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Article
Re-examining LGBT Resources on College Counseling Center Websites: An Over-time and Cross-country Analysis
Journal of Applied Communication Research
  • Christopher J McKinley, Montclair State University
  • Yi Luo, Montclair State University
  • Paul J. Wright, Indiana University - Bloomington
  • Ashley Kraus, Indiana University - Bloomington
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-1-2014
Disciplines
Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students continue to perceive a hostile climate on college campuses. For students facing these challenges, the university college counseling center website (CCW) may serve as a critical resource. This study provides an updated content analysis of the prevalence of LGBT communication on CCWs. Results showed that there remains a lack of LGBT-specific information about services provided on US CCWs. Furthermore, over-time analyses of 2008 and 2013 data showed that there have been no significant increases in any LGBT communication, and CCWs from religious schools continue to provide significantly less LGBT-related communication than nonreligious institutions. Separate analyses of UK CCWs showed that these websites were more likely than US CCWs to make any mention of LGBT issues but less likely to note group counseling services, links to LGBT-specific pamphlets, and educational outreach services offered. Overall, given attractive features of online health information, as well as the extent that students value CCWs, institutions must pursue stronger efforts to promote LGBT-related web counseling information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published Citation
McKinley, C. J., Luo, Y., & Wright, P., & Kraus, A. (2015). Re-examining LGBT Resources on College Counseling Center Websites: An Over-time and Cross-country Analysis. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 43, 112-129. DOI: 10.1080/00909882.2014.982681
Citation Information
Christopher J McKinley, Yi Luo, Paul J. Wright and Ashley Kraus. "Re-examining LGBT Resources on College Counseling Center Websites: An Over-time and Cross-country Analysis" Journal of Applied Communication Research (2014)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/christopher-mckinley/35/