Your input needed please.

[Debbie]

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_health_story_skin/474791?format=html

"Students need support around sexuality



Feb 18, 2005

Secondary schools are being urged to do more for homosexual students in the light of data which suggests one in 12 students do not identify as exclusively heterosexual.

At the request of the Aids Foundation, Auckland University researchers have gone back and analysed what nearly 10,000 students had to say about their sexuality in a general health and wellbeing survey in 2001.

The results show just over 700 students identified as being gay, bisexual, unsure of their sexuality, or not attracted to either sex.

Among those students almost 25% reported significant depressive symptoms, about a third said they didn't think they would live to age 25, and 15% had attempted suicide in the previous year.

Smaller, but equally concerning, numbers reported feeling unsafe or being bullied at school."

What sort of support or ways to help these students can you think of?
What helped you as a teen or would have helped you feel supported?

My no 1 thought is how important it is that the teens feel supported/accepted by their parents, family and society.

Sadly that doesn't always happen.

 

[SweetSurrendered1]

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_health_story_skin/474791?format=html

"Students need support around sexuality



Feb 18, 2005

Secondary schools are being urged to do more for homosexual students in the light of data which suggests one in 12 students do not identify as exclusively heterosexual.

At the request of the Aids Foundation, Auckland University researchers have gone back and analysed what nearly 10,000 students had to say about their sexuality in a general health and wellbeing survey in 2001.

The results show just over 700 students identified as being gay, bisexual, unsure of their sexuality, or not attracted to either sex.

Among those students almost 25% reported significant depressive symptoms, about a third said they didn't think they would live to age 25, and 15% had attempted suicide in the previous year.

Smaller, but equally concerning, numbers reported feeling unsafe or being bullied at school."

What sort of support or ways to help these students can you think of?
What helped you as a teen or would have helped you feel supported?

My no 1 thought is how important it is that the teens feel supported/accepted by their parents, family and society.

Sadly that doesn't always happen.

The only thing that comes to my mind immediately is having sex counselors at school. Preferably both a man and a woman. These counselors could be there for all students, without regard to sexual preference and could be helpful for everyone. I'm sure many parents would even have a problem with this, unfortunately. But if kids had an "expert" with whom they could discuss fears, birth control, techniques, "normalcy" (let's face it, being normal is so important to teenagers), etc., I think it could make a big difference in the confusion and/or depression of many of the teens described above. I am interested to hear other suggestions as well.