Examining School Counseling Students' Multicultural and Sexual Orientation Competencies Through a Cross‐Specialization Comparison

Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth face exigent educational, emotional, and social problems (Coker, Austin, & Schuster, 2010). Schools can be especially problematic and even violent environments for LGBTQ youth. The majority of LGBTQ youth experience some form of verbal harassment, bullying (including cyberbullying), sexual harassment, or physical assault regarding their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression at school (Kosciw, Greytak, Diaz, & Bartkiewicz, 2010). By virtue of their work environment and professional role, school counselors are uniquely positioned to support LGBTQ youth and address the multiple problems these young people face (Bidell, 2011). In fact, the Ethical Standards for School Counselors (American School Counselor Association, 2010) states that in order to meet the needs of LGBTQ youth, professional school counselors must "acquire educational, consultation and training experiences to improve awareness, knowledge, skills and effectiveness in working with diverse populations [regarding] ... ethnic/racial status ... sexual orientation, [and] gender identity/expression" (p. 5). Drawing on the tridimensional multicultural counselor competency model (Arredondo et al., 1996; Sue, Arredondo, & McDavis, 1992), sexual orientation counselor competency is a relatively new construct that includes the unique attitudinal awareness, skill, and knowledge needed by counselors when working with lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) populations (Bidell, 2005). To date, there have been no studies examining the counselor competency of school counselors or trainees with regard to LGBTQ populations. In addition, Holcomb-McCoy (2005) described the lack of research examining how multicultural counselor competencies might vary among counseling specializations and work setting. The current study addresses these deficits by exploring the multicultural and sexual orientation counselor competencies of school counseling students through a cross-specialization comparison with community agency students. * A Crisis in the Schools for LGBTQ Youth There is an increasing awareness of the problems many LGBTQ youth face at school. According to the 2009 National School Climate Survey conducted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) of more than 7,000 students, nearly all LGBTQ students said that gay was used in a pejorative way, causing them to feel bothered or disturbed (Kosciw et al., 2010). Approximately 85% of LGBTQ students were verbally harassed, and almost half were physically assaulted because of their minority sexual orientation or gender identity/ expression. LGBTQ students in the GLSEN survey were about twice as likely to experience verbal, physical, and sexual harassment compared with the general student population. More than half of the youth experienced cyberbullying regarding their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression, and middle school students reported the highest levels of LGBTQ-motivated verbal and physical harassment. Other studies (Berlan, Corliss, Field, Goodman, & Austin, 2010; Williams, Connolly, Pepler, & Craig, 2003) confirm that LGBTQ youth are far more likely to describe being bullied, sexually harassed, and/or physically abused compared with their heterosexual counterparts. Using survey data from approximately 8,000 American youth, Berlan et al. (2010) found that, compared with heterosexual students, LGBTQ students were significantly more likely to report being targets versus perpetrators of bullying. Studying Canadian high school students, Williams et al. (2003) concluded that LGBTQ students were significantly more likely than heterosexual students to be bullied, sexually harassed, or physically abused. Verbal and physical harassment directed toward LGBTQ students can have acute and lasting consequences, such as feeling unsafe at school, absenteeism, poor academic performance, and diminished educational aspirations (Bontempo & D'Augelli, 2002; Kosciw et al. …