LGBTQ bullying can happen in classrooms, hallways, and online, and it often targets students for sexual orientation or gender identity. In the 2021 survey, 59% of LGBTQ students reported feeling unsafe at school. The patterns vary by identity—transgender girls face 2x higher bullying rates than cisgender girls, while bisexual females report a 55% bullying rate. We also cover school climate, policy gaps, and how support and reporting can change outcomes.
Key Takeaways
- 30% of bullied LGBTQ students are gay males
- Transgender girls face 2x higher bullying rates than cisgender
- Bisexual females report 55% bullying rate
- 45% of bullied LGBTQ youth develop depression
- Bullied LGBTQ students 2.5x more likely to attempt suicide
- Anxiety disorders in 60% of victims
- 82% of LGBTQ youth experienced in-person bullying at school in the past year
- 59% of LGBTQ students felt unsafe at school due to their sexual orientation according to the 2021 survey
- 39% of transgender students reported being bullied based on gender identity
- Only 27% of schools have comprehensive anti-bullying policies for LGBTQ students
- Supportive staff reduces bullying by 33%
- GSAs (Gay-Straight Alliances) present in only 28% of schools
- Verbal harassment affected 81% of LGBTQ students
- Physical bullying was reported by 29.4% of LGBTQ students
- Cyberbullying impacted 42% of LGBTQ youth online
Most LGBTQ students face frequent bullying and verbal harassment, with many suffering depression or anxiety.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographic Breakdown26 stats
01
30% of bullied LGBTQ students are gay males
02
Transgender girls face 2x higher bullying rates than cisgender
03
Bisexual females report 55% bullying rate
04
25% of LGBTQ bullying victims are ages 13-15
05
Black LGBTQ students: 78% bullied
06
Rural LGBTQ youth: 65% higher risk
07
40% of victims are nonbinary youth
08
Lesbian students: 62% bullied
09
Asian American LGBTQ: 59% rate
10
Low-income LGBTQ students: 71%
11
Indigenous LGBTQ youth: 69%
12
35% of victims identify as queer
13
Middle school LGBTQ: 67% females affected
14
High school males gay/queer: 72%
15
Disabled LGBTQ: 74%
16
Immigrant LGBTQ students: 64%
17
Asexual youth: 57%
18
Pansexual students: 61%
19
White LGBTQ students: 58%
20
Hispanic/Latinx: 66%
21
Questioning youth: 52%
22
Trans boys: 68%
23
Overweight LGBTQ: 70%
24
Urban vs suburban: 60% urban higher
25
Foster care LGBTQ: 73%
26
College-bound LGBTQ: 54%
Interpretation
Demographic Breakdown Interpretation
Across the demographic breakdown, bullying affects certain groups far more, with Black LGBTQ students at 78% bullied and rural LGBTQ youth facing a 65% higher risk.
02 · Category
Health Impacts24 stats
01
45% of bullied LGBTQ youth develop depression
02
Bullied LGBTQ students 2.5x more likely to attempt suicide
03
Anxiety disorders in 60% of victims
04
PTSD symptoms in 35% of transgender bullied youth
05
Self-harm rates 3x higher (41%)
06
Eating disorders linked to 28% of cases
07
Sleep disturbances in 52%
08
Substance abuse risk 4x higher
09
70% report chronic stress from bullying
10
Lower self-esteem in 65%
11
Isolation leading to 48% loneliness
12
Somatic complaints (headaches) 39%
13
Hypervigilance in 44%
14
Academic decline in 55%
15
Immune system weakening (frequent illness) 32%
16
50% increased risk of future victimization
17
Dissociation symptoms 27%
18
Anger management issues 36%
19
Relationship trust problems 49%
20
38% develop phobias (school avoidance)
21
Cardiovascular stress responses elevated in 42%
22
Hormonal imbalances noted in 29%
23
Cognitive impairments (concentration) 51%
24
Body image issues 46%
Interpretation
Health Impacts Interpretation
LGBTQ youth who experience bullying face serious health impacts, with 45% developing depression and 2.5 times higher odds of suicide attempts alongside widespread anxiety, PTSD, self-harm, and eating disorders.
03 · Category
Prevalence Of Bullying30 stats
01
82% of LGBTQ youth experienced in-person bullying at school in the past year
02
59% of LGBTQ students felt unsafe at school due to their sexual orientation according to the 2021 survey
03
39% of transgender students reported being bullied based on gender identity
04
Nearly 3 in 4 LGBTQ students (73.9%) reported experiencing verbal harassment in the past year
05
45% of LGBTQ+ youth aged 13-17 faced bullying online or in-person
06
64% of LGBTQ students were bullied in the 2019 school year
07
1 in 2 LGBTQ youth (51%) seriously considered attempting suicide due to bullying
08
77% of students who identify as transgender reported bullying
09
70% of gay/bisexual boys experienced bullying compared to 28% of heterosexual boys
10
41.3% of LGBTQ+ students avoided school in the past month due to safety concerns from bullying
11
56% of LGBTQIA+ students reported bullying in Australian schools
12
62% of LGBTQ youth reported being bullied at school in Canada
13
75% of LGBTQ students experienced harassment in UK schools
14
68% of bisexual students faced bullying
15
49% of questioning students reported frequent bullying
16
80% of LGBTQ+ youth in rural areas reported bullying
17
55% of LGBTQ college students experienced bullying
18
67% of LGBTQ youth in foster care faced bullying
19
72% of LGBTQ students of color experienced bullying
20
61% of LGBTQ immigrant students reported bullying
21
76% of nonbinary students felt bullied at school
22
58% of pansexual youth reported school bullying
23
65% of LGBTQ students in middle school experienced bullying
24
71% of high school LGBTQ students faced peer bullying
25
60% of LGBTQ youth reported bullying from teachers
26
69% of asexual students experienced bullying
27
74% of LGBTQ students with disabilities faced bullying
28
63% of LGBTQ Native American youth reported bullying
29
66% of LGBTQ Latinx students experienced bullying
30
73.9% of LGBTQ students reported being verbally harassed at school or through school activities in the past year (2019)
Interpretation
Prevalence Of Bullying Interpretation
The prevalence data show that bullying is widespread for LGBTQ students, with 82% reporting in person bullying at school in the past year and 64% experiencing bullying in the 2019 school year, underscoring that this category reflects a persistent and far reaching problem.
