1. La Trobe University & the University of New England
FROM BLUES TO RAINBOWS: The mental health and well-being of gender diverse and transgender young people in Australia
La Trobe University & the University of New England
AUSTRALIA
EVIDENCE
Background
Results
Recommendations
Historically, transgender and gender diverse people face social and legal barriers that restrict their freedoms and dignity. United Nations international human rights principles and new Australian national legislation now provides protection for people on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status. Much past research on gender diverse and transgender young people has psycho-medical frames or focused on victimization. From Blues to Rainbows: The mental health and well-being of gender diverse and transgender young people in Australia aimed to redress the absence of positive, resilience-focused research for gender diverse, and transgender young people. It relied heavily on community consultation and inter-organisational collaboration to access participants in a sensitive and appropriate manner.
Half the participants identified with trans/female-to-male/male-to female identities, over a third as non-binary, 11% were questioning.
A third “always knew” their identity.
Whilst 77% had socially transitioned (role & presentation) and 7% aspired to, only 27% had medically transitioned (hormonal treatments and surgeries) and 33% aspired to.
61% had sexual identities not defined by gender like queer and pansexual.
Gender diverse and transgender students attended all types of Australian schools: 67% attended government schools, 16% independent, 18% Christian.
The study found:
9% of participants had their gender reflected on school documents, 41% aspired to.
Almost two thirds experienced transphobic verbal abuse, one fifth physical transphobic abuse. Mostly (40%) on the street, 38% at school.
Over 90% of those who experienced physical abuse considered suicide.
91% engaged in activism, 62% did so to make themselves feel better.
Participants who did not feel supported by their teachers were over four times more likely to leave school than those with teachers support. Inclusive schools were those where leadership and teachers tried to address students with their preferred pronouns, were flexible about uniform and toilet arrangements, took a stand against bullying and aimed to be accommodating to the individual’s needs and supported students’ activism.
Recommendations to schools and educational professionals:
To train teachers and school leadership, through adequately funded programmes, in appropriate and supportive behaviour and language toward gender diverse and transgender students.
To sensitively respond to students’ needs for appropriate, private and safe toilet facilities.
To develop and promote school uniform policies that allow transgender and gender diverse young people to appropriately express their gender identity.
To provide access to wellbeing support staff.
To provide inclusive sexuality education programmes, combined with appropriate training for current staff to deliver such programmes.
To proactively provide support and policies, rather than waiting for these issues to arise.
To create an environment where students feel safe to advocate for their own needs and rights.
To ensure that all counsellors and student wellbeing staff deliver confidential support.
Recommendations to support services:
To provide easily accessible support to transgender and gender diverse young people on multiple platforms, including face-to-face and online.
To provide education and peer-led support for parents.
To create spaces where young people can bring their voices to the community in a safe manner.
To recognize the unique needs and challenges experienced by gender diverse and transgender young people.
Methodology
The 2014 study combined an online survey and interviews. In total 189 gender diverse and transgender young people participated in the online survey, and 16 attended real-time online interviews. They were aged between 14 and 25 years with an average age of 19. Overall, 55% were either studying, or studying and working, and 16.5% were unemployed.
The project aimed to:
Increase understanding of a diverse range of identity elements from the perspective of young people;
Gather evidence regarding risk and protective factors for depression, anxiety, self harm and suicide in young people with diverse gender identities, and understand how these protective factors can be fostered; and
Explore help-seeking patterns for these young people both online and offline and explore their experiences of health services, education, social networks and social/activist groups; and
Smith, E., Jones, T. et al. (2014). From Blues to Rainbows. Melbourne, Australian Research Centre in Sex Health and Society.
Contact
Other publications
Dr. Tiffany Jones
University of New England
Jones, T Policy and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Students. Springer: Cham, Heidelberg, New York, Dordrecht and London.
Jones, T., Gray, E. and Harris, A GLBTIQ teachers in Australian education policy: protections, suspicions, and restrictions. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning. Vol 14, No. 3.
Jones, T., and Hillier, L The Erasure of Bisexual Students in Australian Education Policy and Practice. Journal of Bisexuality. 14 (1). Jones, T Comparing rural and urban education contexts for GLBTIQ students. Australian and International Journal of Rural Education. Accepted 12 March 2014.
Jones, T. (2013). Understanding Education Policy. Dordrecht: Springer.
Jones, T. and Hillier L Comparing Trans-Spectrum and Same-sex-Attracted Youth in Australia: Increased Risks, Increased Activisms. Journal of LGBT Youth, Vol. 10, No. 4.
Jones, T How sex education research methodologies frame GLBTIQ students. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, Vol 13, No. 6.
Jones, T. and Hillier L Sexuality education school policy for GLBTIQ students. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, Vol. 12, No. 4.
Hillier, L., Jones, T., Monagle, M. et al Writing themselves in 3: the third national study on the sexual health and wellbeing of same sex attracted and gender questioning young people. Melbourne, La Trobe University.