The Facts: t t t t t t t
EmPower Urself People who are bullied have a greater chance of harming themselves or others around them harassment and bullying has been linked to 75% of school shooting incidents, including Columbine kids who are bullied are five times more likely to be depressed bullied boys are four times more likely to become suicidal, bullied girls are eight times more likely to become suicidal suicide is the second leading cause of death among Oklahoma’s youth between the ages of 10-19 young people who are bullied and at risk of attempting suicide are LGBTQ or those perceived to be Gay, lesbian and bisexual youth are two to three times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual counterparts
The Problem: “While trying to deal with all the challenges of being a teenager, gay / lesbian / bisexual and transgendered teens additionally have to deal with harassment on a daily basis. They hear anti-gay slurs such as “homo”, “faggot” and “sissy” about 26 times a day or once every 14 minutes” (Counseling Today, September 1998). One school study in 2002 reported that students who have been harassed or attacked at a school because someone perceived them to be gay or lesbian are more than six times as likely as their peers to report having carried a gun to school in the past month (Public Health – Seattle & King County). The reality is that there is a significant need to provide anti-bullying training to students and school faculty emphasizing the prevalence of bullying toward LGBTQ youth and its ramifications on this vulnerable population. The mental health and education, not to mention physical well-being, of LGBTQ youth are at risk and something must be done about it. The Program: Bullying creates an atmosphere of tension and intolerance for all students and would like school staff, administrators and teachers to consider a group of students who are frequently left out of anti-bullying policies: gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBTQ) youth or those that are perceived to be. These students face issues at schools that are a threat to their mental health; furthermore it is our belief that this is one factor in Oklahoma’s high adolescent suicide rate. For young people struggling to come to grips with a sexual orientation other than heterosexual, Oklahoma is a rugged environment in which to “come out”. While the number of suicides among GLBTQ youth is difficult to measure accurately, some researchers contend that as many as 1 in 3 suicides may be attributed to the fear and self-hatred that often accompanies coming to understand one’s self as gay in a hostile, anti-gay environment. EmPower Urself is a program designed to increase awareness of and sensitivity to GLBTQ youth bullying and create an atmosphere at school that is intolerant of this behavior by any student, staff, teacher or administrative official. This program is geared to equip school officials with the resources to identify bullying when it occurs, intervene appropriately, and facilitate an equal opportunity for GLBTQ youth, or those perceived to be GLBTQ, to thrive in the classroom. How it Works: A Group of students who are identified as (GLBTQ) as well as other students whom want to participate will begin EmPower Urself by conducting a survey and discussions as to what kind of bullying they see specifically in their school. They will spend a semester putting together a presentation, where at the end of the school year the students will present this information to faculty and staff at their own school to give their teachers and principals an idea of what really goes on in the halls in attempts to raise awareness of what actually is happening.