A Comparison of Homeless LGB With Non-Homeless LGB Students: Substance Use in and Outside of School

• In Event: Poster Session 7
  In Poster Session: Human Development 1

Abstract

There are 1.3 million homeless students across the US, and a large portion of them are LGB students, yet little is known about this intersection and their risk behaviors on school grounds. Despite the documented risk for substance use among LGB youth and homeless youth, research remains scarce around their substance use on school grounds. Utilizing a state-based representative sample (N=31,538) to compare substance-use patterns among LGB homeless students and with their non-homeless LGB peers, findings demonstrate high rates of substance-use both off and on school-grounds among homeless LGB students. The results also show being homeless contributes to substance-use in school among LGB students. Findings are geared toward policy recommendations to advance the access of LGB homeless students to education.

Authors

• Hadass Moore, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

• Kris M. De Pedro, Chapman University