Gay-Straight Alliances are Associated with Lower Levels of School-Based Victimization of LGBTQ+ Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

J Youth Adolesc. 2016 Jul;45(7):1269-82. doi: 10.1007/s10964-016-0501-7. Epub 2016 May 24.

Abstract

Gay-straight alliances (GSAs) are school-based organizations for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth and their allies that often attempt to improve school climate for sexual and gender minority youth. This meta-analysis evaluates the association between school GSA presence and youth's self-reports of school-based victimization by quantitatively synthesizing 15 primary studies with 62,923 participants. Findings indicate GSA presence is associated with significantly lower levels of youth's self-reports of homophobic victimization, fear for safety, and hearing homophobic remarks, and these results are robust, controlling for a variety of study-level factors. The findings of this meta-analysis provide evidence to support GSAs as a means of protecting LGTBQ+ youth from school-based victimization.

Keywords: Bullying; Gay-straight alliances; LGBTQ+ youth; Victimization.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Review
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Bullying / statistics & numerical data*
  • Crime Victims / psychology*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Homophobia / prevention & control
  • Homophobia / psychology
  • Homophobia / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Male
  • Schools*
  • Self Report
  • Sexual and Gender Minorities / psychology*
  • Social Identification*
  • Students*