Transgender Youth: Mental Health & Schooling
Every student has the right to a safe, nondiscriminatory learning environment in which they can confidently thrive in.
In recent years conservative politicians have been pushing to enact policies that restrict the rights transgender adolescents have. Subsequently, the rise of depression, anxiety, and suicidality1 has increased among transgender2 youth at an alarming rate.
These policies and legislation have worked to affirm the atrocious rates of bullying and harassment LGBTQA+ students face.
Heteronormativity & Cisnormativity
The challenge faced by many individuals is that the effective implementation of laws and policies safeguarding the rights of LGBTQA+ students is hindered by prevalent biases such as homophobia, transphobia, heteronormativity3, and cisnormativity4. Heteronormativity is the idea that “heterosexuality is the norm and privileges over any other form of sexual orientation”. Similarly, cisnormativity is the idea that being “cisgender is the norm and privileges over any other gender identity”. These two biases in particular leads people to believe that it is ‘unnatural’ or even ‘immoral’ to be LGBTQA+.
This is coupled with the belief that children shouldn't have autonomy over their own gender identity leads to many citizens being transphobic and homophobic towards LGBTQA+ students. As a result of these prejudices, major stakeholders influence legislation that discriminates against LGBTQA+ students in hopes to silence their identity. This leaves arguably one of the most vulnerable populations, LGBTQA+ students, left to face ridicule and discrimination within their own learning environments, expediting the effects of mental illness.
“LGBTQ youth are not inherently prone to suicide risk because of their sexual orientation or gender identity but rather placed at higher risk because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized in society”
The Development of forming an Identity
Erik Erikson’s identity vs role confusion typically occurs during the adolescent years of 12 to 18 years of age. It is in this stage that youth search for a sense of personal identity through an intense exploration of beliefs, values, and goals.
This is often characterized by:
Rebellion: questioning and challenging authority
Exploring different identities: trying out different roles, interests, hobbies,
Risky Behavior: engaging in risky behavior like substance use, unprotected sex, etc
Independence: may seek more independence to develop their sense of autonomy and agency
(note these are just some of the behaviors adolescents may display, there are many more, and some may display these behaviors at varying degrees)
We all experience this exploration of who we are, who we want to be, and how our identity fits into our family, community, and greater society.
In order for an adolescent to develop a strong stable sense of identity, they need supportive relationships in which they are accepted for who they are. These relationships can include, family, friends, peers, teachers, mentors, etc.
~~this is a baseline, of what straight, cis-gendered individuals typically experience~~
Transgender adolescents face additional heightened challenges during this stage of development.
Alongside the typical themes and behaviors displayed during this period of development transgender youth experience :
Difficulty with self-exploration: May struggle with self-exploration and self-acceptance, particularly if they are experiencing gender dysphoria or facing discrimination and stigma from others
Social rejection and isolation: May face rejection and isolation from peers, family, friends, authority figures, etc.
Identity conflicts: May experience conflicts between their gender identity and the expectations and norms of their social environment.
This additional layer of self-discovery, acceptance, and stigma can make it difficult for transgender (and LGBTQA+) youth to form supportive relationships which is crucial for healthy development.
Harassment in School
Alongside the difficulties of being a teenager, gender-nonconforming5 students are at higher risk of victimization. As a result, they felt less safe in school, and are three times more likely to miss school. In fact, 83% of transgender students have experienced some form of harassment or assault as a result of their identity.
These students are constantly being bullied and experiencing harassment not only from their peers but from teachers as well. Unfortunately, this doesn’t come as a surprise since 58% of students reported hearing homophobic remarks from their own teachers or school administration.
Picture this – you awake at 7 am, and you manage to roll out of bed with just the perfect amount of time you need to get ready before catching the bus. You dread getting dressed every morning, because you know that you have to wear a school uniform that doesn't feel right. It's tailor-made for someone you're not.
