Creating Safe and Supportive Learning Environments

A Guide for Working With Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth and Families

Emily S. Fisher, Karen Komosa-Hawkins

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781136663383
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Psicologia
• Subtopic: Psicoterapia

The importance of creating safe spaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) students in the school environment cannot be overstated. It is one of the most prominent issues facing school professionals today, and its success has lasting, positive effects on the entire student body. Drawing on the expertise of researchers and practitioners, Creating Safe and Supportive Learning Environments provides a comprehensive examination of the topics most relevant for school professionals. The first section lays out the theoretical foundation and background school professionals need to understand the social and political trends that impact LGBTQ individuals, the development of sexual orientation and gender identity, risk and resilience factors, and the intersection of LGBTQ identity with other aspects of diversity. The second section explores topics critical for the development of safe, supportive school environments, including understanding legal and ethical mandates, training school personnel, addressing bullying and harassment, and developing inclusive classrooms. Special topics related to counseling LGBTQ students, supporting families of LGBTQ students, becoming an ally and advocate in the schools, and connecting with community resources are also covered.

CE credit isavailable to purchasers of this book at www.mensanapublications.com.

Part I

Theoretical Foundations and Background

1 Supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Students and Families

Emily S. Fisher

Today's schools are faced with many responsibilities that are above and beyond, yet related to, academics; they also must address students' social, emotional, and behavioral development. School professionals are expected to support all of these aspects of students' development, whether in the classroom, cafeteria, or counselor's office. Few topics in the school system elicit as strong a response from individuals in the school community as discussions related to sex, sexuality, and gender nonconformity. Feelings about these topics draw on people's family background and upbringing, personal experiences, religious beliefs, political orientation, and myriad other factors that shape one's morals and values. Some may think that these conversations have no place in the schools, but students who identify as or are identified by others as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) are at a significantly increased risk for academic, social, and emotional problems related to experiences of bullying, harassment, and discrimination at school. Similarly, parents who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) and their children report high levels of harassment and discrimination in the school system. Engaging in conversations about the topics of sex, sexuality, and gender nonconformity may cause discomfort and disagreement for some members of the school community, but these discussions are necessary first steps in making schools safe places where all students can learn, grow, develop, and maximize their potential.

Given that 10–20% of teenagers report engaging in some type of same-gender sexual experience (Eisenberg & Resnick, 2006; McFarland & Dupuis, 2003), it is highly likely that there are students in every secondary school who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning (LGBQ). Additionally, at some schools, there will be students who identify as transgender or engage in gender nonconforming behaviors. LGBTQ students report high levels of physical harassment, verbal harassment, and feelings of being unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation (Kosciw, Diaz, & Greytak, 2008). These experiences of discrimination at school, along with potentially negative experiences in family and community contexts, interact with the normal tumultuousness and stress of adolescence to place LGBTQ students at increased risk for substance abuse, encounters with law enforcement, depression, and suicide (Crothers, 2007; Eisenberg & Resnick, 2006; Espelage et al., 2008; Savin-Williams, 1994, 2001).

Families headed by LGBT parents also should be given consideration by the school community, as it is estimated that there are more than seven million children being raised in LGBT-headed households (Kosciw & Diaz, 2008). Given that it is commonly accepted that parental involvement in children's schooling is beneficial, and that it has been found that LGBT parents are highly involved in their children's education (Kosciw & Diaz, 2008), it is important for schools to implement processes that help all families feel welcome. Additionally, children from households headed by LGBT parents often experience feelings of invisibility, bullying, and harassment similar to that of students who identify as LGBTQ, and these students often are targeted because of their perceived sexual orientation and the sexual orientation of their parents (Fox, 2007; Kosciw & Diaz, 2008).

The experts who have contributed to this book make a strong case for all students to have their right to an educational environment free of harassment, bullying, and violence protected. Furthermore, it is the legal, ethical, and moral responsibility of every member of the school community to contribute to the education, growth, and development of all students. This book provides information for school professionals to help them create positive school environments that are supportive and inclusive of LGBTQ students and families.

