Contextual Factors Influencing the Relationship Between Bias-Based Bullying and School Belonging

• In Event: Bias-Based Bullying: The Implications of Multiple Forms of Discriminatory Victimization

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students routinely experience harassment and assault that make them feel like less valued members of their schools than non-LGBT students. It is important to assess the relationship between bias-based bullying, which targets differences in personal characteristics such as sexual orientation, and belonging for LGBT students, because school belonging is associated with positive outcomes, such as academic achievement and aspirations (Goodenow & Grady, 1993), Prior research suggests that school size influences school belongingness: small schools may more universally require involvement from students and hence might encourage belongingness; larger schools, on the other hand, might prompt alienation and anonymity and depress belongingness (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Meier, 1996). Locale also appears to influence belonging: the characterization of urban school environments as hostile might also manifest in low belongingness, whereas familiarity might prevail over potential prejudice in rural schools. These associations might operate differently for students stigmatized by sexual orientation, however. Large schools might offer protection rather than alienation if they allow LGBT students to locate social support and LGBT-related resources (Goodenow et al., 2006). Urban schools might promote a greater sense of belonging if they are located in areas more accepting of LGBT people. In addition, whereas being open about being LGBT tends to increase victimization, it also tends to increase school belonging. Thus, being “out” may influence the relationship between victimization and belonging, and in ways that interact with contextual factors like school locale.
This study relies on a national survey of 7,261 LGBT students aged 13-18. The survey collected information about demographic characteristics as well as about instances of bullying; being open about being LGBT (outness); feelings of belongingness; and school characteristics, such as locale and size. Hierarchical regression is used to examine the relationship among belonging, school context (locale and size), and individual experience (victimization and outness). Results show that rural (β=-.127, p<.001) and suburban (β=.060, p<.001) LGBT students report less belonging than urban students even when controlling for outness and victimization, and students in the smallest (β=.026, p<.05) schools report higher belonging than students in the largest schools. In addition, students in rural (β=.046, p<.01) and suburban (β=.036, p<.05) schools experience a weaker negative effect of victimization on belonging than urban students; meanwhile, though students in suburban (β=.032, p<.10) schools also experience a less strong positive effect of outness than students in urban schools.
These findings nuance prior understandings of contextual factors affecting school belongingness. For LGBT students, who experience substantial levels of bullying, being more open about one’s sexuality appears to promote belongingness and counteract some of the negative effects of victimization. This study also suggests that urban schools may promote greater belonging for LGBT students than rural schools; this general benefit of urban schools may also explain the stronger negative effects of victimization on belongingness that do occur in urban areas. Together, these findings suggest that LGBT students in small, urban schools experience the greatest belonging, especially when they are more open about and less victimized because of being LGBT.

Author

• Neal A. Palmer, GLSEN:Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network