Common Challenges LGBTQ+ Youth May Experience At School And How To Help

In today’s world, those with marginalized identities—such as members of the LGBTQ+ community—are often the targets of discrimination, harassment, and barriers to receiving supportive services. Queer youth are one population that research suggests are at higher risk of negative mental health impacts due to such experiences—particularly at school. Below, we’ll discuss some common challenges that LGBTQ+ youth may face in school settings, their potential mental health effects, and ways that parents and school administrators may support the well-being of school-aged queer youth.

Contextualizing the challenges queer youth may face at school

The threats that exist in a world that’s often misunderstanding of and even hostile toward LGBTQ+ individuals can show up in schools as well. Whether they’re due to school or government policies, individual teacher or staff member biases, or peer treatment, identity-based challenges at school can be deeply impactful to queer youth. Because of their gender identity or sexual orientation, they may face bullying from fellow students and discrimination from faculty. While there are many other potential obstacles for queer youth in school settings, we’ll focus on these two and their potential mental health impacts below.

Keep in mind also that queer students with intersecting identities—that is, multiple marginalized identities—may experience additional challenges with bullying and discrimination at school. For example, a student who identifies as queer and as a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color) may be at risk of experiencing both homophobic/transphobic and racist harassment or discrimination at school.

Bullying and harassment of LGBTQIA+ youth in schools

Many LGBTQ+ students experience bullying based on their queer identity. Bullying can encompass a wide range of behaviors, from verbal harassment, sexual harassment, and physical violence to harmful pranks, cyber-bullying, and purposeful social exclusion.

According to research on the topic, queer youth are targets of such behaviors with dangerous frequency. A 2024 survey done by the Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to preventing suicide and promoting mental well-being among queer youth, indicates the following:

• Almost 49% of LGBTQ+ young people (13–17) have been the target of bullying in the past year alone.
• Queer youth who have experienced bullying have “significantly higher” rates of attempting suicide in the past year than those who did not experience bullying.
• 35% of LGBTQ+ teens report having experienced online bullying in the past year.
• 7% of LGBTQ+ youth who experienced bullying at school changed schools because of
  the severity of the harassment.

Discrimination against queer youth at school

In addition to bullying from other students, queer children and teens may also be targets of discriminatory treatment from school faculty, administration, or staff. An older report released by Human Rights Watch highlights several common ways in which school policies may marginalize, exclude, and silence LGBTQ+ youth on the basis of their identity. Per this report, queer students reported being:

• Denied admittance to school events
• Prevented from organizing queer affinity or support groups at school
• Misgendered
• Denied educational resources about safe sex and LGBTQIA+ topics

Some teachers may even participate in or tacitly encourage homophobic and transphobic mockery and peer victimization. Or, even if teachers and faculty are supportive of their queer students, school-wide, statewide, or nationwide policies may penalize certain supportive actions, such as using a student’s preferred names and pronouns. Regardless of the reasons for or sources of discrimination, queer youth can be significantly negatively impacted by it.

Also consider the fact that only one in five LGBTQ+ youth are able to receive queer-inclusive sex education and fewer than one in seven have ever been taught about LGBTQ+ history at school. Even with teachers and staff who may support them individually, this broader discriminatory context can negatively affect the mental health, safety, and well-being of queer students at school.

The mental health of queer students today

Bullying, discrimination, and other forms of harm queer young people may face at school have the potential to contribute to significant mental health challenges. Here are some statistics on the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth according to a 2023 report by the Human Rights Campaign:

• Almost half of queer youth report feeling unsafe in at least one school setting.
• Queer young people experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and maladaptive coping mechanisms like substance use than non-LGBTQ+ youth.
• 55.1% of queer youth surveyed screened positively for depression.
• Transgender and gender-expansive youth are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, high stress levels, and difficulty coping with stress than LGBQ+ peers.

What can schools do to support lesbian, gay, trans, and other queer youth?

