Aspiring for More:The Education Consequences of Bullying on Sexual and Gender Minority Youth (2014)

Undergraduate: Kevin Claybren

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Terri Phoenix
Department: Women's and Gender Studies

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Bullying and harassment within the K-12 school setting, based on research studies continues to be a problem with great consequences for the victims such as depression, suicidal thoughts, lower grade point averages, high truancy and high drop-out rates. There has been research exploring the bullying and harassment of students based on social identities such as race/ethnicity, ability status, gender/sex assigned at birth, gender identity &/or gender expression, and sexual orientation. While there has been some examination of the frequency of harassment and the impact of bullying and harassment on disparate aspects of identity in isolation, the reality is that people who hold multiple marginalized identities often experience harassment based on multiple identities. Far less research exists on the academic impacts of harassment based upon multiple intersecting identities simultaneously. This study attempts to address this gap in the literature by assessing the frequency and severity of harassment based on race/ethnicity, ability status, gender/sex assigned at birth, gender identity &/or gender expression, and sexual orientation and the role it plays on aspirations for pursuing higher
education. This voluntary,non-compensated online survey allows students to provide input on changes to schools, which will fosters an inclusive and safe environment that promotes academic success.