Substance use among transgender youth: associations with school-based victimization and school protective factors

Abstract This paper examines the extent to which transgender students’ experiences with school-based victimization and school protective factors contribute to or reduce substance use. We conducted secondary analyses of school-based victimization, school protective factors, and substance use of a subsample of transgender students from the 2013–2015 California Healthy Kids Survey. Results indicate that among transgender students, school-based victimization is a risk factor for substance use. School protective factors, including school connectedness and school adult support, were associated with a decreased likelihood of substance use among transgender students; for instance, higher levels of school connection were associated with a 30% decreased odds of past 30-day cigarette use (AOR = .70; 95% CI = .60–.82), above and beyond the key risk factor of school-based victimization. This study’s findings suggest that school educators, staff, and administration should receive training around transgender-inclusive practices, and schools should implement transgender-affirming education, programming, and services to improve school connection and school adult support for transgender students.

[1]  Nicholas P. Deputy,et al.  Prescription Opioid Misuse and Use of Alcohol and Other Substances Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2019 , 2020, MMWR supplements.

[2]  Brian A. King,et al.  Tobacco Product Use Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2019 , 2020, MMWR supplements.

[3]  L. O'donnell,et al.  Substance use among transgender and cisgender high school students , 2020 .

[4]  R. Benbenishty,et al.  School Climate, Deployment, and Mental Health Among Students in Military-Connected Schools , 2018 .

[5]  S. Russell,et al.  Transgender Youth Substance Use Disparities: Results From a Population-Based Sample. , 2017, The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.

[6]  K. D. De Pedro,et al.  Substance Use Among Transgender Students in California Public Middle and High Schools. , 2017, The Journal of school health.

[7]  H. Yoshikawa,et al.  Promoting Youth Agency Through Dimensions of Gay–Straight Alliance Involvement and Conditions that Maximize Associations , 2016, Journal of youth and adolescence.

[8]  J. Kosciw,et al.  The 2017 National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Youth in Our Nation's Schools. , 2016 .

[9]  Michael W. Arthur,et al.  Examination of Substance Use, Risk Factors, and Protective Factors on Student Academic Test Score Performance. , 2015, The Journal of school health.

[10]  A. McCormick,et al.  Gay-Straight Alliances: Understanding Their Impact on the Academic and Social Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning High School Students. , 2015 .

[11]  Michele L. Ybarra,et al.  Gender Minority Social Stress in Adolescence: Disparities in Adolescent Bullying and Substance Use by Gender Identity , 2015, Journal of sex research.

[12]  T. Neilands,et al.  School Victimization and Substance Use Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Adolescents , 2015, Prevention Science.

[13]  Nicholas A. Gage,et al.  School climate and bullying victimization: a latent class growth model analysis. , 2014, School psychology quarterly : the official journal of the Division of School Psychology, American Psychological Association.

[14]  Bryan N. Cochran,et al.  Reducing risk for illicit drug use and prescription drug misuse: High school gay-straight alliances and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. , 2014, Addictive behaviors.

[15]  Jonathan D. Cohen,et al.  A Review of School Climate Research , 2013 .

[16]  K. O. Sinclair,et al.  Gay--Straight Alliances Are Associated with Student Health: A Multischool Comparison of LGBTQ and Heterosexual Youth. , 2013 .

[17]  J. Kosciw,et al.  Putting the “T” in “Resource”: The Benefits of LGBT-Related School Resources for Transgender Youth , 2013 .

[18]  M. L. Hendricks,et al.  A conceptual framework for clinical work with transgender and gender nonconforming clients: An adaptation of the Minority Stress Model. , 2012 .

[19]  A. D’augelli,et al.  Aspects of Psychological Resilience among Transgender Youth , 2011 .

[20]  J. Grant,et al.  Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey , 2011 .

[21]  Noel A. Card,et al.  Gender-nonconforming lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth: school victimization and young adult psychosocial adjustment. , 2010, Developmental psychology.

[22]  Neal A. Palmer,et al.  The 2011 National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in Our Nation's Schools. , 2010 .

[23]  J. Kosciw,et al.  School Connectedness for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth: In-School Victimization and Institutional Supports. , 2010 .

[24]  Jonathan D. Cohen,et al.  School Climate: Research, Policy, Practice, and Teacher Education , 2009, Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education.

[25]  R. Benbenishty,et al.  Effects of Student Participation and Teacher Support on Victimization in Israeli Schools: An Examination of Gender, Culture, and School Type , 2007 .

[26]  F. Levine.  From the Desk of the Executive Director , 2005 .

[27]  R. Benbenishty,et al.  School Violence in Context: Culture, Neighborhood, Family, School, and Gender , 2005 .

[28]  Camille G Lee.  The Impact of Belonging to a High School Gay/Straight Alliance , 2002 .

[29]  N. Baden.  School Violence in Context. , 1995 .