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Survey: Gay Teens Less Likely to be Happy Than Straight Peers

  • Religion Today Religious persecution, missions, Christianity around the world
  • Updated Dec 07, 2012

According to a new study, teenagers who identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender are less likely to be happy, more likely to report harassment, and more inclined to experiment with drugs and alcohol than their straight peers, the Los Angeles Times reports. Of the more than 10,000 gay 13- to 17-year-olds surveyed, only around 40 percent described themselves as "happy," compared to nearly 70 percent of straight teens. Fifty-two percent had experimented with drugs or alcohol -- more than twice what their straight peers reported -- and 17 percent said they had been assaulted at school, compared with 10 percent of straight youth. Nearly three in four gay teens said they were more honest about themselves on the Internet than elsewhere, and 67 percent said their schools were "generally accepting" of gay people.