Social Equity

Education Equity

Access to equitable school opportunities and experiences, regardless of background, race, socioeconomic circumstances, gender, and ability, is essential to ensure that every student has the support and resources necessary to attain their educational goals. This access – or lack thereof – has consequences for other intersecting social equity indicators.

For 2021, slightly larger shares of women than men held at least a high school diploma and at least a bachelor’s degree in all three counties.

In all three counties, there was also a gap in educational attainment by race and ethnicity for both the high school and bachelor’s degree levels. In Lackawanna County, almost 31 percent of White non-Hispanic residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher compared with 11 percent of Hispanic residents and 13 percent of Black residents. In Luzerne County, these shares were nearly 25.5 percent, nearly 13 percent, and nearly nine percent, respectively. In Wayne County, these rates were 20 percent, almost 19 percent, and almost two percent for White non-Hispanic, Hispanic, and Black residents respectively.

Health Risk Factors and Outcomes

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines health equity as the “attainment of the highest level of health for all people.” Numerous inequities contribute to disparities in health risk factors and the health status of Pennsylvanians. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has named “achieving health equity, eliminating disparities, and improving the health of all groups” a top priority.

Those who have less than a high school education face greater incidences of poor physical health, heart attack, heart disease or stroke, diabetes, and poor mental health than people with high school diplomas or higher. Although adults across all levels of education had similar rates of depressive disorder diagnoses, those with college educations had a slightly lower rate. Individuals without high school diplomas are also likelier than others to have low physical activity and use tobacco.

Those who identify as Black non-Hispanic and Hispanic have higher rates of reported poor physical health than those identifying as White non-Hispanic. They also have higher reported rates of diabetes and poorer mental health. However, those identifying as White have higher reported rates of heart attack and heart disease or stroke as well as higher rates of reported depressive disorders. Black individuals were likelier than others to report no leisure time physical activity.

Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual have a significantly higher rates of poor mental health and reported depressive disorders – 35 percent and 45 percent, respectively. They also have a higher rate of tobacco smoking – 21 percent compared to 15 percent.

Trauma and Resilience

According to the CDC, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are events or circumstances that may be traumatic to children during the first 18 years of life. Examples of ACEs are experiencing violence, abuse, neglect, intimate partner violence, living with family members with mental health or substance abuse problems, and parental incarceration. Mitigating these experiences and improving equity by linking community members to the resources they need will, in turn, foster resilience.

Across Pennsylvania in 2021, 22 percent of residents lived with someone who was depressed, mentally ill, or suicidal before they were age 18. One-quarter lived with someone who was a problem drinker or alcoholic before they reached age 18. Thirteen percent, before age 18, lived with someone who used illegal street drugs or abused prescriptions. Nine percent, before age 18, lived with someone who was sentenced to serve time in prison.

Those identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, Black non-Hispanic, or Hispanic were likelier than others to have Adverse Childhood Experiences. This includes 51 percent of lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults who lived with someone depressed, mentally ill, or suicidal before age 18 compared with 22 percent overall. It also includes 35 percent of those with very low incomes who lived with a problem drinker before age 18 compared to 25 percent overall. The percentages who had lived with someone sentenced to prison was 20 percent and 18 percent among Black non-Hispanic and Hispanic adults (respectively) compared to just seven percent for White non-Hispanic adults.

Intimate partner violence was also most common among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults, as well as women, younger adults, and those with incomes under $15,000 per year.

Hate Crime

An offense committed with motivation based on bias constitutes a hate crime. In Pennsylvania, a hate crime is defined as “a criminal act motivated by ill will or hatred toward a victim’s race, color, religion, or national origin.” At the federal level, hate crime laws include “crimes committed on the basis of a victim’s perceived or actual race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability.”

Hate crimes increased in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties from 2021 to 2022. In 2021, there were four reported hate crimes in Lackawanna County. That number rose to nine in 2022. In 2021, there was one reported hate crime in Luzerne County. That number rose to three in 2022. The number in Wayne County remains unchanged, with one report in 2021 and one report in 2022. There was a decrease in reported hate crimes statewide, with 287 reported in 2022, but this number remains higher than levels seen several years ago.

Between 2018 and 2022, the majority of hate crimes in the three-county region were motivated by race, ethnicity, or ancestry (50 percent), followed by disability (20 percent), religion (15 percent), and sexual orientation (10 percent). Compared to the statewide distribution, the region had a larger share of hate crimes motivated by disability, including four of the nine statewide during that time.

LGBTQIA+ Equity

Promoting social equity in both the public and private sectors can be advanced by first understanding a variety of indicators across the LGBTQIA+ population. As of 2022, four percent of adults in Pennsylvania identify as LGBTQ+ and they represent five percent of the workforce. Twenty-seven percent of the LGBTQIA+ population aged 25 and over are raising children.

The most recent statewide LGBTQIA+ health needs assessment found that those who identify as LGBTQIA+ have a higher rate of unemployment and a higher rate of being uninsured than people who identify as heterosexual and cisgender. Additionally, people in the LGBTQIA+ community have a significantly higher rate of food insecurity and a higher rate of income below $24,000. Respondents also noted various barriers to care for their physical health. These barriers include the fear of a negative reaction to their LGBTQIA+ identity, lack of proximity to LGBTQIA+ affirming health providers, insurance that does not cover LGBTQ-affirming physical health care, and others, such as cost. Furthermore, 38.5 percent noted barriers to seeking mental health care.

With regard to self-reported lifetime experiences, a significant majority (nearly 62.5 percent) have experienced discrimination based on LGBTQIA+ status, over 50.5 percent contemplated suicide, and 48 percent have had thoughts of self-harm.

While just over half of those identifying as LGBTQIA+ in Pennsylvania often or always feel respected for their LGBTQIA+ identity (almost 56 percent), nearly 30 percent only feel respected sometimes, and 14.5 percent never or rarely feel respected. The majority self-reported that they often (nearly 33 percent) or sometimes (36 percent) receive the social and emotional support they need (rather than those who always receive such support – 10 percent).