1. Department of Sociology
LGB students in secondary schools: Results of a survey study in Flanders
Saskia Aerts Mieke Van Houtte Alexis Dewaele
Department of Sociology

2. Research problem International research
Bullying and discrimination of LGB students in secondary schools
Heteronormative school environment
Have an impact on:
Well-being and mental health
School careers and future success in life

3. Research problem Situation in Flanders
Belgium as an LGB friendly country
Positive attitudes toward LGBs
BUT:
Heteronormativity in secondary schools
Negative attitudes among secondary school students

4. Research problem
Research question
How do LGB students in Flemish secondary schools experience their school careers?
 We compare school careers and experiences of LGB and heterosexual students

5. Research problem Sense of school belonging School motivation
Focus
Sense of school belonging
School motivation
School performance
Homonegativity in the technical and vocational tracks

6. Research problem Online survey 1745 secondary school students: Sample
90.4% heterosexual (N: 1517)
4.4% bisexual (N: 88)
5.2% homosexual/lesbian (N: 74)

7. Research problem Results
Lesbian and bisexual girls have a slightly lower sense of school belonging
Lesbian girls are slightly less motivated to perform
Lesbian girls are more likely to fail
Students from technical and vocational tracks are more homonegative, but LGB students in these tracks do not perceive more bullying

8. Research problem

9. Research problem
Interaction effect

10. Research problem Conclusion Vulnerable position of lesbian girls:
Girls internalize distress more
Invisibility of lesbians in society
Social relations are more important for girls
Lesbian girls experience other kinds of discrimination
Gender role can be a disadvantage for some lesbian girls
Girls struggle more with their sexual orientation

11. Research problem
Current research
In-depth interviews with 17 LGB secondary school students:
Find out how they experience their school career
Look for the stories behind the figures
Find explanations for the vulnerable position of lesbian girls

12. Research problem First results
Sexual orientation has a stronger influence on the school performance of girls, but only in the discovering period
Boys more often felt different than the other boys before they were aware of their sexual orientation
Boys saw their sexual orientation more as something given, while same-sex attractions for girls were more social and situational in nature
Girls perceived the period between first awareness and self-acceptance/disclosure as harder and more often denied their sexual orientation

13. Research problem Interested in more?
Aerts, S., Van Houtte, M., Dewaele, A., Cox, N., Vincke, J. (2012), Sense of belonging in secondary schools: A survey of LGB and heterosexual students in Flanders. Journal of Homosexuality, 59, 1, p
Other articles: on demand

14. Thanks for your attention!
Saskia Aerts Mieke Van Houtte Alexis Dewaele
Department of Sociology