BISMARCK, ND (KXNET) — A first-of-its-kind report released by North Dakota health agencies is finding that LGBTQ youth are at higher risk of physical, emotional, and sexual harm in our state. Health officials say this report is a call to action for the state government to provide direct intervention. The report was released last week by Harbor Health Initiative and Faye Seidler Consulting. The study compiled data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Researchers found that LGBTQ youth not only experience higher amounts of trauma, they also experience a lack of access to food, housing, and support. The study also found that a disproportionate amount of LGBTQ youth struggle with suicidal thinking and self-harm, with the rates sometimes being double to triple what's found in heterosexual populations. REAL ID deadline draws close for North Dakotans LGBTQ youth are also much more likely to suffer bullying and sexual violence compared to youth who are straight, with the rates once again sometimes being as high as double to triple. "All young people that we work with," said YouthWorks Assistant Executive Director, Mark Heinert, "we believe really strongly deserve to have a safe place to belong and a safe place to be heard. And it really should not matter. It should not matter in any way, shape, or form what their race is, what their sexual orientation is, what their gender identity is, all of us deserve to have a safe place." YouthWorks is a health service that provides everything from transitional living for homeless youth to family services. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Today's Top Stories SIGN UP NOW