Experts believe that systemic and societal changes are needed in order to make schools and other environments safe for queer youth and adults alike. In the meantime, there are certain measures that schools may be able to take to better support their LGBTQ+ students. For example, a 2020 literature review suggests that high school students in schools with more LGBTQ+ positive climates may be at significantly lower risk of depressive symptoms and suicidal thinking. Some examples of some changes that schools can make to promote these positive climates include the following.

Implementing anti-bullying policies

Educators may sometimes be skeptical that school policies can have a meaningful impact on bullying. However, studies indicate that rules forbidding bullying based on sexual orientation do lead to safer schools and lower levels of LGBTQIA+ harassment.

Investing in the proper training for teachers and staff

The presence of supportive adults can make a major difference in mental health outcomes for young people who are facing challenges. While some educators may not feel equipped to support queer adolescents, there’s training that can help. Research suggests that counselors with more education in LGBTQ+-specific topics are more confident in offering as well as more likely to offer support to queer students.

Allowing and encouraging queer-centered student organizations

Student-led organizations promoting LGBTQ+ acceptance, such as gay-straight alliances (GSAs), can provide resources and a sense of community for queer youth. Studies indicate that they also appear to help reduce the frequency of homophobic bullying and discriminationin educational environments. By allowing and encouraging the formation of these types of groups in their schools, administrators may be able to help foster better outcomes for queer students.

Providing relevant sexual and mental health education

Student instruction on topics such as sexual health often fail to address the unique needs and experiences of queer youth. The available research suggests that changing this could be key to improving health outcomes among queer young people. Experts have shared that a lack of LGBTQ+ inclusive sex education can lead to negative sexual health outcomes for queer individuals, and that inclusive sex ed can be affirming “and in some cases, life-saving.”

Adopting explicit anti-discrimination policies

Clear direction from school administrations may help prevent discriminatory behavior from faculty and staff. Policies explicitly prohibiting unequal treatment based on sexual orientation or gender identity may help protect queer youth in the classroom and other school settings. 

How parents may help promote their child’s safety at school

While a parent can’t control what their queer child’s experiences at school will be like, they may be able to take certain steps to promote the child’s safety and mental health there. Below are a few ideas.

Create a safe home environment

According to research, youth who have an affirming family environment and family acceptance tend to have substantially better mental health outcomes than those who experience family rejection. Love, acceptance, and safety at home seem to help protect against depression, harmful substance use, risky sexual behavior, and negative health outcomes in LGBTQ+ youth.

Advocate for inclusive training policies at your child's school

It may also be important to engage with your child’s school, making it clear to educators that you expect them to implement inclusive policies and advocating for this as much as possible. One older survey indicates that one of the most common reasons why teachers hesitate to adopt queer-friendly education is that they’re afraid parents will object. By making your voice heard in favor of a more welcoming school climate, you may be able to help steer local schools toward policies that protect queer children.

Receiving therapeutic support for the stress of parenting

Parenting can be a stressful experience at times—and even more so if your child is facing challenges out in the world due to who they are. Meeting with a mental health care provider like a therapist can be a crucial form of support for parents, including those with queer children. An inclusive therapist can help caregivers cope with stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges that may arise while helping them build skills to be the most supportive parent they can be.

For caregivers who have a busy schedule, online therapy might be more convenient than having to commute to and from in-person therapy appointments each week. With a platform like BetterHelp, you can get matched with a licensed therapist and then meet with them virtually, from home, work, or anywhere else you have an internet connection. Research suggests that online therapy can be equally effective as in-person therapy in many cases.

Therapy options for lesbian, gay, trans, and other queer youth

If your child is facing unfair treatment or other challenges at school and/or is showing signs of a mental health condition, connecting them with a therapist can be an important next step in many cases. An inclusive therapist can help your child build confidence in their identity and develop healthy coping mechanisms for the challenges they may be facing. If your child is between the ages of 13 and 19 and would prefer online therapy, providers are available (with parental consent) for them to meet with remotely through a platform like TeenCounseling.