School Environment Is Related to Lower Health and Safety Risks Among Sexual Minority Middle and High School Students.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between school involvement and connectedness with measures of sexual risk, substance use, and experience of violence among students who had sexual contact with the same sex or with both sexes.

METHODS

A sample of middle school and high school students who participated in a study conducted in a large urban school district were selected based on their reported experience of having initiated sexual activity with same-sex partners. In classroom-based surveys, we assessed self-reported involvement in school-based activities and feelings of school connectedness, as well as self-reported sexual risk, substance use, and experience of violence.

RESULTS

Significant protective associations were found between school involvement and lifetime alcohol and marijuana use, and between school connectedness and ever having been in a fight, feeling safe at school, and drug use other than marijuana (all p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that efforts to increase school involvement and connectedness provide a starting point for addressing significant health and safety concerns among students with same-sex sexual activity.