It is important to create a safe environment for all LGBTQIA+ students. Parents, schools, and communities can play an important role in preventing bullying and helping LGBTQIA+ youth feel physically and emotionally safe.

There are important and unique considerations for developing strategies to prevent and address bullying of LGBTQIA+ college students. While some strategies are specific to LGBTQIA+ individuals, most can create safer environments for all students if adopted in schools and communities.

• Encourage respect for all students.

• Prohibit bullying, harassment and violence against students.

• Conduct social-emotional learning activities in schools to foster peer-to-peer relationships and help students develop empathy.

• Identify "safe spaces," such as the counselor's office or designated classrooms, where LGBTQIA+ students can receive support from administrators, teachers and other school staff.

• Develop student-led and student-organized school clubs that foster a safe, welcoming, and tolerable school environment (e.g., gay-straight alliances or sexuality and gender alliances). Schools must allow these clubs or groups if they have other "extra-curricular" clubs or groups. Learn more about the right to form a gay-straight alliance under the Equal Access Act....

• Ensure that health curricula or educational materials include information on HIV, pregnancy and STD/STI prevention that is relevant to LGBTQI+ students.

• Use inclusive language and avoid assumptions. The words we use can help people feel recognized and create a sense of belonging.

• Use student-chosen names and pronouns.

• Train school staff on how to create safe and welcoming school environments for all students, which includes LGBTQIA+ students.

• Facilitate access to community providers who have expertise in providing health services, such as medical, counseling, social and psychological services, and HIV/STI testing for LGBTQI+ students and allies.