TABLE 2. Trends in the prevalence of violence victimization and suicide risk behaviors among high school students, by self-identified sexual identity — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2015–2019*.
| Health risk behavior | Main effect |
2015 |
2017 |
2019 |
Linear trend |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aOR (95% CI) | % (95% CI) | % (95% CI) | % (95% CI) | Beta | p value† | |
|
Violence victimization
| ||||||
| Feeling unsafe at school (past 30 days) | ||||||
| Lesbian, gay, or bisexual |
1.98 (1.70–2.30) |
12.5 (10.2–15.3) |
10.0 (8.1–12.3) |
13.5 (11.0–16.5) |
0.0619 |
0.60 |
| Heterosexual |
1.0 (Ref.) |
4.6 (3.9–5.4) |
6.1 (5.1–7.3) |
7.5 (6.3–8.9) |
0.3749 |
0.00 |
| Threatened or injured with a weapon at school (past 12 months) | ||||||
| Lesbian, gay, or bisexual |
2.09 (1.80–2.43) |
10.0 (7.9–12.7) |
9.4 (7.4–11.8) |
11.9 (9.3–15.2) |
0.2463 |
0.12 |
| Heterosexual |
1.0 (Ref.) |
5.1 (4.5–5.9) |
5.4 (4.8–6.0) |
6.3 (5.5–7.3) |
0.1629 |
0.02 |
| Bullied at school (past 12 months) | ||||||
| Lesbian, gay, or bisexual |
2.10 (1.87–2.37) |
34.2 (29.6–39.0) |
33.0 (27.4–39.0) |
32.0 (29.5–34.6) |
–0.0847 |
0.28 |
| Heterosexual |
1.0 (Ref.) |
18.8 (17.3–20.3) |
17.1 (16.1–18.2) |
17.1 (15.7–18.7) |
–0.0800 |
0.10 |
| Electronically bullied (past 12 months) | ||||||
| Lesbian, gay, or bisexual |
1.94 (1.72–2.20) |
28.0 (24.0–32.3) |
27.1 (23.1–31.4) |
26.6 (23.3–30.2) |
–0.0775 |
0.43 |
| Heterosexual |
1.0 (Ref.) |
14.2 (13.1–15.3) |
13.3 (12.4–14.4) |
14.1 (12.9–15.4) |
–0.0047 |
0.92 |
| Physical dating violence (past 12 months) | ||||||
| Lesbian, gay, or bisexual |
2.06 (1.77–2.40) |
17.5 (14.4–21.2) |
17.2 (14.3–20.5) |
13.1 (10.5–16.1) |
–0.2264 |
0.04 |
| Heterosexual |
1.0 (Ref.) |
8.3 (7.5–9.3) |
6.4 (5.8–7.1) |
7.2 (6.2–8.3) |
–0.1448 |
0.047 |
| Sexual dating violence (past 12 months) | ||||||
| Lesbian, gay, or bisexual |
2.08 (1.69–2.57) |
22.7 (18.0–28.2) |
15.8 (12.3–20.1) |
16.4 (12.7–20.9) |
–0.2420 |
0.15 |
| Heterosexual |
1.0 (Ref.) |
9.1 (8.2–10.0) |
5.5 (4.8–6.3) |
6.7 (5.9–7.5) |
–0.2785 |
<0.001 |
| Forced sexual intercourse (lifetime) | ||||||
| Lesbian, gay, or bisexual |
3.31 (2.90–3.77) |
17.8 (14.4–21.8) |
21.9 (19.0–25.0) |
19.4 (16.2–23.1) |
0.0650 |
0.59 |
| Heterosexual |
1.0 (Ref.) |
5.4 (4.6–6.4) |
5.4 (4.7–6.2) |
5.5 (4.9–6.2) |
0.0200 |
0.82 |
|
Suicide risk behaviors
| ||||||
| Persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness (past 12 months) | ||||||
| Lesbian, gay, or bisexual |
3.60 (3.22–4.03) |
60.4 (55.1–65.4) |
63.0 (59.5–66.5) |
66.3 (62.2–70.2) |
0.1566 |
0.13 |
| Heterosexual |
1.0 (Ref.) |
26.4 (24.6–28.4) |
27.5 (25.9–29.2) |
32.2 (30.8–33.7) |
0.1949 |
0.00 |
| Seriously considered attempting suicide (past 12 months) | ||||||
| Lesbian, gay, or bisexual |
4.51 (4.07–4.99) |
42.8 (38.4–47.3) |
47.7 (43.7–51.8) |
46.8 (43.1–50.6) |
0.0936 |
0.26 |
| Heterosexual |
1.0 (Ref.) |
14.8 (13.7–15.9) |
13.3 (12.5–14.3) |
14.5 (13.4–15.7) |
–0.0242 |
0.62 |
| Made a suicide plan (past 12 months) | ||||||
| Lesbian, gay, or bisexual |
4.28 (3.84–4.77) |
38.2 (34.0–42.6) |
38.0 (34.5–41.7) |
40.2 (36.6–44.0) |
0.0646 |
0.45 |
| Heterosexual |
1.0 (Ref.) |
11.9 (10.8–13.1) |
10.4 (9.3–11.7) |
12.1 (11.1–13.1) |
0.0031 |
0.96 |
| Attempted suicide (past 12 months) | ||||||
| Lesbian, gay, or bisexual |
4.54 (3.89–5.28) |
29.4 (25.7–33.3) |
23.0 (18.6–28.0) |
23.4 (20.0–27.1) |
–0.1901 |
0.06 |
| Heterosexual |
1.0 (Ref.) |
6.4 (5.6–7.3) |
5.4 (4.6–6.4) |
6.4 (5.6–7.4) |
–0.0148 |
0.85 |
| Suicide attempt requiring medical treatment (past 12 months) | ||||||
| Lesbian, gay, or bisexual |
3.78 (3.02–4.73) |
9.4 (7.3–12.1) |
7.5 (5.7–9.8) |
6.3 (4.8–8.3) |
–0.2852 |
0.07 |
| Heterosexual | 1.0 (Ref.) | 2.0 (1.5–2.7) | 1.7 (1.4–2.1) | 1.7 (1.4–2.2) | –0.1197 | 0.40 |
Abbreviations: aOR = adjusted odds ratio; CI = confidence interval; Ref. = referent group.
* Logistic regression models were used to assess linear trends in the prevalence of violence victimization, and indicators of suicide risk among lesbian, gay, or bisexual students and heterosexual students for 2015–2019, controlling for sex, race/ethnicity, and grade.
† Statistical significance is defined as p<0.05 or a 95% CI that does not include 1.0.