Outproud Survey (2000): Six Anti-Gay Hasassments and Suicide Attempts

Gay / Lesbian Youth Suicide Problems in Australia / New Zealand?

Gay / Bisexual Youth Suicide Problems in Europe?

(For Printing, Table 9; Pour imprimer, Tableau 9)

Adolescents harassed in school (or on the way to and from school) because they are assumed to be gay, lesbian, or bisexual are also at greater risk for suicidality; their general relative risk for increasingly serious suicide behaviors is a result of both the Oregon (1999) and Wisconsin (1999) Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (Tables 7, 8). These negative outcomes, however, are the most pronounced for adolescent males. In the Oregon survey, males harassed because they were presumed to be homosexually oriented are 5 and 7 times more at risk for being multiple suicide attempters, and for a suicide attempt(s) associated with having received medical attention, and they account for 33% and 35% of suicide attempters in these categories, respectively. Females are also negatively affected by such harassment, but to a lesser degree than males are at risk, compared to their respective counterparts.

In the Wisconsin survey, males "threatened or hurt" (a more serious form of harassment than simply "having been harassed") based on presumed homosexual orientation are 11 times more at risk for being multiple suicide attempters and attempting suicide resulting in having received medical attention, and they account for about 40% of suicide attempters in these categories. About 20% of females in the same suicide attempt categories were harassed on the basis of one's presumed homosexual orientation.

Table 9 - Outproud 2000 Survey Results on the basis of Ethnicity
For Gay and Bisexual Males, 13- to 18-Years-Old: Incidences,
Odds and Risk Ratios for "Attempting Suicide" Associated
with Any Harassment in Six Categories, and
in Three Selected Grouped Categories
444

Categories	Harassed Attempters / Non-attempters Attempters = %F	Non-Harassed Attempters / Non-attempters Attempters = %F	Odds Ratio Risk Ratio Harassed / Non- Harassed 95% CI	Pearson's Chi Square
Harassment in One to Six Categories: Addition of the Three Grouped Categories Below.	A: 213 / 391 35.3% W: 171 / 321 34.8% C: 42/ 70 37.5%	77 / 401 16.1% 68 / 300 18.5% 9 / 101 8.2%	2.1<2.8<3.8 1.7<2.2<2.8 1.7<2.4<3.2 1.5<1.9<2.4 3.1<4.6<9.0 2.3<6.7<14.7	X² = 51.8, p = .0000 X² = 27.8, p = .0000 X² = 27.0, p = .0000
Harassment in Any One of Six Categories	A: 67 / 200 25.1% W: 48 / 158 23.3% C: 19 / 42 31.2%	77 / 401 16.1% 68 / 300 18.5% 9 / 101 8.2%	1.2<1.8<2.6 1.2<1.6<2.1 0.88<1.3<2.0 0.91<1.3<1.7 2.1<5.1<12.1 1.8<3.8<7.9	X² = 8.9, p = .003 X² = 1.9, p = 0.17 X² = 15.1, p = .0001
Harassment in Two or Three Categories	A: 87 / 149 36.9% W: 73 / 128 36.3% C: 14 / 21 40.0%	77 / 401 16.1% 68 / 300 18.5% 9 / 101 8.2%	2.2<3.0<4.4 1.8<2.3<3.0 1.7<2.5<3.7 1.4<2.0<2.6 2.9<7.5<19.5 2.3<4.9<10.3	X² = 38.5, p = .0000 X² = 22.2, p = .0000 X² = 20.1, p = .0000
Harassment in Four to Six of Six Categories	A: 59 / 42 58.4% W: 50 / 35 58.8% C: 9 / 7 56.2%	77 / 401 16.1% 68 / 300 18.5% 9 / 101 8.2%	4.6<7.3<11.6 2.8<3.6<4.7 3.8<6.3<10.4 2.4<3.2<4.2 4.3<14.4<14.7 3.2<6.9<10.3	X² = 83.0, p = .0000 X² = 58.3, p = .0000 X² = 26.4, p = .0000

A = All Males ---- W = White Males ---- C = Males of Colour

How many times have you... because you are, or were thought to be, queer?

1. ...been verbally insulted (yelled at, criticized) - 2. ...been threatened with physical violence - 3. ...had an object thrown at you - 4. ...been punched, kicked or beaten - 5. ...been threatened with a knife, gun or another weapon - 6. ...been attacked sexually (forced to have a sexual experience, raped) - 7. ...has someone threatened to tell someone else that you are queer?

Answers: (1) Never, (2) Once, (3) Twice, (4) Three or more times.