Differences Between Opposite- and Same-Sex Attracted Adolescents in School Attendance, Work Status and Residence in the First Year after High School

The first year after high school is a transition period for many adolescents; they make decisions about college, work and where to live. Stigma associated with being a sexual minority in high school has been found to cause same sex attracted individuals to disengage with school, which could lead some to not pursue further educational and other opportunities. Little is known about the experience of adolescents who are sexually attracted to the same sex compared to those attracted to the opposite sex in their first year out of high school. Using data from the NEXT Generations Health Study, a nationally representative cohort recruited from US high schools in 10^th grade (2009–10 school year), self-reported sexual attraction was analyzed in relation to school attendance, work status, and place of residence during the first year post high school (Wave 4; 2013). Participants were categorized as opposite sex attracted (OS) or same sex attracted (SS), the latter included attraction to same sex, both sexes or questioning. The relationship between sexual attraction and residence (at home/not at home), school attendance (attending /not attending), and work status (working/not working) during the first year after high school was analyzed using three separate logistic regression models, each adjusted for design variables, gender, race/ethnicity, family affluence, and parental education level. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) are reported.

Participants (n=2106) were 59% (weighted) female, 61% white (of whom 5.9% were SS), 13% African American (11% SS), 20% Hispanic (10% SS), 93% OS and 6.8% SS. For 18 year olds, 7.6% were SS for 19 year olds 7.3%, and for 20 year olds, 9.7%. Over half of the sample (53%) was working, 69% were enrolled in a secondary school and 43% lived at home. Sexual attraction was found to be related to school attendance and work status, but not to residence. SS participants, compared with OS, were less likely to attend school post high school (OR=.43, CI=.25-.73), or to be employed (OR=.68, CI=.49-.96). There was no difference between the groups in their residence status (OR=1.0, CI=.62-1.8).

Previous research has focused on high school achievement or adult outcomes, and not on the differences between OS and SS individuals in relation to school attendance and work status. These results are the first to focus on the transition choices made by SS individuals after high school from a nationally representative sample. Differences in school attendance and work status could potentially be related to SS individuals delaying the transition to adulthood. Future research should investigate the robustness of the current findings and, subsequently, factors that might explain the differences in school and work status between these groups.