The WoW Style

Adolescence is a time of transformation for everyone. Changing hormones and mounting academic and social pressures make it difficult for teens to accept and understand their situation. One of the changes that take place during adolescence is the formation of one’s sexuality.

Defining sexuality is difficult for anyone. However, when you’re homosexual, bisexual, or transgender, the added societal pressure presents challenges that heterosexual teens don’t face.

This article examines the challenges that transgender teens face. It first gives you an understanding of what it means to be a transgender person and how to approach your teens if they are transgender. It then defines what challenges transgender teens face so you can treat them appropriately.

Gender Identity Vs. Sex Orientation

Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same concepts. Sexual orientation refers to the type of people we feel physically or romantically attracted to. Gender identity refers to whether someone identifies as a male, female, or gender fluid. If someone is cisgender, it means they identify as the sex they received at birth.

Here, we must turn to the distinction between sex and gender. Sex refers to a human being’s anatomical and biological construction, while gender refers to societal constructed behaviors, expressions, and classifications.

Transgender Is Not a Mental Health Diagnosis

Identifying as a transgender person is no more a health condition than identifying as a cisgender. A significant difference between the two identities is that society treats transgender people differently than cisgenders.

Cisgenders also typically don’t struggle with their gender identification. They don’t work to reconcile their “assigned” or biological sex with their gender identity. This struggle is referred to as gender dysphoria.

Gender dysphoria occurs when the struggle between a transgender person’s assigned sex and their identification becomes strong enough to impair their ability to function. It may cause distress in their schoolwork, relationships, work, and social activities.

What Is Transphobia?

Transphobia is the fear, hate, disbelief, mistrust of transgender people or people whose gender doesn’t conform to traditional societal norms. Transphobia can be both subtle or egregious. People can manifest their transphobia in ways such as negative beliefs, derogatory comments, or bullying.

Bullying

Bullying is a problem for most teens at some point. However, because teens may not be familiar with transgender people, they may be more likely to ridicule or haze them. Transgender people are more likely than cisgenders to receive bullying.

• 73% of LGBTQI youth have experienced verbal threats because of their gender identity.
• 48% of these youths report being mocked or made to feel inadequate by family members because of their identity.

Depression

Increased bullying and rockier family relationships contribute to transgender mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety.

One study that examined 2,396 teens found a significant increase in the likelihood of depression in transgender compared to heterosexuals. The fear of judgment and social isolation that transgender people feel may contribute to their increased depression levels.

Mental Health Diagnoses

Another study found that transgender teens receive a disproportionate amount of mental health diagnoses compared to cisgender teens. The study showed that transgender teens were 3-13 times more likely to receive mental health diagnoses than cisgenders.

Transgender teens struggling more with their identity than cisgender teens could contribute to the increased diagnoses (it’s just one more thing to add to the adolescent maelstrom). Mental health professionals’ tendency to diagnose transgender as a mental health condition could also contribute to the disproportionate mental health diagnoses.

Stigmatization

If a teen comes out as transgender, their social circle will likely treat them differently. People tend to treat those who are different with fear and apprehension. Much of this stigmatization stems from transgender people’s families not accepting them for their new identity.

Many transgender people hear their friends talking negatively about them. They may also hear elected officials speak disparagingly about the LGBQTI community. It’s clear that we still live in a heteronormative society, and transgender people still have to fight ridicule and ostracisation.

Social Isolation

The stigmatization that occurs from society rejecting transgender people can give transgender people feelings of social isolation.

The teenage years are already a time when many kids feel disconnected from the world. As a transgender teen, you have the added feeling of isolation, knowing that society hasn’t normalized your identity.

Physical and Social Abuse

Studies show that being a gender minority increases the chances of being sexually assaulted. Many transgender teens report being forced to perform sexual acts against their will, and many of those same teenagers attribute the sexual assault to their gender identity.

Parenting a Transgender Teen

Parental support can eliminate or alleviate some of the isolation transgender teens feel. Here are a few tips for supportive parenting if you have a transgender teen. If you notice your teen struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, consider taking them to a teen residential treatment center.

• Use your teen’s preferred gender pronoun names.
• Address transphobia with your teen and encourage them to stick up for themselves, knowing they have a reliable support system.
• Educate yourself to try and build empathy toward your teen’s situation.
• Encourage teens to examine their sexual and gender identity.
• Always keep open communication with your teen.
• If you struggle with your teen’s identity, you should seek a counselor’s help so that you can work on those issues together, as a family.
• Make sure your teen has access to counseling and mental healthcare if they need or want it.
• Offer unconditional love and support. They are still your children. Treat them accordingly.

Using these tips will help you and your teen transition through this challenging time. There is an abundance of resources to help you and your teen cope through their challenging formative years. Take advantage of them.

Conclusion- The Challenges of Being a Transgender Teen

Being a transgender teen adds to an already complex process. Dealing with high school social dynamics, discovering your identity, and forming your sexuality isn’t an easy business for anyone. However, transgender teens have it especially difficult since much of society doesn’t accept them.

It’s crucial for you, as a parent, to be the role model for your child. Serve as a guiding influence for your transgender teen on their journey toward self-actualization. It’s not easy for anyone, and you should never treat it as such.