Perception of Environment by LGBT Students on a College Campus

Abstract

Bullying is a serious problem that affects the educational experience of students throughout the country. Among those at highest risk for being bullied include students identifying themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). These students are prone to experiencing verbal abuse through the use of homophobic remarks (Patrick et al., 2013). Mistina Brown completed a study in 2011 that examined the wording on the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network's (GLSEN) Local School Climate Survey (LSCS) and found that excluding certain words had a significant impact on participants' responses. The present study sought to build upon those findings and determine if LGBT students on a college campus perceive a more homophobic environment than students identifying themselves as straight. The results of regression analysis indicated that sexual orientation affects the frequency of types of homophobic remarks heard. Yet, there was not a significant difference in the overall frequency of homophobic remarks heard by heterosexual versus homosexual individuals.