SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY AND ISSUES OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION: ATTITUDES, BELIEFS, AND KNOWLEDGE

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1 Psychology in the Schools, Vol. 41(2), 2004 Published online in Wiley InterScience ( Wiley Periodicals, Inc. DOI: /pits SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY AND ISSUES OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION: ATTITUDES, BELIEFS, AND KNOWLEDGE TODD A. SAVAGE, H. THOMPSON PROUT, AND KATHLEEN M. CHARD University of Kentucky The purpose of this study was to investigate school psychologists attitudes toward lesbians and gay males. Aspects of school psychologists knowledge, beliefs, current practices, and levels of preparedness related to issues of sexual orientation were also explored. A sample of 288 school psychologists (215 females and 73 males, mean age 44 years) who were members of NASP participated in this study. Participants completed research packets containing a hypothetical case analogue vignette and three questionnaires querying their attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge about issues of sexual orientation. The results indicated school psychologists endorse relatively positive attitudes toward lesbians and gay males, report low-to-moderate levels of knowledge about lesbian and gay male issues, are willing to address lesbian and gay male issues on the job, are generally aware of how such issues impact schools, and are inadequately prepared to deal with lesbian and gay male issues. These findings are discussed in relation to their impact on the field and the implications for graduate training Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Homosexuality is one of the most controversial issues in American society today. Although the American Psychiatric Association deleted homosexuality from its list of recognized mental disorders in 1973, the subject continues to elicit a variety of passionate responses from individuals steadfast in their beliefs. Research into the attitudes of heterosexual adults toward lesbians and gay males has consistently demonstrated these attitudes to be overwhelmingly negative and prejudicial and that such negativity is viewed as widely acceptable in our national community (Kite & Whitley, 1996). These results seem to hold true regardless of the sample source, be it college students (e.g., Herek, 1984) or adults at large (e.g., Herek & Glunt, 1993). Psychologists, as individuals living in a heterosexist society, are not immune from the negative attitudes toward lesbians and gay males extant in the culture. The most recent large-scale study examining psychologists practices with clients who identify as lesbian or gay took place in the late 1980s by a task force established by the American Psychological Association (APA) (Garnets, Hancock, Cochran, Goodchilds, & Peplau, 1991). The conclusions of this study indicated bias, misinformation, and unethical practices persisted among some psychologists despite the APA s then 15-year history of issuing position statements affirming individuals and issues captured under the umbrella of homosexuality. Other recent studies have documented similar findings with other samples of psychologists (see Mohr, Israel, & Sedlacek, 2001). Lasser and Tharinger (1997) noted school psychologists, because of their distinctive positions within the system of public education, have the opportunity to enhance the development and mental health of students who identify as lesbian or gay, as well as impacting the overall school climate by promoting issues of social justice for all students. They envision school psychologists as being key school personnel in providing social justice leadership in the schools, creating safe academic environments, and designing, employing, evaluating, and monitoring interventions for lesbian and gay male students needing assistance. However, to be able to do so, school psychologists must possess a general understanding of sexual orientation, issues pertinent to lesbian and gay male youth, and an awareness of their own attitudes toward persons who identify as lesbian or gay and how they impact one s ability to engage effectively in the roles outlined above (Lasser & Tharinger, 1997; Victor & Fish, 1995). Interestingly, school psychology and school psychologists Correspondence to: Todd A. Savage, Educational and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, 245 Dickey Hall, Lexington, KY darkrish7@aol.com 201

2 202 Savage, Prout, and Chard were not included, explicitly identified, or actively engaged in the aforementioned research related to psychologists attitudes toward lesbians and gay males. Given the background information outlined above, the primary goal of the study reported here was to investigate the attitudes of school psychologists toward lesbians and gay males. A secondary goal was to explore school psychologists knowledge construct about issues specific to adolescent individuals who identify as lesbian or gay. Third, an effort was made to learn about school psychologists beliefs concerning the ways lesbian and gay male issues impact schools. Fourth, identification of how and if school psychologists deal with lesbian and gay male issues as they arise in their employment settings was established as an additional research goal. The final goal was to examine how prepared practicing school