Intended Audience

Every member of the school community must be held to the standard of equitable and ethical treatment of students. In a time when information is widely available, school professionals will find high quality resources to educate themselves and to address overt and covert forms of discrimination and prejudice within the school system. It is the responsibility of school professionals to be fully informed and equipped to not only prevent problems whenever possible, but also to respond appropriately when problems arise.

Administrators

In public schools, educators do not get to choose who they teach, and they must provide equal access to all aspects of the educational program for all students regardless of the educators' personal beliefs. School administrators are critical in guiding efforts to make schools safe, responsive, and inclusive for LGBTQ students and families. As the leaders of schools, administrators are charged with the task of implementing state and local laws and policies (and in the absence of such, creating site-level policies to address important issues). Additionally, administrators set the tone for the school community when it comes to communicating expectations for the treatment of LGBTQ students and families. Without support from administrators and other key stakeholders, school-wide efforts to ensure safe educational environments and inclusive practices will be met with limited success (Ervin & Schaughency, 2008). It has been suggested that school administrators take a proactive role in ensuring that schools are meeting the needs of LGBTQ students (Szalacha, 2003), as “good schools make deliberate attempts to shape school culture in positive directions” (Goodenow, Szalacha, & Westheimer, 2006, p. 575). Additionally, administrators may be found legally liable in instances when they do not act to ensure that LGBTQ students are granted equal access to safe schools (McFarland & Dupuis, 2003).

There are several key considerations for administrators in creating school environments to support LGBTQ students and families. First, administrators need to familiarize themselves with federal, state, and local policies related to the protection of LGBTQ students and families (Young & Mendez, 2003). Next, administrators should interpret these policies and create guidelines for how school personnel are expected to respond to bullying and harassment targeting LGBTQ students and the disciplinary action to be taken (Kosciw, Diaz, & Greytak, 2008; McFarland & Dupuis, 2003). Third, administrators can ensure that all school personnel receive professional development to create a common understanding of the needs of LGBTQ students and families and to teach them about school policies and expectations (Young & Mendez, 2003). Finally, administrators can enlist school psychologists, school counselors, and other school-based mental health professionals to help develop appropriate prevention and intervention programming to support LGBTQ students and students with LGBT family members (Crothers, 2007; Young & Mendez, 2003).

Teachers and Teaching Assistants

As the school professionals who spend the most time in direct contact with students, teachers and teaching assistants play a critical role in the experiences that LGBTQ students have in school. When LGBTQ students experience higher levels of supportiveness from teachers, they are more likely to have positive attitudes towards school and experience an overall greater sense of well being (Murdock & Bolch, 2005). Because teachers and teaching assistants are on the “front line” in the school (in classrooms, hallways, lunchroom, yard, etc.), they are most likely to hear derogatory comments being made, witness acts of harassment or bullying, and be approached by students who are victims or witnesses of bullying. At the same time, teachers and assistants are in the best position to intervene immediately when harassment and bullying occur and to refer victims and perpetrators to administrators for disciplinary action and to school-based mental health professionals for counseling, as appropriate.

Along with administrators, teachers work within district guidelines to plan and implement curriculum in all academic areas. Although there has been much attention paid to the importance of making curriculum more inclusive and responsive to learners from diverse backgrounds, the “lives, stories, contributions, and existence” (Chan, 1996, p. 22) of LGBTQ students and families typically are excluded from curriculum. Teachers, who are knowledgeable about students' developmental levels, can work to integrate images of LGBTQ individuals into the classroom curriculum through books and activities and, related to this, can create an atmosphere that is welcoming and inclusive of LGBT-headed families.

