youth; 18% of youth with any same-sex sexual contact; 10% of youth with other-sex sexual contact only; 10% of female youth; 7% of male youth
Threatened or injured with a weapon at school in past year: 8% of LGBQ+ youth; 6% of heterosexual youth; 15% of youth with any same-sex sexual contact; 9% of youth with other-sex sexual contact only; 6% of female youth; 7% of male youth
Infographic design copyright Seven Two Consulting. Reference: CDC. (2023). Youth Risk Behavior Survey: Data Summary and Trends Report: 2011-2021. Atlanta, GA: CDC.

School Connectedness

Taken together, the data show that schools are not getting safer for most students. The news is especially disheartening given the disruptions to school caused by the pandemic. During the 2020 shutdowns, we were reminded that schools serve a broader purpose than just their educational mission. We expect them to fill in the gaps left by larger society - providing critically needed nutrition, medical, and mental health services, social and emotional learning, and safe supervision. Not feeling safe at school, and especially avoiding school because of safety concerns, negatively impacts students’ academic, social, and physical development.

The CDC measured school connectedness for the first time in the 2021 YRBS. School connectedness is a protective factor that helps lessen the impacts of negative experiences. While the majority of youth indicated they felt close to people at school, LGBQ+ youth, youth with any same-sex sexual contact, and female youth were less likely than their peers to feel connected to school. They are also among the most likely to experience violence and avoid school because of safety concerns.

What can we do?

I outlined some initial actions to help make queer youth safer at school in a previous post. Building on that list, here are some ideas for how to reduce bullying and sexual violence and increase feelings of safety in school. When we make school safer for the most vulnerable, we make it safer for everyone.

Create strong, proactive bullying prevention policies that specifically prohibit bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
Take immediate action to stop bullying and sexual harassment when you learn about it.
Implement comprehensive, inclusive, and age appropriate violence prevention programs at all grade levels.
Make sure bullying interventions are trauma-informed and account for the complexity of bullying situations. Youth play different roles at different times - someone can engage in bullying in one situation, be the target in another, and be a witness in yet another.
Include accurate information on reproductive health, sexuality, and gender identity in sexual violence prevention programs.
Routinely ask students about their safety at school and take their concerns seriously. Make it easy for them to report bullying, harassment, and sexual assault at any time.
Involve students in all initiatives to increase safety. Make sure to specifically reach out to students who experience the highest levels of violence and safety concerns, like female students, queer students, and students of color.
Help students build connections at school to lessen their risk of experiencing violence and to increase their ability to get help if they do.

Queer Youth and Teen Girls’ Experiences of Violence (YRBS Report part 3)