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Inequality and discrimination are the most unfair things in the world as they make people suffer because of their identities. Teenagers and high school students are especially vulnerable to such injustice because they are more sensitive to the world around them, and bullying that is common in schools only exacerbates the situation. For this reason, LGBTQ + students who face the issues recognizing their personality and sexuality, and at the same time, experience stress due to inequality, are more prone to substance abuse. Therefore, in this paper, we will consider the problem of inequality for LGBTQ + representatives in high school and the problem of smoking, drinking, and violence that it causes.
Inequality and discrimination against LGBTQ + people exist in high school, and it is often accompanied by bullying from other children and also administrative measures of adults. For example, there are laws in eight U.S. states that prohibit LGBTQ + people from being teachers (Thoreson, 2016). At the same time, LGBTQ + children more often receive insults, restrictions on their activities, and even physical threats, which increases the level of stress. This injustice forces these students to turn to alcohol abuse, smoking, and violence to protect themselves or forget about their concerns (Brown, 2017). In the short term, this behavior leads to study problems, exam failures, and even going to jail or death. In the future, it threatens severe physical and mental health problems, as well as the inability to normalize life. This trend is becoming less noticeable with a gradual increase in the tolerance of society, but it still appears at a level noticeable for concern.
Discrimination against LGBTQ + people has existed since ancient times; however, levels of its manifestation and inequality were various depending on the historical era and the state. In the United States, discrimination flourished in the 1960s and 1980s, when homosexuality was considered a psychological deviation, and later, society considered the LGBTQ + community as the cause of AIDS (Hegarty, 2017). Today, the equal rights movement has made significant progress as people are less afraid of expressing their sexuality, sexual preferences, or non-binary gender, and many states allow same-sex marriage and the adoption of children. However, discrimination against LGBTQ + is still widespread at both the routine and legal levels.
These features are also transmitted to high schools and students who already determined their sexual preferences and gender, but at the same time, are vulnerable to public opinion. The second aspect manifests itself in adolescents in different ways, since some students may succumb to the homophobic ideas of their parents or friends by adopting stereotypes and hatred about LGBTQ + people. Others are representatives of the minority who suffer from a wrong attitude towards them. However, in the situation with the first group of students, they can also lose their bias and stereotypes if the policy of the school is friendly and equal for all people.
Nevertheless, many high school students annually report various manifestations of discrimination against them, which can be displayed in insults, rejections, as well as physical violence from other students. For example, in some schools, LGBTQ+ children are not allowed in shared toilets or locker rooms of their gender (Thoreson, 2016). Besides, often offensive statements affecting sexuality are used as a joke to adolescents who do not know or do not belong to a minority, which adds aggression and a negative context to the non-straight sexualities (Parent et al., 2019). This behavior is a common manifestation of bullying, which is another serious problem at schools, since many children with any differences often become victims of more popular or stronger students. At the same time, LGBT + students are the most frequent target of discrimination and inequality from their peers, which puts extreme pressure and stress on them.
Moreover, inequality is most pronounced when the school or state administration supports laws that restrict any rights and freedoms of LGBTQ + students. Such restrictions can be a ban on participation in any competitions or events; for example, a transgender person cannot be a contestant in Miss School or even a member of a basketball team. Besides, many schools use laws that prevent teachers and students from discussing homosexuality in sex education classes and even literature, which creates a lack of information (Thoreson, 2016). Many states also still do not have laws that prohibit discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation, which also gives freedom to create unequal conditions. In addition, many teachers also insult LGBTQ + students or their parents or do not respond to discriminatory actions by students (Parent et al., 2019). One student noted that when her classmates insulted her gay father, the teacher also laughed, which hurt her feelings significantly (Thoreson, 2016). Consequently, there are many ways of expressing inequalities to LGBTQ + people at school that can combine or exist separately, causing stress and discomfort to the students.