psychologists believe themselves to be in terms of addressing lesbian and gay male issues in academic environments. Participants Method A random sample of 500 school psychologists who were members of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) was invited to participate in the present investigation. Of this sample, 288 school psychologists (215 females and 73 males, mean age 44 years) volunteered to participate. The majority of participants identified as being European American (n 264, 92%), exclusively heterosexual (n 262, 91%), and as residing in urban/suburban settings (n 241, 84%). Most individual s listed a master s degree as their highest level of education (n 129, 45%), with another 64 participants (22%) endorsing a specialist s degree as their highest degree. Participants worked overwhelmingly in a public or private school setting (n 249, 87%). Geographically, participants represented the major regions of the United States, including the Northeast (n 87, 31%), Midwest (n 84, 29%), Southeast (n 49, 17%), and West (n 65, 23%). Instrumentation Case analogue vignettes. As part of the investigation targeting participants attitudes toward lesbians and gay males, four case analogue vignettes were developed. These hypothetical vignettes depicted an adolescent high school student referred by a teacher to the school psychologist for screening of a possible emotional or behavioral disorder. The vignettes varied by gender (i.e., female and male) and sexual orientation (i.e., lesbian, gay, and heterosexual) of the student. Examples of the case analogue vignettes are included in the Appendix. Student Impressions Questionnaire. The Student Impressions Questionnaire (SIQ) was designed by the authors to assess the participants unconscious attitudes and subjective responses to a hypothetical student portrayed in the accompanying case analogue vignette and to elicit their conceptualizations of the student and the challenges she or he was reported to be experiencing. Two versions of the SIQ were created, one for use with the female case analogue vignettes and one for use with the male case analogue vignettes. Each version of the SIQ required participants to rate whether they liked the student, would be comfortable working with the student, would be willing to work with the student, how likely they would be to refer the student to work with a professional outside of the school, the adjustment level of the student, and what they predicted would be the academic outcome for the student. Additionally, the SIQ asked the participant to rate and conceptualize the origin (i.e., internal vs. external) of the hypothetical student s academic and social challenges.

3 Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Scale. Herek s (1988) Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men (ATLG) scale was adopted by the authors to assess participants explicit attitudes toward such a population. It has an extensive and well-documented history of development and research establishing it as a psychometrically sound instrument for the purpose of assessing the attitudes of heterosexual individuals toward persons who identify as lesbian or gay (Blount, 2001). Respondents record their responses to 20 statements related to various views about female and male homosexuality according to a 9-point Likert-type scale. A total composite score is produced, though two subscales, one related to lesbians and the other pertaining to gay males, can be separated out, if desired. Respondents can achieve scores on the total ATLG ranging from 20 (extremely positive attitudes) to 180 (extremely negative attitudes). Subscale scores can range from 10 (extremely positive attitudes) to 90 (extremely negative attitudes). Demographics/Descriptive/Knowledge Questionnaire. This three-page questionnaire was generated for this study by the authors and queried the respondent about her or his personal and professional identities (e.g., sex, age, sexual orientation, residential status, education level, place of employment), beliefs and preparation in the area of sexual orientation, and knowledge about issues pertinent to adolescents who identify as lesbian or gay. The questionnaire included openended, closed-ended, and Likert-type questions pertaining to the respondents opinions about how lesbian and gay male issues impact schools, how they had encountered lesbian and gay male issues in schools, how prepared they felt to handle such issues as they arose in schools, how willing they were to address lesbian and gay male issues, and what specific education and training they had received in their graduate programs regarding lesbian and gay male issues. It also contained multiple-choice questions targeting the participants factual knowledge of challenges faced by lesbian and gay male adolescents, including family problems, academic challenges, violence, and suicide. These items were gleaned from statistics reported by Remafedi (1987), Besner and Spungin (1995), and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (1987) and were included in the questionnaire to learn more about school psychologists insight into issues faced by students dealing with issues of sexual orientation. Procedures School Psychology and Sexual Orientation 203 Each potential participant received a research packet containing a personalized cover letter and two smaller packets. The enclosed smaller packet identified as