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UPDATED: Vermont Queer Youth Statistics
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| Risk Behavior | Heterosexual (n=7746) | Gay or Lesbian (n=94) |
Bisexual (n=286) |
not sure (questioning) (n=238) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Was bullied (during the past 30 days): |
15% | 34% | 31% | 30% |
| Safety belts use (never, rarely or sometimes wear): |
16% | 30% | 32% | 20% |
| Attempted suicide (during the past 12 months): |
4% | 26% | 29% | 10% |
| Skipped school because of feeling
unsafe on route to or at school (during the past 30 days): |
3% | 27% | 11% | 15% |
| Threatened or injured with a weapon
at school (during the past 12 months): |
6% | 30% | 14% | 15% |
| Physical fighting (during the past 12 months): |
26% | 41% | 45% | 34% |
| Smoked cigarettes (during the 30 days): |
15% | 40% | 45% | 19% |
| Binge drinking (during the past 30 days): |
23% | 39% | 34% | 20% |
| Marijuana use (during the past 30 days): |
21% | 46% | 40% | 23% |
| Inhalant use (during lifetime): |
10% | 38% | 36% | 21% |
| Cocaine use (during the past 30 days): |
4% | 30% | 16% | 10% |
| Injected drug use (during lifetime): |
2% | 23% | 12% | 10% |
| Vomited or took laxatives to control
their weight (during the past 30 days): |
4% | 17% | 17% | 17% |
| Heroin Use (during lifetime): | 2% | 24% | 12% | 10% |
The 2005 Vermont Department of Health/Education Youth Risk Behavior
Survey1
Overall this year, 7% of students described themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or questioning (LGBQ) (2005 YRBS Report, page 64).
| Reported Behavior2 | Engaged in same sex sexual intercourse (n=241) | Engaged in opposite sex sexual intercourse (n=2944) | Not Had Sex (n=6022) | Heterosexual (n=8547) | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Questioning (LGBQ) (n=416) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Was bullied3 (during the past 30 days): |
41% | 16% | 18% | 17% | 33% |
| Safety belts use (never, rarely or sometimes wear): |
45% | 29% | 9% | 16% | 30% |
| Attempted suicide (during the past 12 months): |
42% | 9% | 3% | 5% | 27% |
| Skipped school because of feeling
unsafe on route to or at school (during the past 30 days): |
27% | 7% | 2% | 4% | 15% |
| Threatened or injured with a weapon
at school (during the past 12 months): |
35% | 9% | 4% | 6% | 20% |
| Physical fighting (during the past 12 months): |
56% | 37% | 20% | 26% | 40% |
| Smoked cigarettes (during the 30 days): |
64% | 34% | 5% | 15% | 36% |
| Binge drinking (during the past 30 days): |
60% | 42% | 9% | 21% | 31% |
| Marijuana use (during the past 30 days): |
67% | 43% | 9% | 21% | 34% |
| Inhalant use (during lifetime): |
56% | 20% | 6% | 11% | 32% |
| Cocaine use (during the past 30 days): |
41% | 8% | <1% | 3% | 16% |
| Injected drug use (during lifetime): |
32% | 4% | <1% | 2% | 13% |
| Vomited or took laxatives to control
their weight (during the past 30 days): |
33% | 7% | 2% | 4% | 17% |
| Heroin Use (during lifetime): | 36% | 5% | <1% | 2% | 16% |
1: The Vermont Department of Health/Education Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) has been conducted every two years since 1985. This survey measures the prevalence of behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disease, and injury among youth. In 2005, school staff administered the YRBS to 31,617 eighth to twelfth grade Vermont students in 146 schools. Participation by both schools & individual students were completely voluntary. For the purpose of this report, data are based on a representative sample of 9,342 Vermont high school & middle school students. (2005 YRBS Report, page 1)
2: It is important to note that until 2005, the YRBS did not ask any questions about sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. So until this year, students' sexual orientation has been assumed based on who they report having had sex with. Obviously this has been not an entirely accurate way to assess the number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ) or queer students and their risk behaviors. This year, sexual orientation was asked & we therefore were able to pull the numbers on students who identified as heterosexual or lesbian, gay, bisexual or questioning (LGBQ). Please note that the survey still does not offer a way for transgender students to identify themselves, so there is still a gap in these stats. Also, this survey only surveys youth who are in public schools, thus failing to get information on homeless youth in Vermont, many of which are homeless due to their sexual orientation or gender variance.
3: This question was new this year, based on the recent legislation passed in 2004 in Vermont. Bullying was defined as occurring when, on many occasions, a student or group of students say or do unpleasant things to another student to make fun of, tease, embarrass, or scare him/her; or purposefully exclude him/her. Bullying can occur before, during, or after the school day; on school property, a school bus, or at a school sponsored activity. It is not bullying when two students of about the same strength and power argue or fight or when teasing is done in a friendly way. (2005 YRBS Report, page 10 & 11).