Vero Beach Florida
Safe Schools
	Schools & Youth For the past three years, Safe Schools have been one of PFLAG's top priorities, locally and nationally. In 2000, PFLAG launched its multi-year "From Our House to the Schoolhouse" safe schools campaign.  We recognize that schools are "ground zero" in our efforts to curb homophobia. GLBT youth face unspeakable harassment and abuse in schools. What's more, young people are learning in schools that it's acceptable to hate GLBT people. The average high school student hears 25 anti-gay slurs daily; 97 percent of high school students regularly hear homophobic remarks. This harassment takes its toll: Gay students are far more likely to skip classes, drop out of school and/or commit suicide. Know Your Facts: Students Are NOT Safe in Schools In a study of students in public high schools, 97% report regularly hearing homophobic remarks from their peers. Source: Making Schools Safe for Gay and Lesbian Youth: Report of the Massachusetts Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, 1993. The typical high school student hears anti-gay slurs 25.5 times a day. Source: Carter, Kelley, "Gay Slurs Abound," in The Des Moines Register, March 7, 1997, p. 1.   In a 14-city study of gay, lesbian and bisexual youth, 80% reported verbal abuse, 44% reported threats of attack, 33% reported having objects thrown at them and 30% reported being chased or followed. Source: A. R. D'Augelli and S. L. Hershberger, Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth in community settings: Personal challenges and mental health problems, American Journal of Community Psychology 21:421, 1993.   In a study of 4,159 Massachusetts high school students, 31.2% identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual were threatened/injured with a weapon at school in the past year compared to 6.9% of their peers. Source: Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey (MYRBS), Massachusetts Department of Education, 1997.   In 73 schools in Washington State, 111 incidents of anti-gay harassment and violence have been reported in the past 5 years, with about 1/3 of these incidents serious enough to warrant possible criminal allegations. Source: The Don't Even Know Me: Understanding Anti-Gay Harassment and Violence in Schools: A Report On the Five Year Anti-Violence Research Project Of the Safe Schools Coalition of Washington State, 1999.   In Seattle, 34% of students identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual reported being the target of anti-gay harassment or violence at school or on the way to or from school, compared to 6% of heterosexual students. Source: The 1995 Seattle Teen Health Risk Survey. Over 8,400 Seattle high school students completed the survey.   In Michigan, 28% of school personnel surveyed determined their school environment emotionally unsafe for sexual minority youth. Source: 1997 survey of 300 superintendents, school counselors and psychologists in public and private schools in five Michigan counties, conducted by the Gay, Lesbian Straight Teacher's Network.   In a national survey, youth described being called lesbian or gay as the most deeply upsetting form of sexual harassment they experienced. Source: American Association of University Women, 1993. A total of 1,632 field surveys were completed by public school students, grades 8-11, in 79 schools across the U.S. They Are At Risk Studies on youth suicide consistently find that lesbian and gay youth are 2 - 6 times more likely to attempt suicide than other youth and may account for 30% of all completed suicides among teens. Source: Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Youth Suicide, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1989.   Service providers estimate that gay, lesbian and bisexual youth make up 20-40% of homeless youth in urban areas. Source: The National Network of Runaway and Youth Services. To Whom Do They Belong?: Runaway, Homeless and Other Youth in High-Risk Situations in the 1990's. Washington, D.C. The National Network, 1991.   In a study of 4,159 Massachusetts high school students, 46% who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual had attempted suicide in the past year compared to 8.8% of their peers, and 23.5% required medical attention as a result of a suicide attempt compared to 3.3% of their peers. The same study found 18.4% of the gay, lesbian and bisexual students had been in a physical fight resulting in treatment by a doctor or nurse compared to 4% of their peers, and 22.2% skipped school in the past month because they felt unsafe en route to or at school, compared to 4.2% of their peers. Source: Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey (MYRBS), Massachusetts Department of Education, 1997. PFLAG makes schools safer in ways nobody else can. As families, our voices carry tremendous weight in schools. And because PFLAG is in over 440 communities in the nation, our work is localized, reaching even some of the smallest schools in rural America. 25 Ways PFLAG Makes Schools Safer Every Day Meeting with school administrators Organizing and participating in sensitivity trainings for school personnel and students Supporting Gay/Straight Alliances Donating books on sexual orientation and gender identity to school libraries Participating in community Safe Schools Coalitions Meeting with school counselors Providing college scholarships to GLBT students Advocating for state legislation that protects GLBT students Writing letters to the editors of our local papers about Safe Schools issues Helping diversify schools' curricula Meeting with school nurses and other health workers Sponsoring proms for GLBT youth Forming and supporting community groups for sexual minority youth Speaking in colleges and universities to future teachers and school personnel Lobbying school boards for nondiscrimination policies that include sexual orientation Speaking out about Safe Schools issues in the broader community Filing lawsuits to ensure that our loved ones are safe in school Focusing our Safe Schools efforts on GLBT youth, as well as others perceived as "different" Supporting families whose GLBT loved ones committed suicide or ran away due to unsafe schools Participating in educators' conferences Monitoring schools' compliance with nondiscrimination policies Supporting GLBT teachers and staff, and advocating for fair personnel policies Running for school board seats or other elected office to make a difference from within Distributing research and publications on GLBT youth issues Working with PTAs and other groups              for more info see "From Our House to the Schoolhouse"     A Brochure for Educators     2001 Safe Schools Campaign     Safe Schools Resources Tips for Working with GLBT Youth An Open Letter from Judy Shepard