Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Mailstop US 8-1, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
Department of Sociology, Georgia State University, Director of LGBTQ Programs & Services, Shippensburg University, 2022 Deerfield Commons, Shippensburg, PA, 17257, USA.
J Sch Health. 2021 Nov;91(11):883-893. doi: 10.1111/josh.13086. Epub 2021 Sep 17.
Transgender youth report high rates of negative experiences in schools. Using a lens of minority stress, this study sought to examine in-school experiences of transgender youth to understand youth coping and to identify key opportunities for improving school environments for transgender youth.
Participants included 41 youth across 33 in-depth interviews (M = 21.7) and two focus groups (N = 8; M = 17.3). Thematic analysis was used to analyze data. Themes related to stress, coping, and facilitators/barriers to stress/coping were derived and coded.
Distal stressors, such as structural discrimination and prejudice events, were found to contribute to the exclusion of transgender youth from school life, while proximal stressors, such as concealment and expectations of rejection, reinforced transgender youth's feelings of personal isolation. Participants expressed coping with both challenges by advocating for inclusion through direct action with teachers and administrators and seeking/finding connection with trusted staff and peers.
Findings suggest that creating safe and supportive environments at school for transgender youth is an attainable goal, as all identified barriers to inclusivity and connection were modifiable. By considering the needs of transgender youth in policies and programming, schools may improve climate for and wellbeing of transgender students.
跨性别青年在学校中报告了大量负面经历。本研究从少数群体压力的角度出发，探讨了跨性别青年在学校中的经历，以了解青年的应对方式，并确定改善跨性别青年学校环境的关键机会。
参与者包括 33 次深度访谈中的 41 名青年（M=21.7）和 2 次焦点小组（N=8；M=17.3）。采用主题分析法对数据进行分析。得出与压力、应对方式以及压力/应对的促进因素/障碍相关的主题，并进行编码。
研究发现，远距离压力源，如结构性歧视和偏见事件，导致跨性别青年被排斥在学校生活之外，而近距离压力源，如隐瞒和预期被拒绝，加剧了跨性别青年的个人孤立感。参与者通过与教师和管理人员直接采取行动倡导包容，以及与信任的工作人员和同伴寻求/建立联系，来应对这些挑战。
研究结果表明，为跨性别青年创造安全和支持性的学校环境是可以实现的目标，因为所有被确定为阻碍包容和联系的障碍都是可以改变的。通过在政策和项目中考虑跨性别青年的需求，学校可以改善跨性别学生的氛围和幸福感。
