A Queer Day in Canada: Examining Canadian High School Students’ Experiences With School-Based Homophobia in Two Large-Scale Studies

Abstract

The goal of the study is to examine how location (nationally, compared to Canadian regions) is related to indicators of a hostile school environment for sexual minority youth, particularly when physical abuse is used as the outcome variable. Data representing 5,766 Canadian students were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate techniques. Results from the multivariate analyses showed that non-physical abuse was the most significant predictor of homophobically based physical abuse, for both LGBQ and non-LGBQ students. Findings reiterate the importance of considering the progression of harmful events as an escalation of violence as well as the need to view homophobic bullying as having a significant impact on all students. Finally, while the presence of homophobia is prevalent across all Canadian regions, there are, nevertheless, many regional differences, which could be used to inform region-specific action plans.

KEYWORDS:

• LGBQ youth
• sexual minority youth
• school climate
• bullying
• abuse
• victimization
• Canada

Notes

1. Kosciw et al.’s (2012) GLSEN study includes transgender participants, which is signified by the T in LGBTQ.

2. Analysis of the merged data set has been made possible by a small grant from Sexual and Gender Diversity: Vulnerability, Resilience, a Canadian research team financed by the Institute of Gender and Health (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) from 2006 to 2011.