- Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents aged 10–19 years old in the United States (U.S.).
- Among young people in the U.S., sexual minority youth (SMY), i.e., young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer or unsure, or who report same-sex attractions or behaviors, are significantly more likely to report suicidal ideation and attempts than are heterosexual youth (HY).
- Several theories have been developed to explain health disparities among sexual minority populations. Chief among these is Minority Stress Theory.

Justification for this Study

- Data from the 2011 Chicago Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a 98-item questionnaire administered to 1,907 students in Chicago public high schools was used.
- In the 2011–2012 academic year, 85.7% of CPS students identified as African
American or Latino (84.9% in 2014–2015).
- Participation by students was voluntary and parental permission was obtained according to local procedures. 


Study Participants

- The 2011 Chicago YRBS was analyzed for several reasons. 
- First, it assessed both sexual identity and multiple forms of victimization, including victimization that is specific to sexual orientation/gender identity. 
- Chicago is one of the most segregated cities in the U.S.,42 and enrollment in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) reflects this segregation. 
- In 2010, CPS enacted an anti-bullying policy and Illinois state had a bullying prevention law that protected both sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.
- The 2011 data are the first Chicago YRBS survey to be completed after these policies were passed.

Study Methodology

- Relevant Study Descriptives
- Reports of Suicidality
- Reports of Harassment and Abuse
- The Role of Sexual Orientation
- Trends in Skipping School

Results of this Study

- This study has several limitations. 
- First, causal inferences cannot be made given cross-sectional data and the Chicago
YRBS may not generalize to other locations.
- Second, all incidents of victimization are self-reported. Previous research has shown that victimization is largely underreported, thus these results may underestimate the association between victimization and suicidal ideation and behaviors. 
- Third, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and unsure adolescents were combined due to sample
size restrictions but previous research with pooled YRBS data has shown differences in victimization and suicidal ideation and behaviors between sexual minority groups.

Limitations of the Study

- Although SMY experience higher rates of victimization than do HY, school-based victimization that involves weapons or is due to one’s SO/GID appear to be the most deleterious. 
- That SMY may skip school to reduce their risk of suicidal ideation and behaviors is problematic, and schools should be encouraged to enact and enforce policies that  explicitly protect SMY from victimization.

Study Conclusions

- Sexual minority youth (SMY) are at higher risk for victimization and suicide than are heterosexual youth (HY). 
- Relatively little research has examined which types of victimization are most closely linked to suicide, which is necessary to develop targeted prevention interventions. The present study was conducted to address this deficit.

Arizona State University

Suicidal ideation, thoughts and attempts.

Suicidality

Bouris, A., Everett, B. G., Heath, R. D., Elsaesser, C. E., & Neilands, T. B. (2016). Effects of victimization and violence on suicidal ideation and behaviors among sexual minority and heterosexual adolescents. LGBT Health, 3(2), 153–161. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2015.0037

Effects of Victimization and Violence on Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors Among Sexual Minority
and Heterosexual Adolescents

- Evidence suggests that lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people are more likely to attempt to take their own lives in their youth when compared to heterosexuals. 
- This study draws on in depth interviews with 17 LGBT individuals living in England, and explores the narratives used by participants to better understand their perceptions of risk and protective circumstances to explain suicide attempts in youth.

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