Packet #1 contained one of four randomly assigned case analogue vignettes, the SIQ, and an envelope in which the participant was to seal the completed SIQ prior to moving on to the next step. The second smaller packet, labeled Packet #2, included the ATLG, the demographics/descriptive/knowledge questionnaire, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the participant to return all completed materials. A follow-up postcard was sent 3 weeks following the initial mailing. As a means of augmenting return rates, a $1.00 bill was included in each research packet. The cover letter indicated the participant was encouraged to use the money to purchase a beverage or snack in appreciation for her or his time and willingness to participate in the project. Results Descriptive Analyses of the General Attitude, Knowledge, and Preparedness Data Basic descriptive analyses were conducted on items targeting participants general attitudes toward lesbians and gay males, their knowledge about specific challenges faced by youths identifying as lesbian or gay, and their level of preparedness and willingness to deal with related

4 204 Savage, Prout, and Chard issues as they arise in one s employment setting. Related to school psychologists attitudes toward lesbians and gay males, the ATLG total scale composite and subscale composite score profiles produced by the participants reported here were examined according to their means and standard deviations. Based on the entire sample, the participants achieved a mean total scale composite score of (SD 28.7), ranging from 26 to 151. On the subscales, more favorable attitudes were reported toward lesbians (M 24.22, SD 14.96) than toward gay males (M 32.51, SD 14.74), though both scores were well within the positive range. When the response profiles were separated according to sex, similar observations were noted. Female respondents endorsed a mean total scale composite score of (SD 27.89). Their mean subscale composite scores were (SD 14.76) on the lesbian subscale and (SD 14.31) on the gay male subscale. Male respondents endorsed a mean total scale composite score of (SD 31.04). Their mean subscale composite scores were (SD 15.65) on the lesbian subscale and (SD 16.29) on the gay male subscale. All of these observations fall within the positive attitude range according to ATLG guidelines (Herek, 1988). Embedded in the demographics/descriptive/knowledge questionnaire were multiple choice questions intended to learn more about respondents factual knowledge pertaining to challenges faced by lesbian and gay male youths. The resulting response profiles produced by the participants in the current study are highlighted in Table 1. Overall, participants tended to select the correct answer to these questions. However, on items pertaining to academic challenges experienced by lesbian and gay male youths, the dropout rate specific to this population, and knowledge about violence experienced by lesbian students in school secondary to their explicit or perceived sexual orientation, the largest percentage of respondents reported incorrect responses. They tended to overestimate academic challenges and underestimate the dropout rate and violence incurred by lesbian students. These results remained true whether the entire sample was examined or if it was broken down by sex of the participant. Nonetheless, the majority of participants demonstrated low-to-moderate levels of knowledge related to lesbian and gay male student issues as measured by questions on the demographics questionnaire. The final area examined from a descriptive standpoint had to do with the participants preparedness and willingness to address lesbian and gay male issues in their employment settings. While 85% of the participants reported having no preparation or education in their graduate training programs related to lesbian and gay male issues, 75% stated they felt somewhat prepared to very prepared to address such issues as they encountered them in the workplace. Moreover, 94% of the participants identified as being somewhat willing to very willing to address lesbian and gay male issues in the course of their jobs. Their responses to qualitative questions targeting the participants opinions as to how lesbian and gay male issues impact schools, in addition to how they had encountered lesbian and gay male issues in their jobs, were inspected by the investigator and categorized, as well. The investigator looked at each answer and summarized it according to a theme or category that seemed to capture the essence of the response. Regarding participants opinions as to how lesbian and gay male issues impact schools, the following themes were identified: students dealing with coming-out issues; harassment and teasing; faculty and staff who identify as lesbian or gay; heterosexism; discrimination and prejudice; ignorance and silence; mental health issues; beliefs that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues have no place in the schools. Their responses to the question inquiring about how they had encountered lesbian and gay male issues on the job mirrored those to the opinion question with one additional theme. A number of school psychologists reported having worked with lesbian and gay male parents who sent their children to a school in which the psychologist worked. Still others noted they had not encountered lesbian and gay male issues in their work setting.

