Sexual-orientation disparities in school: The mediational role of indicators of victimization in achievement and truancy because of feeling unsafe
Abstract Objectives: We examined sexual-orientation identity disparities in truancy and academic achievement, and the mediational role of victimization in a large high-school sample. Methods: We utilized pooled data, measuring sexual identity, from the 2005 and 2007 Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System Surveys. Multilevel logistic regression modeling estimated the odds of low grades and truancy because of feeling […]
The success of gay–straight alliances in Waterloo Region, Ontario: A confluence of political and social factors
Abstract This article outlines how gay–straight alliances (GSAs) work to connect youth with community resources, and outlines the political and social context of GSAs in Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Fifteen individuals (youth, teachers, and a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer [LGBTQ] youth service provider) participated in interviews about the role of GSAs in creating […]
Buried above ground: A university-based study of prevalence and risk/protective factors for suicidality among sexual minority youth
Abstract This study examined differences in suicidal behavior between lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) and non-LGBTQ university students as well as investigated the importance of risk and protective factors in the prediction of suicidality between these two groups. A total of 1,205 university students participated in the survey. Findings show, compared to non-LGBTQ […]
Our right to choose: Religious conservatives versus LGBTQ-inclusive schools
The “gay agenda” is a rhetorical strategy deployed by the religious right and other social conservatives to magnify fear and hostility of queers. Queers are accused, among other things, of strategizing to recruit children into sexually deviant lifestyles; dismantling family and marriage as cornerstones of civilization; and forcing the entertainment industry and court systems to […]
Evaluation of North Shore Public Health Nurses’ Child and Youth School-Linked Practice
As a means to improve youth health, the BC Government introduced the Healthy Schools Strategy, based on a comprehensive school health framework. In Vancouver Coastal Health, the North Shore Public Health Nursing Child & Youth Team developed plans to provide school nursing in all 12 public high schools in West Vancouver and North Vancouver (School […]
Capturing the wisdom and the resilience: How the Pinnacle Program fosters connections for alternative high school students
The Pinnacle Program is a joint partnership between the Vancouver Board of Education and the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD–the Provincial Ministry responsive for child protection) which provideg low barrier access for youth who wish to complete their Secondary School Graduation Certificate (Dogwood Diploma or Adult Dogwood Diploma). Many of the youth who […]
Health for the World’s Adolescents: A Second Chance in the Second Decade of Life
The achievements since the 1989 World Health Assembly Resolution on the health of adolescents underpin this report. It synthesizes the progress made and the many lessons learned about rectifying the misconceptions about adolescent health, developing consensus on core indicators, better analysing the available data, strengthening the evidence base for effective interventions across a range of […]
From Hastings Street to Haida Gwaii: Provincial results of the 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey
The 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey was administered to almost 30,000 public school students across the province. It provides a comprehensive look at the health of youth aged 12–19. This is the fifth time students have been asked to complete the survey since 1992, and the regional coverage was the highest yet. Fifty-six of the […]
Population-level evaluation of school-based interventions to prevent problem substance use among gay, lesbian and bisexual adolescents in Canada
Abstract Objective: This study examined whether students’ odds of recent substance use were lower in the presence of gay-straight alliances or explicit anti-homophobia policy that had been established at their school recently, or at least 3 years prior. Methods: We analyzed a population-based sample of students in grades 8 through 12 from the British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey of 2008 (weighted N = 21,708). We […]
Sexual health and risk behaviour among East Asian adolescents in British Columbia
Abstract Despite the large number of adolescents of East Asian origin in Canada, there is limited research on sexual health among this population. A first step to develop strategies for sexual health promotion for adolescents is to document the prevalence of sexual behaviours. This study estimated the prevalence of sexual health and risk behaviours among […]
