NEW YORK — Today’s annual GLSEN Day of Silence will again call attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. In this light, parents, students and educators alike continue to be alarmed at unacceptably high levels of bullying that adversely affect environments at school, at home and online. For lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, those reported experiences again tell a harsh and unique perspective – in greater number of incidents of experienced bullying as well as their own recollections of bullying others.
Over half of all LGBT adults (52%) say they recall being bullied while at school, contrasted with 43% of all adults. Dr. Eliza Byard, GLSEN Executive Director, adds, “Once again, data confirms that LGBT people – as students and adults – are more likely to face bullying than their peers. Over our 25 years of work, we have made progress in reducing the extreme rates of bullying, harassment and violence that LGBT students face daily, but we must continue to close the gap. With every GLSEN program, initiative and campaign, our ultimate goal remains the same – we seek to ensure that the next generation of LGBT adults will report having had fewer experiences of bullying in childhood, and a greater climate of respect for all in their everyday lives.”
Strikingly, nearly a quarter (24%) of LGBT respondents state that they also bullied someone else while they were in school, compared with 10% of all adults. It’s significant to note that this finding underscores that those who were bullied themselves are 3 times as likely as those who weren’t bullied to admit that they bullied someone else. Bob Witeck, President of Witeck Communications, says, “It’s not surprising to learn that some individuals, including LGBT people who often are targets, can be found in both camps – as victims and also as perpetrators of bullying. Research suggests that hostile climates can reinforce vicious cycles of hurtful behaviors.”
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll® of 2,219 U.S. adults surveyed online between February 17 and 22, 2016. Complete results of this study can be found here.
Cyber bullying stands out
Nearly 9 in 10 (86%) adults agree technology has made it easier to bully someone. Strikingly, by nearly 2-1, 37% of LGBT adults say they encountered cyber bullying, when compared with 20% of all adults. LGBT adults who have experienced bullying also report higher than average incidents of physical bullying. Three-quarters (75%) say they have experienced physical harm when compared with 68% of all respondents.
Causes of LGBT bullying
While adults tend to recall many reasons for experiencing or witnessing bullying in school, LGBT adults report these causes as among those most frequent in their own experiences:
- Social awkwardness 64% (53% non-LGBT)
- Sexual orientation 53% (21% non-LGBT)
- Unusual qualities such as interests, fashion 52% (31% non-LGBT)
- Race/ethnicity 43% (33% non-LGBT)
- Non-conformance to gender stereotypes 39% (17% non-LGBT)
- Gender identity 26% (13% non-LGBT)