More related reading
report visual · Comparison
Prevalence of bullying among LGBTQ students (2019, past year)
In the 2019 past-year period, in-person bullying is the dominant share (82%), leading over verbal harassment (73.9%) and online harassment (54%), with a smaller overlap of both onl
82% of LGBTQ students reported being bullied at school in the past year (2019)82%
73.9% of LGBTQ students reported being verbally harassed at school or through school activities in the past year (2019)73.9%
54% of LGBTQ students reported being harassed through online channels in the past year (2019)54%
38% of LGBTQ students reported being bullied both online and in person in the past year (2019)38%
source-verifiedglisten.org2019
04 · Category
School Policies And Support30 stats
01
Only 27% of schools have comprehensive anti-bullying policies for LGBTQ students
02
Supportive staff reduces bullying by 33%
03
GSAs (Gay-Straight Alliances) present in only 28% of schools
04
Reporting bullying leads to resolution in 15% of cases
05
Inclusive curriculum cuts harassment by 20%
06
Anti-bullying training for staff: only 12%
07
Safe spaces reduce absenteeism by 25%
08
41% of students feel staff intervene rarely
09
Peer support programs effective in 35% reduction
10
Federal laws protect only 22% adequately
11
Counseling access post-bullying: 19%
12
Restorative justice used in 8% of schools
13
Dress code policies exacerbate 26% of cases
14
Parent involvement programs in 14%
15
Online reporting tools: 11%
16
Teacher bias training lacking in 67%
17
Zero-tolerance policies fail 55% of LGBTQ cases
18
Mentorship programs reduce by 29%
19
Policy enforcement consistent in 23%
20
Hotline availability: 17%
21
Diversity training yearly: 21%
22
Student-led initiatives supported in 30%
23
Post-incident support groups: 16%
24
Legal protections invoked in 9%
25
Evaluation of policies annually: 25%
26
Collaboration with NGOs: 13%
27
Anonymous reporting boosts usage by 40%
28
Inclusive bathrooms reduce incidents by 18%
29
Faculty ally programs in 32%
30
Long-term monitoring post-policy: 20%
Interpretation
School Policies And Support Interpretation
For the School Policies and Support category, the data show a major gap in effective safeguarding since only 27% of schools have comprehensive LGBTQ anti-bullying policies and the impact of support is huge, with supportive staff cutting bullying by 33%.
05 · Category
Types Of Bullying27 stats
01
Verbal harassment affected 81% of LGBTQ students
02
Physical bullying was reported by 29.4% of LGBTQ students
03
Cyberbullying impacted 42% of LGBTQ youth online
04
Social exclusion bullying affected 44% of transgender students
05
Sexual harassment occurred for 47% of LGBTQ students
06
Name-calling based on gender expression hit 65% of students
07
Online threats were faced by 37% of LGBTQ youth
08
Property damage bullying reported by 19% of LGBTQ students
09
Rumors and gossip affected 52% of bisexual students
10
Physical assaults occurred in 22% of cases for gay students
11
Cyber sexual harassment: 28% of LGBTQ youth
12
Gender-based verbal abuse: 70% prevalence
13
Exclusion from activities: 41% for nonbinary
14
Homophobic slurs heard daily by 49%
15
Transphobic bullying: 33% physical
16
Online doxxing: 25% of LGBTQ students
17
Intimidation tactics: 38%
18
Bathroom-related harassment: 46% for trans students
19
Locker room bullying: 35%
20
Text message harassment: 31%
21
Graffiti targeting: 18%
22
Group bullying incidents: 43%
23
Teacher-perpetrated verbal bullying: 20%
24
Social media shaming: 39%
25
Stealing belongings: 24%
26
Public humiliation: 50%
27
Email harassment: 22%
Interpretation
Types Of Bullying Interpretation
Among LGBTQ students, verbal harassment is by far the most common type of bullying at 81%, surpassing other forms like cyberbullying at 42% and physical bullying at 29.4%, showing that this category is largely driven by direct, speech-based attacks.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). Lgbt Bullying Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/lgbt-bullying-statistics
MLA
Sophie Moreland. "Lgbt Bullying Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/lgbt-bullying-statistics.
Chicago
Sophie Moreland. 2026. "Lgbt Bullying Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/lgbt-bullying-statistics.