Bullying

Another way you can advocate for your LGBT patients is to be knowledgeable about the laws surrounding bullying. Bullying laws vary according to state. This is especially true if such laws specifically prohibit bullying based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This is known as “enumeration.” Enumerated laws grant school authorities the power to prevent and to correct any bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Currently, 18 states and the District of Columbia have enumerated antibullying laws.¹⁴ If you live in a state that does not have an enumerated antibullying law, you can contact your state government officials to urge them to pass such a law.

Bullying has a powerful impact on the health and well-being of LGBT youth. Screen for bullying in your LGBT patients and work with schools and parents to protect them from such behaviors. Most importantly, advocate for creating a safe school environment for LGBT youth so that they can focus on their main job of learning and becoming a thriving adult.

Resources

• The website www.stopbullying.gov is a comprehensive resource for bullying and how to address it.

• Society of Adolescent Health & Medicine (SAHM) position statement on bullying (J Adolesc Health. 2005 Jan;36[1]:88-91).

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) position statement on bullying (Pediatrics. 2009 July. doi: 10.1542/peds.2009-0943).

• Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) information on enumerated antibullying laws by state (www.glsen.org/article/state-maps).

References

1. Bullying definition at www.stopbullying.gov.

2. Student Reports of Bullying and Cyber-Bullying: Results From the 2011 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey.

3. J Adolesc Health. 2014 Sep;55(3):432-8.

4. Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. Washington: National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 2011.

5. Can Fam Physician. 2009 Apr;55(4):356-60.

6. J Adolesc Health. 2016 Feb;58(2):S1-S2.

7. Pediatrics. 2003;111(6 Pt 1):1312-7.

8. Journal of Educational Psychology. 2000 Jun;92(2):349-59.

9. Prev Sci. 2015 Apr;16(3):451-62.

10. Dev Psychol. 2010 Nov;46(6):1580-9.

11. Roles for pediatricians in bullying prevention and intervention (www.stopbullying.gov/resources-files/roles-for-pediatricians-tipsheet.pdf).

12. J Adolesc Health. 2005 Jan;36(1):88-91.

13. Clark JP, Tilly, WD. The evolution of response to intervention. In: Clark JP, Alvarez, Michelle, ed. Response to intervention: A guide for school social worker. (New York: Oxford University Press; 2010:3-18).

14. Enumerated antibullying laws by state(www.glsen.org/article/state-maps).

Dr. Montano is an adolescent medicine fellow at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and a postdoctoral fellow in the department of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh.