What’s the Problem?  Because of the tremendous popularity of social media web sites and the ability to attack and belittle others from afar while online, both occurrences and reports of bullying have risen  Compounded with in-person instances of harassment, 77 percent of students reported being victims of bullying, according to an i-SAFE survey  Because of their sexual orientation, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students often do not receive aid or defense

Statistics of LGBT Harassment  Out of the student survey of million school- age LGBT youth in America…  77.9% report hearing epithets such as “faggot” or “dyke” from other students, while 18.8% have heard similar remarks from faculty and staff  84% report being verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation  65.3% report being sexually harassed because of their sexual orientation  39.1% report being physically harassed because of their sexual orientation

Statistics of LGBT Harassment  Due to this harassment, LGBT students are…  4.5 times more likely to skip school because they feel unsafe or unhappy  4 times as likely than their heterosexual classmates to attempt suicide  In addition, 1/3 of LGBT youth claim they dropped out of high school to avoid verbal and physical bullying as well as social ostracism

 And, according to the LGBT students surveyed, 82.9% reported that faculty and staff never or only occasionally intervene when they are harassed due to their sexual orientation

An Ethical Approach to Defending LGBT Students  Regardless of religious or social adherences, we should defend LGBT students from discrimination based on sexual preferences because of the categorical imperative  Developed by 18 th -Century German philosopher Immanuel Kant, the categorical imperative stresses that every action, to be deemed moral, must fulfill the following three requirements.

The Principle of Equal Respect  According to Kant, any action, to be considered ethical, must treat humans as ends rather than means.

Equal Respect as Applied to LGBT Students  Defending students from harassment based on their sexual preference adheres to this premise  To deny them protection because of one’s personal opinion of homosexuality or non- traditional lifestyle would be to use these students as a means to accomplish the end of voicing a sociopolitical opinion

The Principle of Freedom  According to Kant, any action, to be considered ethical, must regard the recipients of that action as free, rational, and responsible human beings.

Freedom as Applied to LGBT Students  Defending students from harassment based on their sexual preference adheres to this premise  If sexual preference is a choice, we must allow those who choose homosexuality the right to that decision because they are autonomous and logical  Not defending this choice hinders them from expressing a decision they have made after conscious deliberation  Wishing to change their decision, too, implicitly deems them unable to think and select a life for themselves

The Principle of Equal Worth  According to Kant, any action, to be considered ethical, must treat people as equally valuable despite differences.

Equal Value as Applied to LGBT Students  Defending students from harassment based on their sexual preference adheres to this premise.  By defending students from bullying based on their sexual preferences, we acknowledge that they have inherent worth simply because they exist—something all humans deserve  Regardless of one’s attitude toward a lifestyle, a person must be treated ethically because of humankind’s value of life

What Now?  To combat discrimination against our LGBT students, our campus can take either a formal or informal approach.

A Formal Approach  Adopt an institutional program in which teachers are trained and pass down information to students, such as the following:  Safe Schools LGBT-Focus  Ally Week  ThinkB4YouSpeak  Day of Silence  Safe Space Campaign  Changing the Game  No Name-Calling Week

An Informal Approach  Have teachers model respect for LGBT students through actions, such as  Establishing classroom guidelines about name-calling and addressing all name-calling immediately  Respecting all points of view and family structures  Integrating lessons on LGBT figures or stories into curriculum to celebrate or acknowledge the community  Posting a “Safe Zone” sign or other positive images of LGBT persons  Organizing or encouraging a Gay-Straight Alliance

Conclusion  Regardless of approach, focusing on the support of LGBT students through bullying is two-fold:  LGBT students will feel safe in their environment, increasing productivity in class  We will have acted morally and fulfilled our purpose as educators: to prepare all students for the future by growing their minds and souls

Works Referenced  Bullying Statistics. (2013). Retrieved April 29, 2014, from  Making Schools Safe for LGBT Students. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2014, from Students% pdf. Students% pdf  O'Keeffe, G. S., & Clarke-Pearson, K. Clinical Report−−The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families. Pediatrics. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from  Programs. (2014). Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from  Strike, K., & Soltis, J. (2009). The ethics of teaching. (5th ed.). New York: Teachers College, Columbia University.  Tips for Teachers: Ally Yourself with LGBT Students. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2014, from  Tips: What You Can Do To Make Schools Safer. (2001, April 5). Retrieved April 29, 2014, from