5 Table 1 Frequency and Percent of Participants Response Choices on Knowledge Questions about Lesbian and Gay Male Issues Contained in the Demographics Questionnaire (N = 288) Question theme and response choices n % What percentage of lesbian or gay male teenagers is forced to leave home due to disclosure of, or conflicts over, their sexual orientation? A. 10% *B. 25% C. 40% D. 55% What percentage of lesbian and gay male teenagers report a history of school challenges attributable to their sexual orientation and feelings of isolation? A. 49% B. 59% *C. 69% D. 79% Approximately what percentage of lesbian and gay male teenagers drop out of high school as a result of academic, personal, and/or social challenges associated with their sexual orientation? A. 2% 4% B. 9% 11% C. 17% 19% *D. 28% 30% What percentage of lesbian individuals report having been harassed, threatened with bodily harm, or physically assaulted in middle and/or senior high school due to their explicit or perceived sexual orientation? *A. 20% B. 30% C. 40% D. 50% What percentage of gay male individuals report having been harassed, threatened with bodily harm, or physically assaulted by other students in middle and/or senior high school due to their explicit or perceived sexual orientation? A. 20% B. 30% C. 40% *D. 50% Approximately what percentage of suicides committed by adolescents is carried out by lesbian and gay male individuals? A. 20% *B. 30% C. 40% D. 50% *Correct response. School Psychology and Sexual Orientation 205 Statistical Analyses Attitude, perceptions, and personal ratings. Six separate Pearson product moment correlations with the Bonferonni correction were conducted to determine if participants total scale composite scores on the ATLG were positively associated with their reported levels of liking, willingness to work with, likelihood to refer, perception of resiliency, rating of the potential outcome, and source of academic and social challenges related to the hypothetical student as embedded in the Student Impressions Questionnaire (SIQ). That is, participants reported attitudes

6 206 Savage, Prout, and Chard toward lesbians and gay males on the ATLG would follow the same pattern of their reported levels of the dimensions outlined above: positive attitudes would accompany more favorable levels of liking the student, etc. and vice versa. The results of the correlation analyses revealed statistically significant negative correlations in two instances: willingness to work with the student [r.29, p.01 (two-tailed)] and the source of the student s academic and social challenges [r.22, p.01 (two-tailed)]. Factors predicting attitudes. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to determine if the school psychologist s age, ethnicity, geographic region of residence, and sex would predict her or his total scale composite score on the ATLG. Prior to conducting the regression analysis, several necessary tasks were completed. Inspection of the raw data revealed a total of only 24 respondents who identified their ethnicity as something other than European American (e.g., African American, Asian Pacific American, Hispanic American). Therefore, the ethnicity variable was not included in the analysis. Furthermore noninterval data, specifically region of residence and employment variables, were recoded into dummy variables to allow for proper analysis within the statistical program. Results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that the age and sex of the school psychology participant were not significant predictors of their responses on the ATLG. However, the region of residence and employment variable did emerge as being statistically significant, accounting for 3.1% (adjusted R 2.03, p.05) of the variance in school psychologists overall attitudes toward lesbians and gay males as measured by the ATLG. Specifically, residing and working in the Southeast (.13, p.05) and Midwest (.17, p.05) regions of the United States was significantly associated with one s total scale composite score on the ATLG, indicating more negative attitude response profiles. Discussion and Conclusions Attitudes Based on the results of participant responses on the full scale of the ATLG, school psychologists endorsed positive attitudes, overall, toward lesbians and gay males. These findings reflect recent empirical research data suggestive of a positive trend in the attitudes of mental health professionals toward persons who identify as lesbian or gay (e.g., Blount, 2001; Friedman & Lilling, 1996). Comparatively speaking, school psychologists included in this investigation reported holding more positive attitudes in relation to sexual orientation than those in the general population (Herek & Capitanio, 1996), though individuals in the community at large have recently conveyed more positive attitudes in this regard, on the whole, than ever before in research history (Saad, 1996). This observation is encouraging, given the mixed results of attitude surveys with psychologists as a nondescript group (e.g., Friedman & Lilling, 1996; Garnets et al., 1991; Rudolph, 1988) and the increasing visibility of lesbian and gay male persons and issues in the school setting. Further examination of the attitudes data revealed significant differences in school psychology participants self-reported attitudes toward persons who identify as lesbian or gay. Similar to conclusions drawn from research exploring psychologists and public attitudes (e.g., Blount, 2001; Herek & Capitanio, 1996), the school psychologists in the present investigation showed trends indicating more positive attitudes toward lesbians than gay males. Knowledge, Beliefs, Willingness, and Level of Preparedness Participants in the current investigation responded to questions pertaining to knowledge of, beliefs about, willingness, and level of preparedness to address lesbian and gay male issues in the school setting in a more positive direction than the authors originally conjectured. School

7 School Psychology and Sexual Orientation 207 psychologists who participated in this research demonstrated low-to-moderate levels of knowledge about lesbian and gay male issues, were somewhat unaware as to how such issues presented in academic settings, reported being somewhat to very willing to address lesbian and gay male issues as they arose in schools, and felt somewhat to very prepared to deal with these and related issues in the workplace. This is an interesting finding, given that 85% of the participants stated they had no preparation or education in their graduate training programs related to lesbian and gay male issues. Perhaps, the participants have pursued professional development or have engaged in self-directed reading in this area. Additionally, school psychology respondents seemed relatively aware of some of the issues faced by lesbian and gay male youths and how such issues impact the school setting through various encounters with the issues in the course of their work. However, a sizeable number of participants indicated that issues of sexual orientation did not impact academic environments or had no place in the schools, particularly at the preschool and elementary levels. This finding does speak to the lack of education and preparation outlined above. Strengths and Limitations of the Study This investigation contains several strengths conceptually and methodologically that make it a contribution to the literature. Conceptually, it is believed the study contained herein is the first of its kind specifically targeting school psychology and its practitioners. This is a significant initial step for the field in that before school psychologists can be effective and responsive in their work with people different from themselves, they must be able to be self-reflective and aware of the attitudes they hold toward issues encompassed under the umbrella of multiculturalism (Gay, 2000). Methodologically, the investigators selected participants randomly from the membership roster of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) available at the time of data collection and assigned them randomly to one of four treatment conditions as represented by the four levels of the written case analogue vignette. Despite these and other attempts to control some of the threats to internal and external validity, various limitations need to be addressed, including the sampling source (i.e., only school psychologists who were members at the time of data collection), hasty or inaccurate methods of responding on study measures on the part of some participants, and the potential for social desirability in response profiles endorsed by school psychologists participants. Additionally, limitations related to the measures employed by the investigators comprise the use of a measure developed in the late 1970s (i.e., ATLG) on a college-aged sample from universities in the state of California and measures created expressly for the research reported here. Issues of validity and contemporary viability may have been factors impacting the results obtained by these authors. Future investigators may wish to consider these limitations when conducting similar research. Implications for Training A majority of the participants in the current investigation (85%) reported not having received any specific education and training in lesbian and gay male issues in their graduate training programs. Of those who were exposed to this type of training, all respondents indicated such education occurred in a single, time-limited lecture, in the course of a class discussion, or through professional development activities associated with their program. These findings are commensurate with research conducted in clinical and counseling psychology (e.g., Phillips & Fischer, 1998) that noted the preponderance of those programs lacked adequate preparation in issues of sexual orientation. Additionally, they are antithetical to a position statement put forth by NASP conveying that school psychologists are ethically obligated to ensure (lesbian and gay male) students have an equal opportunity for the development of their personal identity in an environment free from discrimination, harassment, violence, and abuse (1999). The same statement indicated school

8 208 Savage, Prout, and Chard psychologists should act on this ethical obligation through education and advocacy for lesbian and gay male youths. If school psychologists are not being educated about lesbian and gay male issues and not trained to deal with these issues as they present in school settings, how can they educate others and serve as advocates to end antigay discrimination, bias, and harassment? An answer is to begin infusing lesbian and gay issues throughout graduate-level curricula and practical experiences (Stein, 1999). Caution should be heeded, though, just not to tag on lesbian and gay male issues to the program of studies without a thorough examination of where the program and its faculty stand on these issues and issues of diversity as a whole. Chances are the faculty may be just as poorly and inadequately prepared to address issues of sexual orientation and may hold conscious and unconscious biases and discriminatory attitudes toward lesbians and gay males. Recommendations for Future Research The need for additional research exists in the general area of sexual orientation and the schools. Little is known about the insight children and adolescents possess into their heterosexist statements and behaviors. The same holds true for teachers and other educational professionals as influential models in the lives of youths (Sears, 1991). Gaining knowledge about such phenomena could aid in developing interventions for heterosexism at various levels in the school setting. Tailoring such interventions to the cultures and idiosyncratic regional features present throughout the United States will require ongoing examination, as well. Finally, oversights in scholarly examinations of the issues unique to individuals of color who also identify as lesbian or gay, the manifold identities they must navigate, and the multiplicity of oppression they experience need to be addressed, particularly as they relate to the school experiences of students who identify as something other than White, Christian, middle-class, able-bodied, U.S.-born citizens, or native English speakers. For school psychologists to become more culturally responsive in their work with students, families, and educational professionals, they must become more aware of the diversity associated with the lesbian and gay community, expand their knowledge base in this realm, and have opportunities to apply this knowledge and hone their related practice skills. The challenge will lay in the ability of the field to infuse the research into graduate education programs and to connect it with professional practice. References Besner, H.F., & Spungin, C.I. (1995). Gay & lesbian students: Understanding their needs. Bristol, PA: Taylor & Francis. Blount, A.G. (2001). Psychologists attitudes toward and practices with lesbians and gay men. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Kentucky. Friedman, R.C., & Lilling, A.A. (1996). An empirical study of the beliefs of psychoanalysts about scientific and clinical dimensions of male homosexuality. Journal of Homosexuality, 32(2), Garnets, L., Hancock, K.A., Cochran, S.D., Goodchilds, H., & Peplau, L.A. (1991). Issues in psychotherapy with lesbians and gay men. American Psychologist, 46, Gay, G. (2000). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, & practice. New York: Teachers College Press. Herek, G.M. (1984). Beyond homophobia : A social psychological perspective on attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. Journal of Homosexuality, 10(1 2), Herek, G.M. (1988). Heterosexuals attitudes toward lesbians and gay men: Correlates and gender differences. Journal of Sex Research, 25, Herek, G.M., & Capitanio, J.P. (1996). Some of my best friends : Intergroup contact, concealable stigma, and heterosexuals attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22, Herek, G.M., & Glunt, E.K. (1993). Interpersonal contact and heterosexuals attitudes toward gay men: Results from a national survey. Journal of Sex Research, 30, Kite, M.E., & Whitley, B.E., Jr. (1996). Sex differences in attitudes toward homosexual persons, behaviors, and civil rights: A meta-analysis. Personality and Social Psychological Bulletin, 22,

9 School Psychology and Sexual Orientation 209 Lasser, J., & Tharinger, D. (1997). Sexual minority youth. In G.G. Bear, K.M. Minke, & A. Thomas (Eds.), Children s needs II: Development, problems and alternatives (pp ). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists. Mohr, J.J., Israel, T., & Sedlacek, W.E. (2001). Counselors attitudes regarding bisexuality as predictors of counselors clinical responses: An analogue study of a female bisexual client. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 48, National Association of School Psychologists. (1999, April 10). Position statement: Gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth [Announcement]. Bethesda, MD: Author. Retrieved June 15, 2000, from pospaper_glb.html National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. (1987). Anti-gay violence, victimization and defamation in Washington, DC: Author. Phillips, J.C., & Fischer, A.R. (1998). Graduate students training experiences with lesbian, gay, and bisexual issues. The Counseling Psychologist, 26, Remafedi, G.J. (1987). Male homosexuality: The adolescent s perspective. Pediatrics, 79, Rudolph, J. (1988). Counselors attitudes toward homosexuality: A selective review of the literature. Journal of Counseling and Development, 67, Saad, L. (1996, December). Americans growing more tolerant of gays. The Gallup Poll Monthly, 375, Sears, J.T. (1991). Educators, homosexuality, and homosexual students: Are personal feelings related to professional beliefs? Journal of Homosexuality, 22(3 4), Stein, T.S. (1999). Commentary on Gay and lesbian clients ratings of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and counselors. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Psychotherapy, 3(1), Victor, S.B., & Fish, M.C. (1995). Lesbian mothers and their children: A review for school psychologists. School Psychology Review, 24, Appendix The case analogue vignettes sent to and reviewed by participants are outlined here. Heterosexual Student Case Analogue Vignette Paula/Paul is a 15-year-old female/male student in the ninth grade at the high school for which you are responsible. Recently, she/he matriculated into the school following the transition from middle to high school. Paula/Paul was referred to you, the school psychologist, by her/his English teacher for evaluation because of concerns about a possible adjustment or emotional disorder. Her/His teacher reports Paula/Paul seems more withdrawn than the typical new high school student she has encountered in the past and that Paula/Paul has exhibited numerous crying spells in the hall and in class. The other students have stopped initiating social interactions with Paula/Paul, apparently over her/his lack of reciprocation, and even go out of their way to avoid her/him. Some students have been observed teasing her/him. Paula s/paul s parents indicate she/he has always been somewhat of an anxious person and a loner. Her/His mother reports she overheard Paula/Paul say to a friend over the phone last week she/he wondered what it would be like if she/he was not around anymore, but chalked it up to teenage angst. Otherwise, Paula s/ Paul s parents have not noticed any unusual behaviors, verbalizations, or emotionality at home. Historically, Paula/Paul has been an A student but is currently achieving C and D work, overall. Paula/Paul is a member of the marching band, plays soccer on a municipal league team, and works part-time at a local clothing store. She/He is followed by a physician for treatment of environmental allergies. Behavior checklists completed by the teacher reveal no remarkable findings other than the isolation and spells of crying mentioned at the outset. Lesbian or Gay Male Student Case Analogue Vignette Paula/Paul is a 15-year-old lesbian female/gay male student in the ninth grade at the high school for which you are responsible. Recently, she/he matriculated into the school following the transition from middle to high school. Paula/Paul was referred to you, the school psychologist, by

10 210 Savage, Prout, and Chard her/his English teacher for evaluation because of concerns about a possible adjustment or emotional disorder. Her/his teacher reports Paula/Paul seems more withdrawn than the typical new high school student she has encountered in the past and that Paula/Paul has exhibited numerous crying spells in the hall and in class. The other students have stopped initiating social interactions with Paula/Paul, apparently over her/his lack of reciprocation, and even go out of their way to avoid her/him. Some students have been observed teasing her/him. Paula s/paul s parents indicate she/he has always been somewhat of an anxious person and a loner. Her/His mother reports she overheard Paula/Paul say to a friend over the phone last week she/he wondered what it would be like if she/he was not around anymore, but chalked it up to teenage angst. Otherwise, Paula s/paul s parents have not noticed any unusual behaviors, verbalizations, or emotionality at home. Historically, Paula/Paul has been an A student but is currently achieving C and D work, overall. Paula/Paul is a member of the marching band, plays soccer on a municipal league team, and works part-time at a local clothing store. She/He is followed by a physician for treatment of environmental allergies and attends a weekly support group for lesbian and gay teenagers. Behavior checklists completed by the teacher reveal no remarkable findings other than the isolation and spells of crying mentioned at the outset.