Addressing LGBTQ+ academic struggles

LGBTQ+ students face challenges in their lives that cause them to struggle in school and suffer from mental health issues. Bullying, sexual harassment, and physical abuse and violence are common for these students and can cause severe trauma and difficulty in school (Orue & Calvete, 2018). This literature review will answer the question, how can school social workers and counselors address academic struggles that LGBTQ+ students face. This research synthesizes the types of victimization that occurs through bulling and harassment, and then talks about the mental health implications that come from this. For example, falling behind in school, homelessness, and a lack of familial support. The practices of social workers and school counselors are looked at, both in the things they are doing well and how they can improve. Some of these include affirmative practices and creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ students. The goal of the study is to examine the best practices that social workers and school counselors can use to help LGBTQ+ students and to succeed in school.