Nothing out there: Community awareness and delinquency among gay and lesbian youth

Abstract

A survey of 224 gay and lesbian college students and young adults, solicited from classes at a large state university in the American Midwest and social media sites, reveals a previously unrecognized predictor of the increased risk of delinquency among gay/lesbian adolescents: the belief that “there’s nothing out there,” a lack of awareness of the existence of LGBT community institutions. This lack of community awareness predicts both substance abuse and criminal activity regardless of the presence of other variables, such as a homophobic school environment, parental acceptance, and having a gay/lesbian social network.