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The issue that I would like to concentrate on is the high school LGBTQ community, bullying within and to this group has been a growing concern. I would like to begin a program to not only help the students within this group but also their friends, family and school administrators. I believe in this position that there are several layers to it that if not all of them are address the program will not be working at its full potential.

If this is an issue that you are unfamiliar with this is a video of Zach and his mother that details the horrendous bullying that Zach went through before he was faced with a viscous attack. This is why there is such a high need for these programs and advocacy for our kids.

No child should ever have to go through anything like this. We need to do better as parents, school administrators and all around human beings.

Victim of LGBT Bullying in Ohio School Tells His Story | American Civil Liberties Union (aclu.org)

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Becky Collins and her gay son Zach describe a pattern of LGBT bullying that lead to a brutal attack. ACLU of Ohio is representing Zach and Becky to protect Zach and other LGBT students from bullying.
The Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA) would ban discrimination and harassment based on a students sexual orientation or gender in all U.S. public schools.
Tell Congress to pass SNDA. Go to:
http://action.aclu.org/snda

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Victim of LGBT Bullying in Ohio School Tells His Story

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Jump to navigation Skip navigation Urgent: Support our response to COVID-19 Your gift will fund our critical work to protect voting rights, demand that vulnerable people in prisons, jails and immigration detention centers be released, and fight to ensure reproductive health care remains open and accessible to all who need it.

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SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. This is what is going to be used in order to achieve the program goals. What we want is a decrease in the bullying of LGBTQ school community by 10% no later than 07/01/22. With that being said we will not stop there obviously we want he numbers as close to zero as possible so we will keep striving to increase that decrease.

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Results from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) show that, nationwide, more U.S. high school students who self-identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) report having been bullied on school property (32%) and cyberbullied (26.6%) in the past year than their straight peers (17.1% and 14.1%, respectively). The study also showed that more LGB students (13.5%) than straight students (7.5%) reported not going to school because of safety concerns. Students who identified as "not sure" of their sexual orientation also reported being bullied on school property (26.9%), being cyberbullied (19.4%), and not going to school because of safety concerns (15.5%). (CDC,2019)

These statistics are way too high, and it has been hidden for so long that now it is an overwhelming problem. This is what needs to be stopped and it starts with everyone involved educating themselves and learning how they can do their part.

The program will include not only one on one support but also support groups. Not just one group but I think it would be highly beneficial to have not only peer support groups but family support groups as well. The addition and implementation of LGBTQ school activities. The goal is education, advocacy and support.

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M 2. Sense of acceptance, respect, support and inclusion for self and others in the school environment

M 4. Self-confidence in ability to succeed

B 1. Responsibility for self and actions

B 7.  Effective coping skills

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In this situation there are several stakeholders that would need to be involved in the program in order to make it successful.

1. Students
2. Parents/Siblings
3. Teachers/Administrators
4. Friends/Classmates

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) .  Retrieved from CDC releases 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results | Adolescent and School Health | CDC

LGBTQI+ Youth | StopBullying.gov

American School Counselor Association. (2019a). ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.

American School Counselor Association. (2013). School counselor leadership: The essential practice (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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The 2019 YRBS results present a promising picture for some behaviors and experiences among high school students; however, other areas reveal that teens are still engaging in behaviors that put them at risk.

While these health risk behaviors vary by sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation and grade, the 2019 YRBS results show that there is more work to do to help all teens create lifelong healthy behaviors.

The adolescent years are an ideal time to develop healthy behaviors. In the United States, schools play a central role in promoting the health and safety of young people. Each day, the nation's schools provide an opportunity for roughly 56 million students to learn how to stay healthy and practice skills to help establish lifelong healthy behaviors. Unhealthy behaviors, or risk behaviors, are often established during childhood and persist into adult¬hood. However, they are largely preventable.

YRBS Results

CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System monitors priority health risks and experiences among high school students across the country. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) results help in understanding risks that contribute to the leading causes of death and disability among youth and young adults.

