Mental Health Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Incarcerated in Juvenile Corrections

November 2022

Using data from the Minnesota Student Survey, a statewide population survey of youth, researchers from UCLA, Vanderbilt, Brown, and Yale Universities examined the mental health experiences of LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ youth in juvenile correctional facilities and public schools. It appeared in Pediatrics in November 2022.

AUTHORS

Kirsty A. Clark
Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University
Tyler D. Harvey
Program Administrator, SEICHE Center for Health and Justice, Yale University
Jaclyn White Hughto
Assistant Professor, Brown University
Ilan H. Meyer
Distinguished Senior Scholar of Public Policy

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Highlights

LGBTQ youth are disproportionally represented in juvenile correctional facilities.

LGBTQ youth in correctional facilities face a greater risk of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and self-harm.

More than half of incarcerated LGBTQ youth report having faced four or more adverse childhood experiences.

Data Points

29%

of youth in correctional facilities identify as LGBTQ

20%

of youth in public schools identify as LGBTQ

42%

of LGBTQ youth in correctional facilities thought about suicide

38%

of incarcerated LGBTQ attempted suicide

58%

of incarcerated LGBTQ youth engaged in self-harm

54%

of incarcerated LGBTQ youth reported experiencing four or more adverse childhood experiences

6%

of non-LGBTQ youth in public schools reported the same

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Related Publications

Report

Mental Health Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Incarcerated in Juvenile Corrections

Related Publications

System Involvement Among LBQ Girls and Women

Incarceration Rates and Traits of Sexual Minorities in the United States

Police and the Criminalization of LGBT People