Associations Between School Absence and School Violence by Sexual Identity

Sexual minority youth are disproportionately exposed to school violence compared with their heterosexual peers. It is unknown whether the associations between school absence and exposure to school violence vary by sexual identity.

In 2021, data were combined from the 2015, 2017, and 2019 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys to produce nationally representative samples of U.S. high-school students who identified as gay/lesbian (n=1,061), identified as bisexual (n=3,210), were not sure of their sexual identity (n=1,696), or identified as heterosexual (n=35,819). Associations were examined between 3 school violence exposures (being threatened/injured with a weapon at school, being bullied at school, and being in a physical fight at school) and school absence due to safety concerns. In each sample, multivariable logistic regression models were used to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios adjusted for sex, race/ethnicity, grade, current substance use, being offered/sold drugs at school, feeling sad/hopeless, and suicidal thoughts. Adjusted prevalence ratios were considered statistically significant if 95% CIs did not include 1.0.

Exposure to school violence and school absence due to safety concerns were more prevalent among sexual minority students than among heterosexual students. Associations between exposure to school violence and school absence due to safety concerns were similar across sexual identity groups. For example, school absence was associated with being threatened/injured with a weapon at school among gay/lesbian (adjusted prevalence ratio=3.00), bisexual (adjusted prevalence ratio=3.66), those not sure (adjusted prevalence ratio=4.56), and heterosexual (adjusted prevalence ratio=3.75) students.

Associations between school absenteeism and school violence exist in each sexual identity group. Therefore, programs providing safe and supportive school environments may result in reduced absenteeism among all students.