Transgender Youth and Healthy Relational Skills (original) (raw)
Related papers
Research priorities for gender nonconforming/transgender youth
Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Obesity, 2016
This review summarizes relevant research focused on prevalence and natural history of gender non-conforming / transgender youth, and outcomes of currently recommended clinical practice guidelines. This review identifies gaps in knowledge, and provides recommendations foci for future research. Recent findings-Increasing numbers of gender nonconforming youth are presenting for care. Clinically useful information for predicting individual psychosexual development pathways is lacking. Transgender youth are at high risk for poor medical and psychosocial outcomes. Longitudinal data examining the impact of early social transition and medical interventions are sparse. Existing tools to understand gender identity and quantify gender dysphoria need to be reconfigured in order to study a more diverse cohort of transgender individuals. Increasingly, biomedical data are beginning to change the trajectory of scientific investigation. Summary-Extensive research is needed to improve understanding of gender dysphoria, and transgender experience, particularly among youth. Recommendations include identification of predictors of persistence of gender dysphoria from childhood into adolescence, and a thorough investigation into the impact of interventions for transgender youth. Finally, examining the social environments of transgender youth is critical for the development of appropriate interventions necessary to improve the lives of transgender people.
Transgender Youth: Invisible and Vulnerable
This study used three focus groups to explore factors that affect the experiences of youth (ages 15 to 21) who identify as transgender. The focus groups were designed to probe transgender youths' experiences of vulnerability in the areas of health and mental health. This involved their exposure to risks, discrimination, marginalization, and their access to supportive resources. Three themes emerged from an analysis of the groups' conversations. The themes centered on gender identity and gender presentation, sexuality and sexual orientation, and vulnerability and health issues. Most youth reported feeling they were transgender at puberty, and they experienced negative reactions to their gender atypical behaviors, as well as confusion between their gender identity and sexual orientation. Youth noted four problems related to their vulnerability in health-related areas: the lack of safe environments, poor access to physical health services, inadequate resources to address their mental health concerns, and a lack of continuity of caregiving by their families and communities.
Health and Well-Being of Cisgender, Transgender and Non-Binary Young People
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Young transgender and non-binary individuals (TNBI) are exposed to situations of discrimination and have a greater risk of violence. The purpose of this study is to analyze which protective, violence and health and well-being factors have more influence on TNBI compared to cisgender people. The sample comprised 856 youth between 14 and 25 years old. A survey including questions about sociodemographic information and protective, violence and health and well-being factors was designed ad hoc for this study. The results show the non-binary group received the least support from family and friends, higher risk of suffering cyberbullying, and many feel isolated and unhappy. TNBI have suffered more verbal attacks both inside and outside their school and physical attacks at school than cisgender young. These results are important because they may contribute to the promotion of public policies and clinical interventions that favor the integration of TNBI in our society.
Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 2020
Transgender youth experience a variety of risk and resilience factors that impact their wellbeing. However, the research on these factors rarely includes the personal perspectives or authority of transgender youth. To address this gap, we collaborated with a transgender youth advisory board to conduct qualitative interviews with 19 transgender youth (15-22 yearsold). Participants lived in two Midwestern states to provide the perspective of transgender youth often missed by research. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and resulted in three categories of advice: challenges are real, have pride, and you are not alone. Participants acknowledged that challenges are a salient aspect of growing up as a person who is transgender but provided advice for their peers to persevere, feel proud of their identities, and support development and wellbeing through connections to others. Findings provide important implications for practitioners working with transgender youth and researchers aiming to promote resilience and reduce risk. Additionally, providing opportunities for transgender youth to participate in research as the experts and share their perspectives may also help promote resilience.
Working with Transgender Young People and their Families: A Critical Developmental Approach
Journal of GLBT Family Studies, 2020
This series brings together scholars from a range of disciplines who have produced work which both informs the academy and, crucially, has realworld applied implications for a variety of different professions, including psychologists; psychiatrists; psychotherapists; counsellors; medical doctors; nurses; social workers; researchers and lecturers; governmental policy advisors; non-governmental policy advisors; and peer support workers, among others. The series critically considers intersections between sexuality and gender; practice and identity; and theoretical and applied arenasas well as questioning, where appropriate, the nature or reality of the boundaries between them. In short, it aims to build castles in the sky we can live in-after all the view is nothing, without a place to stand.