School-Based Mental Health Professionals

School psychologists, school counselors, and other mental health professionals working in the schools are in a unique position to promote school success for all students, particularly those at risk for academic, social, and emotional difficulties, including those who identify as LGBTQ. These school professionals can provide indirect support to LGBTQ students and families by working with school professionals, such as advising administrators in the development of policies and procedures, providing training and staff development activities for teachers and other stakeholders within the school community, and consulting with teachers to establish inclusive and responsive classrooms and curriculum (Crothers, 2007; DePaul, Walsh, & Dam, 2009; Fisher & Kennedy, 2012; Fisher et al., 2008). School-based mental health professionals also can directly support LGBTQ students by providing prevention, intervention, and counseling services for those students at risk for and already experiencing difficulties at school, as well as working with students who perpetrate bullying and harassment (Crothers, 2007; DePaul, et al., 2009; Fisher & Kennedy, 2012; Fisher et al., 2008; Whitman, Horn, & Boyd, 2007).

Scope of the Book

Drawing on the expertise of researchers and practitioners, this book provides a comprehensive examination of topics most relevant for school professionals related to LGBTQ students and LGBT-headed families. The book is divided into two sections. The first section provides the theoretical foundation and background school professionals need to work effectively with LGBTQ students and families. In Chapter 2, Judy Chiasson and Ronni Sanlo review historical and contemporary social and political trends impacting LGBTQ individuals. In Chapter 3, Omar B. Jamil, Gary W. Harper, and Douglas Bruce explore the development of sexual orientation and gender identity. Next, from a strengths perspective, Karen Komosa-Hawkins and G. Thomas Schanding Jr. offer an in depth review of risk and protective factors for LGBTQ individuals across contexts in Chapter 4, and Anneliese A. Singh discusses the unique experiences and needs of trans-gender and intersex students in Chapter 5. In the final chapter in this section, Chapter 6, Cirleen DeBlaere and Melanie Brewster examine the intersection of LGBTQ identity and other aspects of diversity.

With this deeper understanding of the background and context, the second section of this book then explores topics critical for the development of safe, supportive school environments for LGBTQ individuals. In Chapter 7, Asaf Orr and Karen Komosa-Hawkins provide a comprehensive examination of legal and ethical mandates impacting schools and school personnel. In Chapter 8, Joy S. Whitman addresses the current state of pre-service training programs and identifies strategies for providing professional development for school personnel. Dorothy L. Espelage and Mrinalini A. Rao review research and strategies to address harassment and bullying in Chapter 9, and Emily A. Greytak and Joseph G. Kosciw provide concrete methods of developing classroom curriculum that is representative of and responsive to LGBTQ students in Chapter 10. In Chapter 11, Alicia L. Fedewa and Ashley Candelaria explore issues related to making schools and classrooms more inclusive of LGBT-headed families. Grady L. Garner Jr. and Dennis M. Emano address affi rmative counseling for LGBTQ students in Chapter 12, and Caitlin Ryan and Stuart F. Chen-Hayes review research and strategies to best work with diverse families of LGBTQ students in Chapter 13. In Chapter 14, Robert A. McGarry discusses how school professionals can be allies and advocates for LGBTQ students. Finally, in Chapter 15, Kelly S. Kennedy provides information about developing Gay-Straight Alliances and accessing community resources to provide support for all students and families.

Terminology

Throughout this book, common terminology will be used. This terminology is what is currently viewed as acceptable and respectful within the community of individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning. It is important for school professionals to become familiar with and comfortable using this terminology, as this is an important first step in facilitating open communication and creating supportive, inclusive school environments.

Sex generally refers to the biological characteristics that make an individual male or female. Gender refers to the expression of masculinity or femininity. Related to this, gender identity refers to how an individual chooses to express gender and can be thought of on a continuum from highly masculine to highly feminine. Gender identity can be expressed through clothing, hair style, facial hair, and so on. Gender expression is considered flexible as styles change and an individual chooses to express ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• About the Contributors
• Part I Theoretical Foundations and Background
• Part II Applications in the Schools and Community
• Index