Gay and lesbian high school students are considerably more likely than their straight peers to be sexually assaulted and bullied, according to the first nation-wide study of its kind.

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey of 15,000 students found that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) young people were at greater risk of depression, addiction and poor academic performance.

According to the survey, LGB students were more likely to report the following compared to heterosexual classmates:

• Being physically forced to have sex - 18 per cent vs 5 per cent
• Experiencing sexual dating violence - 23 per cent vs 9 per cent
• Experiencing physical dating violence - 18 per cent v 8 per cent
• Being bullied at school - 34 per cent vs 19 per cent
• Being bullied online - 28 per cent vs 14 per cent

More than 40 per cent of LGB students said they had seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months, with 29 per cent reporting having attempted to take their lives.

LGB students were fives times more likely than their peers to report using illegal drugs, according to the study conduced by the government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While most LGB students cope with adolescence successfully, the report says, the findings show that schools, communities and families have an important role to play in supporting young people.

“I found the numbers heartbreaking,” said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, a senior official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the New York Times.

“Nations are judged by the health and well-being of their children. Many would find these levels of physical and sexual violence unacceptable and something we should act on quickly.”

Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? Follow TES USA on Twitter and like TES USA on Facebook.