Multiple studies have shown that this inequality causes stress in young people and increases the chances of alcohol abuse, smoking, and violence. Parent et al. (2019) notes that direct stresses such as harassment and bullying at school are major factors that increase the risk of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use. However, these factors can also be supplemented by pressure from the rejection of family or school policies. Huebner (2015) also notes that such discrimination encourages LGBTQ + students to become members of divine groups and resort to violence more often. Such violence can also be a consequence of the constant exposure to substances, or as a defensive reaction to harassment. In addition, alcohol and drug abuse also lead to higher chances of unprotected and random sexual intercourses because adolescents are exposed to substances, which also threatens their health and safety (Parent et al., 2019). Consequently, the inequality and discrimination against LGBTQ + students in high school harm their mental, emotional, and physical health due to the high level of stress and abuse of various substances that it causes.
At the same time, researches also demonstrate that a friendly school climate with support and equal treatment of all students reduces the risk of deviant behavior. For example, Coulter et al. (2016) compared the LGBT climate in schools and their impact on heavy episodic drinking days of homosexual and heterosexual students. Scientists concluded that an affirmative school climate reduces the number of drinking days for homosexual students (Coulter et al., 2016). There are also scholarly works that study in more detail the parameters of the school climate and its impact on LGBTQ + students. Taylor (2018) explored how the strategies of policing, resistance, and queering influence student victimization, and concluded that the third strategy promotes an inclusive community, reduces inequality and bullying against LGBTQ + children. In the study, an example of such an approach is the organization of a drag-event, or a fashion show, in which students participate, and teachers help with the organization (Taylor, 2018). Therefore, one may note by linking these two studies that school administration policies aimed at creating a positive climate in schools reduce the risks of substance abuse and violence among LGBTQ+ students.
More specific measures should also be taken to reduce inequalities in schools and combat the health problems that they cause. First, states must eliminate discriminatory laws, such as no promo homo, and enact laws that restrict discrimination (Thoreson, 2016). School administrations need to revise their policies and make equal conditions for participation in competitions, alliances, or activities for all students, as well as to conduct classes or events promoting equality and LGBTQ + friendliness. In addition, teachers and school psychologists need to be more attentive to student complaints of harassment and react to cases of abuse or violence. Psychologists should also respond to symptoms and help LGBTQ + students who are faced with substance abuse problems. This approach helps establish a friendly school climate and gradually eliminates inequalities among administrators, teachers, and students.
In conclusion, discrimination against LGBTQ + students in high school leads to such health issues of young people as alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse, and violence. Such inequality can be expressed as administrative prohibitions on the participation of LGBTQ + students in social events and discussion of the topic of homosexuality, as well as in aggression, intimidation, and physical threats of other students. Constant pressure and stress, as well as lack of support, increase the risks of substance abuse. For this reason, the primary goal of the state and school administration is to review policies and laws to create a friendlier school climate and reduce inequality. These steps contribute to improving the mental and physical health of adolescents among LGBTQ + and straight communities.
References
- Brown, C. S. (2017). Discrimination in childhood and adolescence: A developmental intergroup approach. Psychology Press.
- Coulter, R. W., Birkett, M., Corliss, H. L., Hatzenbuehler, M. L., Mustanski, B., & Stall, R. D. (2016). Associations between LGBTQ-affirmative school climate and adolescent drinking behaviors. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 161, 340347.
- Hegarty, P. (2017). A recent history of lesbian and gay psychology: From homophobia to LQBT. Routledge.
- Huebner, D. M., Thoma, B. C., & Neilands, T. B. (2015). School victimization and substance use among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adolescents. Prevention Science, 16(5), 734743.
- Parent, M. C., Arriaga, A. S., Gobble, T., & Wille, L. (2019). Stress and substance use among sexual and gender minority individuals across the lifespan. Neurobiology of Stress, 10(100146). 1-9.
- Taylor, N. N. (2018). Misfits and the celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth at a high school in the United States. Journal of Research Initiatives, 4(1), 1-22.
- Thoreson, R. (2016, December 3). Like walking through a hailstorm. Discrimination against LGBT youth in US schools. Human Right Watch.
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