As you put on the uniform, you feel a sharp pain in your chest, a constant reminder that you’re not comfortable in your own skin. You push through the pain and force yourself out of the house, hoping that today will be different. Maybe people will be kinder today, or maybe they'll at least leave you alone.
But as soon as you step on the bus, you hear the familiar sound –bigoted remarks coming from behind. You try to ignore them and find a seat, but you can feel the stares and whispers of the other students following you. As the day ensues, you try to focus on your studies, but you can't. You can’t seem to shake off the feeling of discomfort and isolation.
It's exhausting, but you keep going. As the day goes on, you try to avoid drawing attention to yourself. But just as you think you’ve made it through the day without incident, you hear a school administrator make a transphobic remark that you can't help but overhear.
Your heart sinks as you realize that even the people who are supposed to protect you and create a safe environment are a part of the problem.
But aren’t LGBTQA+ students protected under Title XI?
Title IX is a federal law that prohibits any form of sex discrimination in any public school or education program that receives federal funding.
Back in 2014, the Obama Administration clarified that this law also protects transgender students. However, a recent case involving Gavin Grimm, a transgender boy who was denied access to the boys' bathroom in his high school in the Gloucester school district, showed that Title IX alone is not enough.
After Grimm's case was brought before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, they ruled that the school district was violating both Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause. This was a historic decision that confirmed the Obama Administration's official guidance on Title IX.
However, the school board in Gloucester county did not back down and petitioned for the Supreme Court to hear the case. At the time, the Trump administration had rescinded the previous guidance that the Obama administration had issued to protect transgender rights.
Unfortunately, the Supreme Court denied hearing the case. This decision prevented the Grimm case from setting a precedent for other cases involving discrimination against students across the United States.
Given the result of this case, it is clear that other legislation needs to be passed that explicitly states the protection of LGBTQA+ students from discrimination.
So how can we protect LGBTQA+ students?
As we have seen, Title IX is ineffective in protecting all LGBTQA+ students in the United States. In order to combat this discrimination, it is suggested to pass the “Student Non-Discrimination Act” (SNDA). This bill would prohibit “discrimination in public schools based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity”. This bill would give LGBTQA+ students similar protections and rights against harassment as those given to students based on race and gender.
Local policies within school districts also need to rescind the exclusionary dress code policies. Implementing inclusive dress code policies that are not gender-segregated, will give students the right to dress according to their gender identity. The creation of local policies that allow students to go by their preferred names6 and pronouns will allow students to affirm their gender identities.
Lastly, in order to combat the lack of education surrounding LGBTQA+ topics, it is recommended to reward districts with additional funding if they hold LGBTQA+ competency training for their teachers, administration, and staff. These training and seminars would be led by LGBTQ+ community leaders and professionals.
Oftentimes, school districts attempt to resolve these system problems by just going after individual “bullies”. Although helpful, just doing this ignores the underlying systemic issue. It does not address the environment as a whole that allowed this form of discrimination to exist in the first place. Because of the lack of policy protecting LGBTQA+ students, the frequency of their discrimination has increased.
The consequences of failing to address discrimination against LGBTQA+ individuals in educational settings are significant. Not only will it result in inadequate education for these youths, but it will also lead to increasing levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Therefore, it is crucial to recognize the pervasive nature of this problem and the devastating impact it can have on their mental health. Ultimately, every student has the right to a safe and nondiscriminatory learning environment in which they can confidently thrive.
the risk of suicide, usually indicated by suicidal ideation or intent, especially as evident in the presence of a well-elaborated suicidal plan
a person whose gender identity differs from the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth
the assumption that heterosexuality is the standard for defining normal sexual behavior and that male–female differences and gender roles are the natural and immutable essentials in normal human relations
assumption is the assumption that everyone is, or ought to be, cisgender
a person whose behavior or appearance does not conform to prevailing cultural and social expectations about what is appropriate to their gender
the use of a name, usually a first name, that is different from a person's legal name (sometimes known as a chosen name, a nickname, or a name-in-use)