In October 12, 2010, Joel Burns made a public message towards the GLBT teens by sharing a personal story. He delivered an amazing message by sharing also those who’ve been victims of being portrayed as gay, bullying, and suicides. Inspiring the young GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender) teens that life does not end by the words of others who have an oppose mentality. Life does get better once you graduate high school, adventure throughout your adult life, finding someone you may last a lifetime, and building a foundation just like those individuals who singled you out for having different interest. “...that the things would get easier, please stick around, society will change, please live long enough to see it…”
These can also result to various forms of violence toward the LGBTQ individual from verbal and physical violence to neglect.
Many LGBTQ+ individuals still face discrimination, violence, and harassment, especially in countries where homosexuality is still criminalized. In some places, LGBTQ+ individuals can face imprisonment, torture, or even death. Despite these challenges, the LGBTQ+ community continues to fight for their rights and visibility. They have created spaces and events to celebrate their identities, such as Pride parades, LGBTQ+ film festivals, and drag shows.
LGB teens tend to suffer much more than heterosexual teens, due to them being a minority and being an easier target for bullying. Consequently, they are “at far greater risk for depression, bullying, and many types of violence than their straight peers” (Hoffman). Being LGB should not affect the level of bullying, yet the mental health of LGB people are still at risk. As a teen questioning my sexuality and growing up, I feel discouraged to explore myself and learn about myself when being different sexually leads to such bullying and ridicule. This is similar to Tituba in The Crucible, in the way that she was bullied for her efforts against witchery.
Over 90% of students who identify themselves as LGBTQ hear discriminating comments on a daily basis at school. People who are from this community have a bigger probability of being victims of hate crimes than any other minority group. This violence is made up of hatred and aggression towards the queer community. Despite personal opinions, everyone deserves to feel safe.
The effects of school-based support on sexual minority youth are well documented, notably, a recent study by Dr. Carol Goodenow, a Director of School Health Programs, suggests that perceived staff support lowered suicidality in LGBT youth (588). This means that schools that had some staff support had lower student suicide rates than schools that did not have staff
Everyone is affected by suicide teens could be confused, upset, angry, they might even think that they were the cause that the victim chose suicide. According to the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention-Suicide Greif in Children and Adolescents “this path can be especially confusing and frightening for children and teens who do not yet have the intellectual ability, the coping skills, and life experience to assist them in this process.” It is very hard for children to understand suicide let alone accept when someone has committed it, talking about suicide in school can help children recognize why the person did it, can take the blame off them and educate them on why suicide is bad and how it effects people around you. Additionaly after a suicide children may disclose they want to die as well. According to Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention-Suicide Greif in Children and Adolescents when children say this they don’t usually mean they want to die but that they want to see the victim again, especially if it was a family member or close friend.
LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Transsexual) youth homelessness makes up only 5 to 7 percent of the general youth population, yet up to 40 percent of youth experiencing homelessness. Many LGBTQ youth face harassment, victimization, violence, social stigma, rejection, and discrimination in their families, schools, employment, and social settings. LGBTQ identified youth ages 13 to 17, provides important information regarding how LGBTQ young people experience life in their communities. Nearly half of LGBTQ youth (47 percent) surveyed they do not “fit in” in their community, while only 16 percent of non LGBTQ youth reported feeling that way. 63 percent stated that they will need to move to another part of the country in order to feel accepted.
Suicide and Bullying Among LGBTQ Youth Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24 (CDC). Students who fall into the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, or questioning identity groups report being five times as more likely to miss school because they feel unsafe after being bullied because of their sexual orientation. LGB youth are 4 times more likely, and questioning youth are 3 times more likely, to attempt suicide as their straight peers (CDC). Nearly half of young transgender people have seriously thought about taking their lives, and one quarter report having made a suicide attempt (Grossman and D’Augelli). It is impossible to know the exact suicide rate of LGBTQ youth because sexuality and gender minorities
Undiagnosed people are failing to receive proper treatment and this could lead to suicide due to the constant negative thoughts that come with many mental illnesses. According to studies, "the suicide rate for girls ages 15 to 19 doubled from 2007 to 2015" (Holmes). Suicide rates are the highest they have been in 40 years. People seem to look over this simple yet astonishing fact. This is not only the wellbeing of students, their lives could be on the line.
Regular kids get bullied because they might be over weight or they are different then everyone else, these kids receive help as long as they ask for it. Some gay students might not get help because their counselor is against gays and imagine how their lives are going to be with a president who doesn't really accept being different. The counter side of my argument is that the LGBTQ community shouldn't have their own rights. They might say that it would take to much money and time to invest in their happiness.
Suicide prevention largely targets teenagers in hope to lower the numbers of suicides a year. Depression, anxiety and, stress are the leading causes of adolescent suicide. Depression is seen as something that all teenagers go through and that there is no reason to be alarmed when a teenager shows signs of
They continue to face the discrimination and exclusion in the world and violence. Like in EU, the same-sex couples and the opposite-sex couples have big difference because the same-sex couples do not enjoy their rights and protection compare to the opposite-sex couples. And same-sex couples suffer from discrimination and disadvantages in access to social protection scheme. Majority of LGBT hide their sexuality out of fear of losing their jobs. Youth LGBT are vulnerable.
How Do We Fight Youth Depression? In today’s world, depression is the first leading cause of adolescent suicides. It is a growing problem in our present society and is often a major contributing factor to one’s personality. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (of the US), one out of every four teenagers undergoes depression.
Suicide is the leading cause of death among gay and lesbian youths. Gay and lesbians youth are 2 to 6 times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youth or the straight people. Over 30% of all reported teen suicides each year are committed by gay and lesbian youths,