This YRBS report also provides an important pre-COVID snapshot of the health of American youth. The 2019 YRBS results will serve as a baseline for years to come as we understand the impact of COVID and help adolescents recover from the effects, both mental and physical, of the COIVD 19 pandemic.

Sexual Risk Behaviors

In the 2019 results, the percentage of high school students who have ever had sex declined from 46% in 2009 to 38% in 2019. The percentage of students who had four or more sexual partners also declined from 14% in 2009 to 9% in 2019. Unfortunately, condom use among students having sex also decreased from 61% in 2009 to 54% in 2019, presenting a serious health risk for STDs, including HIV. This decline follows a period of increased condom use throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.

Drug Use

The 2019 YRBS results also found that 7% of U.S. high school students reported current prescription opioid misuse, and 14% reported misusing prescription opioids at least once in their lifetime-a behavior that can lead to overdose and other poor health outcomes. Students who reported current prescription opioid misuse, also commonly reported current use of other substances including marijuana and alcohol, as well as current binge drinking.

Violence and Mental Health

Other factors have been shown to be linked to sexual risk behaviors that can lead to HIV and STDs. These include experiences of violence and poor mental health. Nationally, 25% of students reported being bullied, 8% students reported physical dating violence, and 11% reported sexual violence. During 2019, 19% of students reported seriously considered attempting suicide, 16% made a suicide plan, and 9%made a suicide attempt. Attempting suicide was highest among females (11%), black non-Hispanic students (12%), and students who identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (23%.)

What YRBSS Monitors

CDC's YRBSS is the only surveillance system designed to monitor a wide range of priority health behaviors and experiences among representative samples of high school students at the national, state, and local levels.

National, state, and local surveys are conducted every 2 years among high school students throughout the United States. More than 13,000 U.S. high school students participated in the 2019 national YRBS. The report includes national YRBS data and data from surveys conducted in 44 states, 28 large urban school districts, 3 territories, and 2 tribal governments.

What CDC Is Doing to Help Reduce the Prevalence of Health Risks among Students

While schools are critical in helping students reduce health risks, families and communities have an equally important role to play in making sure the nation's youth stay healthy now and into adulthood. Research shows that schools and families can protect against risks by increasing connectedness. Families can do this by staying engaged in their adolescents' daily lives and talking to their adolescents about their values. Schools can do this by building environments that are safe and provide connectedness for all students, delivering evidence-based health education with a focus on building skills for healthy decision-making, and connecting students to necessary health services.

We all have a role to play in helping youth become healthy, thriving adults. Families, schools, community organizations, and youth must work together to help address and reduce risks to the health of our nation's young people.

CDC and partners work on multiple levels to address these protections - including funding, implementing, and evaluating programs that address many of these risks and protective factors. CDC works with other federal agencies, national nongovernmental organizations, and departments of education, health, and social services to -

Identify and monitor critical health events, youth behaviors, and related school policies and programs.

Summarize and apply research findings to increase the effectiveness of interventions.

Provide funding and assistance to help plan, implement, and evaluate interventions that reduce risks and promote healthy practices.

Monitor the progress made toward achieving national health objectives.

Page last reviewed:

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The 2019 YRBS results present a promising picture for some behaviors and experiences among high school students; however, other areas reveal that teens are still engaging in behaviors that put them at risk. While these health risk behaviors vary by sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation and grade, the 2019 YRBS results show that there is more work to do to help all teens create lifelong healthy behaviors.

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Students are the first priority so they need to obviously be involved and willing to adapt and be open and honest.

Parents/Siblings are a crucial part of the students support system, their involvement would help the transition from school to home so there is a consistent improvement.

Teachers/Administrators need to be involved to help reinforce the actions that are put in place within the program. They are also crucial in the development of advocating for these students.

Friends/classmates need involvement so they can understand the issue. Even people that love and care for you may not understand the entire situation and triggers of the student. With this being said their education on the subject is vital.

All in all it is all about education and support. All students need a strong support system but everyone's needs are different when it comes to what type of support is helpful. By implementing this program we can educate everyone involved and create a solid support system for not only our students but everyone involved