Sexual and Romantic Experiences of Transgender Youth Before Gender-Affirmative Treatment
Pediatrics, 2017
In various Western countries early medical gender-affirmative treatment has become increasingly available for transgender adolescents. Research conducted before the start of medical gender-affirming treatment has focused on psychological and social functioning, and knowledge about the sexual health of this specific young group is lacking. Gender identity clinics referred 137 adolescents: 60 transgirls (birth-assigned boys, mean age 14.11 years, SD 2.21) and 77 transboys (birth assigned girls, mean age 15.14 years, SD 2.09; P = .05). A questionnaire on sexual experiences (kissing, petting while undressed, sexual intercourse), romantic experiences (falling in love, romantic relationships), sexual orientation, negative sexual experiences, and sexual satisfaction was administered. Experiences of the transgender adolescents were compared with data for same-aged youth of a Dutch general population study (N = 8520). Of the transgender adolescents, 77% had fallen in love, 50% had had a roma...
ACT for ( Trans ) Youth , Part 1 Growing Up Transgender : Research and Theory
2010
As transgender identities become increasingly visible, those who work with and those who love trans youth seek resources to understand what it means to grow up “trans.” With little to guide us, adults may fall back on outdated theories or confuse transgender and gay identities. This article offers an introduction to current research and theory behind transgender identity formation, and suggests a framework for understanding gender that moves beyond a rigid binary system. Part two of this series will focus on moving from risk to resilience with trans youth.
Challenges Faced by LGBT Youth
The LGBT youth population is one of the most marginalized and diverse groups in America. The complex challenges they face, both internal and external vary amongst them and are manifested in myriad ways. Some of those challenges, such as understanding one’s identity, are exacerbated by the struggles inherent in transitioning into and out of adolescence; other trials, such as those faced by transgender youth, are directly due to the onset of puberty and the inability to reconcile one’s internal sensations with one’s new physical manifestations. This paper examines those struggles and offers suggestions on how counselors and other support persons such as teachers, family members and clinical therapists can assist them in negotiating confusion and anxiety often associated with the coming out process, revising ways of connecting in social contexts, increasing their sense of self-efficacy and self-esteem, while staying safe in schools and their communities.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2018
Introduction: Important mental and physical health disparities exist for transgender and gender diverse youth compared with cisgender youth (i.e., those whose birth-assigned sex and gender identity align), yet little is known about factors that protect transgender and gender diverse youth from health problems. The objective of this paper is to identify modifiable protective factors in the lives of transgender and gender diverse adolescents, with the goal of informing efforts to eliminate disparities in depression, suicidality, and substance use in this population. Methods: Secondary data analysis of the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey examined associations between eight protective factors (connectedness to parents, adult relatives, friends, adults in the community, and teachers; youth development opportunities; and feeling safe in the community and at schools) and depression, suicidality, and substance use (alcohol, binge drinking, marijuana, nicotine) among 2,168 adolescents who identified as transgender, genderqueer, genderfluid, or questioning their gender. Logistic regressions assessed the role of each protective factor separately and simultaneously.
Beyond the tipping point: Modifying the five C's to empower transgender and gender expansive youth
Youth Voice, 2018
Transgender people have entered an unprecedented moment of visibility in American society and across the globe. However, transgender and gender expansive youth remain vulnerable to family rejection, harassment at school, and discrimination in healthcare and employment. Positive Youth Development (PYD) is an established framework for strengths-based practice with young people that is focused on helping youth develop the skills they need to become healthy, productive adults. In this manuscript, we reconceptualize the 5 C’s of PYD to address the unique needs and experiences of transgender and gender expansive youth. We also provide specific guidance for empowering service providers to help these young people thrive in the face of marginalization and oppression.