In addition to telling them ‘It Gets Better’ when they are older, what can be done to make it better now for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth in classrooms?

In the 1980s, the average age youth self-identified as gay or lesbian was 19-21 for men and 21-23 for women. New research confirms today’s youth are becoming aware of their sexual orientation or gender identity between ages 11-13 and are coming out around age 15, already a difficult and confusing time for most youth.

Self-identification at an earlier age can expose LGBT youth to bullying and rejection at home and at school. The 2007 National School Climate Survey of 6,209 LGBT students, conducted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, found that 86 percent were verbally harassed at their school because of their sexual orientation. Nearly half had been physically harassed because of their sexual orientation and 61 percent felt unsafe at their school. Transgender youth face even higher rates of harassment and rejection.

In their new book, LGBT YOUTH IN AMERICA’S SCHOOLS, released this month from The University of Michigan Press, Jason Cianciotto and Sean Cahill tackle issues relating to the education, health and safety of LGBT youth. Through an accessible review of social science research and original policy analysis, combined with profiles of LGBT students who challenged anti-LGBT prejudice in their schools and communities, the authors describe the public policies and school-based practices that can make schools safe for LGBT youth, and help them build the strength and resiliency they need to reach their full potential.

"This book includes practical, common-sense solutions that can help schools become safe and affirming institutions of learning for all students," explains co-author Jason Cianciotto, a researcher and policy analyst with over a decade of experience advocating for the health, safety and well-being of LGBT people. "Teachers, school administrators, parents, and political leaders have a moral and legal obligation to stop school bullying, which is so often based on students’ real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity."

Progress has been made over the past decade. In 2000, only two percent of students in public schools were protected by inclusive anti-bullying laws. By 2010, that number has grown to 39 percent.

"We know what factors increase LGBT youth’s vulnerability to disparities in health and school performance, and what policy interventions can decrease this vulnerability," says co-author Sean Cahill, a member of the Massachusetts Commission on GLBT Youth, a researcher at The Fenway Institute, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at New York University. "For example, gay-straight alliances in schools and family acceptance at home are resiliency factors that correlate with lower rates of suicidal ideation, substance use, and HIV risk behavior among LGBT youth. We can make schools safe places in which all students can learn if we implement the proven policies we describe in our book."

Cianciotto and Cahill’s recommendations for policy change include passing the Student Nondiscrimination Act and the Safe Schools Improvement Act, which would outlaw bullying, including harassment, based on real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

The authors favor the rejection of abstinence-only-until-marriage sex education programs in favor of those that eschew anti-gay content and regressive gender stereotypes and provide comprehensive, age-appropriate information about how to prevent the transmission of HIV and other STDs.

They also contend educators must acknowledge that transgender youth exist in schools and accept that they have a legal obligation to support and protect these students regardless of how they choose to express their gender identity.

While topics such as marriage equality, anti-LGBT hate crimes, and adoption by same-sex couples continue to grab news headlines, Jason Cianciotto and Sean Cahill remind readers to remember the youth affected by these human rights struggles in schools across the country. The educational foundation we offer these students today will impact the success of their, and our, tomorrow.