In 2025, 15% of 10th graders in the survey statewide reported having been bullied in the last month – a significant decrease from 2010. However, that percentage was about twice as high among gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students.
And while just over half of 10th graders were called “highly hopeful” – based their answers to four questions – only 35% to 38% of gay, lesbian and bisexual students were classified as highly hopeful. For transgender 10th graders that number dropped to about a quarter.
Ken Shulman of Lambert House, which provides support groups and other resources for LGBTQ+ youth, previously spoke with The Newsfeed about the importance of community, family and peers in maintaining young people’s mental health.
“So the hope comes in relationships and hope for most of us in our lives whenever we need it and wherever we find it, or when we’re desperate in some way typically comes from a relationship or multiple relationships,” Shulman said. “Somebody we can talk to, somebody we can confide in, somebody who will listen, somebody who will be nonjudgmental, somebody who’s consistent, who stays there with us.”
Support Public Journalism: This article has been reposted with permission from Cascade PBS. Visit the Cascade PBS donation page to support nonprofit, freely distributed local journalism. Read this article online at Cascade PBS.
