The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday released a “heartbreaking” new study which found that LGBTQ youths face significantly higher levels of violence than their heterosexual peers.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning teenagers are far more likely to experience violence and bullying, as well as depression and suicide, the CDC found in the first national study to address the health risks of sexual-minority youths.
Roughly 30 percent had been raped, and about 41 percent had been physically abused by a partner. At least a third said they had been bullied on school grounds, and respondents were twice as likely to have been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property—which in turn increased the number of times they skipped class because of safety concerns.
More than 40 percent said they had seriously considered suicide, and 29 percent said they had tried. Six percent said they had used heroin, compared to 1.3 percent of their straight peers.
“Anti-LGBTQ bullying and harassment have serious and heartbreaking consequences for young people and these numbers make that more clear than ever,” said Mary Beth Maxwell, senior vice president for research, training, and programs at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).
“This is a call to action to support and protect our young people. From the messages youth receive at their kitchen table, in their classroom, and on prime-time T.V., we all must do more to put an end to anti-LGBTQ stigma. Policymakers, for one, can start with the passage and implementation of local, state, and federal anti-bullying policies and nondiscrimination protections,” Maxwell said.
The study also marks the first time that the federal government’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey looked at sexual identity. About 8 percent, or 1.3 million high school students, identify as LGBTQ, the study found.
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