Institutional Betrayal and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: A Retrospective Examination of LGBTQ School Experiences

Extant literature has established an elevated risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ) youth when compared to their non-LGBTQ peers. Not yet studied is the impact of institutional betrayal on STB among LGBTQ youth. Institutional betrayals refers to misconduct carried out by an institution upon individuals reliant on the institution. Using retrospective data from 229 LGBTQ adults, we examined: (a) whether institutional betrayal was associated with STB among LGBTQ individuals in grades 5 through 12, (b) whether the association between institutional betrayal and STB was significant after controlling for the covariates, and (c) whether having a Gender/Sexuality Alliance (GSA) or identity-based antibullying policies in schools moderated the relationship between institutional betrayal and STB reported in grades 5 through 12. Results showed that throughout each iteration of the analyses, institutional betrayal was robustly associated with STB. Furthermore, neither having a GSA or identity-based anti-bullying policies in schools moderated the association between institutional betrayal and STB. Findings have important implications for field of education, suicidology, and for future research.