The Respect Online Course
The purpose of the Respect Online Course is to promote sexual health and responsibility and prevent HIV infection, other sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy among LGBTQ students. The course teaches school professionals how to provide direct services and utilize school-based practices that promote sexual health and responsibility among LGBTQ students.
By the end of the online course we hope participants will be able to:
- Assist LGBTQ students in coping with their distinctive challenge.
- Promote safe school environments that nurture healthy and successful students.
- Motivate all students to prevent HIV, STIs and pregnancy.
If you have questions or feedback regarding this online course please email the APA Safe and Supportive Schools Project.
The Respect Online Course has three self-paced modules that are available at no-cost to the public. To begin the online course click on Module A below.
Course Modules
The focus of Module A: Foundations is to help participants learn how to describe the complexity and diversity of sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expression. In doing so, participants gain fluency with the concepts and strengthen their efficacy for dealing with issues related to LGBTQ students in their work.
Participant learning objectives for Module A:
- Describe the complexity and diversity of sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expression.
In Module B: Helping Individual LGBTQ Students, participants learn about the harmful psychological effects of pervasive stigma; explore their professional role in helping LGBTQ students cope with their distinctive challenges; and learn about five types of direct services they can provide.
Participant learning objectives for Module B:
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Explain how pervasive stigma can lead to HIV infection and other serious health problems.
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Use data on LGBTQ youth to identify professional practice improvements.
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List five direct services that can help individual LGBTQ youth.
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Describe services that school leaders and peers expect you to provide to LGBTQ youth.
Module C: School-Wide Protective Practices examines five school-wide protective practices that help to maintain safe, nurturing and health promoting environments for LGBTQ students and have the benefit of aiding all students.
Participant learning objectives for Module C:
- Identify specific interventions and practices that meet the prevention needs of LGBTQ students.
- List five protective school-wide practices that will help provide safe and supportive environments for LGBTQ and all other students.
- Identify three challenges to implementing new school-wide protective practices for LGBTQ students and suggest how each of the challenges can be addressed.
The following APA webpages are available to guide school professionals in the implementation of direct services and school-wide strategies to support LGBTQ students.
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Toolbox to Promote Healthy LGBTQ Youth
This toolbox is a collection of resources and documents to supplement the Respect Workshop: Preventing Health Risks and Promoting Healthy Outcomes among LGBTQ Youth. -
LGBT Youth Resources
This webpage provides fact sheets, best practices and other resources for supporting LGBTQ youth. The resources are organized around the recommendations of the "Resolution on Gender and Sexual Orientation Diversity in Children and Adolescents in Schools," the joint resolution adopted by the American Psychological Association and the National Association of School Psychologists. The recommendations and resources are to support implementation by education professionals and policymakers.
