School Psychology and Issues of Sexual Orientation: Attitudes, Beliefs, and Knowledge.

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. © 2004 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