Louisiana Social Workers: A Study on Attitudes Toward LGBT Youth

• Main Author: O'Pry, Rachel Kathleen
• Other Authors: Barthelemy, Juan
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: LSU 2012
• Subjects: Social Work
• Online Access: http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04262012-145658/

Social workers in most professional practice settings will encounter young clients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). It is therefore important that variables influencing levels of homophobia and transphobia among these workers be analyzed. In this study, the author sought to examine the attitudes and perceptions of social workers in Louisiana toward LGBT youth. These attitudes and perceptions were then compared to individual variables such as religion, previous training on sexual orientation and gender identity, and race. The Religious Commitment Inventory (RCI), Genderism and Transphobia Scale (GTS), and Heterosexual Attitudes Toward Homosexuals (HATH) scale were completed by 67 social workers attending a training focused on youth and trauma. Religious commitment along with race were found to correlate with homophobia and transphobia, and there were significant mean differences between those who desired more training and those who did not on the variables of field and race. These findings are discussed in the context of previous research, and limitations and implications are presented.