scholarly journals Connected, Respected and Contributing to Their World: The Case of Sexual Minority and Non-Minority Young People in Ireland

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1118
Author(s):  
András Költő ◽  
Aoife Gavin ◽  
Elena Vaughan ◽  
Colette Kelly ◽  
Michal Molcho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Minority Youth ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Youth Policy ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
Bisexual Youth ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Gender

Outcome 5 of the Irish Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures national youth policy framework (“Connected, respected, and contributing to their world”) offers a suitable way to study psychosocial determinants of adolescent health. The present study (1) provides nationally representative data on how 15- to 17-year-olds score on these indicators; (2) compares sexual minority (same- and both-gender attracted youth) with their non-minority peers. We analyzed data from 3354 young people (aged 15.78 ± 0.78 years) participating in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in Ireland. Age and social class were associated with the indicators only to a small extent, but girls were more likely than boys to report discrimination based on gender and age. Frequency of positive answers ranged from 67% (feeling comfortable with friends) to 12% (being involved in volunteer work). Sexual minority youth were more likely to feel discriminated based on sexual orientation, age, and gender. Both-gender attracted youth were less likely than the other groups to report positive outcomes. Same-gender attracted youth were twice as likely as non-minority youth to volunteer. The results indicate the importance of a comprehensive approach to psycho-social factors in youth health, and the need for inclusivity of sexual minority (especially bisexual) youth.

scholarly journals Children’s Perceptions of Their Access to Rights in Wales: The Relevance of Gender and Age

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 781-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacky Tyrie ◽  
Gary Beauchamp
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Political Influence ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Legal Rights ◽  
Children's Perceptions ◽  
Children’S Perceptions ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
Qualitative Focus Groups ◽  
And Gender

This paper explores children’s perceptions of gender and age as factors in accessing their rights. While much is known about the policy agenda and legal rights of children in Wales (Williams 2013), there is limited evidence about the experiences of children themselves. This article uses the child-friendly, ten Extending Entitlements (The National Assembly for Wales, 2000) to measure children’s experiences of accessing their rights. Data presented was collected from an online quantitative survey (2,043 participants) and qualitative focus groups (180 participants) with young people aged 11 to 17. Findings suggest that a child’s age and gender are related to how much young people felt able to access their rights. A number of other key trends emerged: the lack of knowledge regarding rights of young people; the difficulty of accessing rights for older young people; and adults’ treatment of young people in propagating gender stereotypes. It could be suggested that if these equality issues exist in Wales, where the legal and policy framework is supportive of children’s rights, that in other nations where a rights based agenda has less political influence, that children’s experiences of rights will be further limited.

Sexual and Reproductive Justice for LGBTQI Youth in Policy Responses Across Eastern and Southern Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Lynch ◽  
Finn Reygan
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Minority Youth ◽  
Reproductive Justice ◽  
Policy Narratives ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
Eastern And Southern Africa ◽  
And Gender

Both significant progress and profound backlash have occurred in the inclusion of sexual and gender diversity across eastern and southern Africa. This includes the decriminalization of homosexuality in Mozambique in 2015 and the introduction of the Anti-Homosexuality Act (later annulled) in Uganda in the preceding year. Simultaneously there is increased pressure on Ministries of Education to engage more robustly with sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) education in education systems across the region. Emerging regional research points to a narrow, heteronormative focus in comprehensive sexuality education; access barriers to sexual and reproductive health services; and pervasive school-related gender-based violence, including homophobic and transphobic violence. Civil society organizations (CSOs) play a key role in developing best practice in advancing the SRHR of sexual and gender minority youth and are therefore a valuable resource for government SRHR policies and programmatic responses. The regional SRHR education policy landscape is underpinned by two policy narratives: that of young people’s SRHR as a public health concern and a focus on young people’s human rights. These policy narratives not only underpin SRHR policy in the region but also in many instances are drawn on in CSO advocacy when positioning the SRHR of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) young people as an important policy concern. These two dominant policy narratives, however, have a narrow focus on young people’s risks and vulnerabilities, may inadvertently perpetuate stigma and marginalization of LGBTQI youth, and may limit youth voice and agency. These narratives also do not sufficiently engage local sociocultural and structural conditions that drive negative SRHR outcomes for young people in the region. Research, advocacy, and policy development toward the full realization of the SRHR of sexual and gender minority youth can address some of the limitations of health and rights-based policy narratives by drawing on a sexual and reproductive justice framework. Such a framework expands the policy focus on health risks and individual rights to include engagement with sociocultural and structural constraints on young people’s ability to exercise their rights. A sexual and reproductive justice framework provides a more robust toolkit when working toward full inclusion of sexual and gender diversity in regional school-based SRHR policy and programs.

Gender minority youth: Shifting the paradigm from risk to resilience

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
E Vaughan ◽  
A Költő ◽  
D Ravikumar ◽  
C Kelly ◽  
S Nic Gabhainn
Keyword(s):  
Protective Factors ◽  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Gap Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Individual Risk ◽  
Youth Policy ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Complex Picture ◽  
And Gender

Abstract Background Discourse on the lives, health, and well-being of transgender and other gender minority (TGM) youth frequently revolves around narratives of risk and victimisation. While TGM youth undeniably face many challenges, such singular discourses belie a more complex picture of TGM youth lives and problematically position them as passive victims rather than as social subjects with agency. Methods The “LGBTI+ Landscape and Knowledge Gap Analysis” aimed to systematically map research evidence on sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth in Ireland and other European countries. A scoping review methodology was employed in which the systematic concept searches were linked to the five outcomes of Ireland's Better Outcomes, Better Futures national youth policy framework, which in turn are aligned with the fifteen objectives of the Irish LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy. Results One hundred and twenty-six pieces of evidence were included in the final sample for analysis, which were mapped to the fifteen objectives of the National Youth Strategy. Particular attention was given to the positive aspects and protective factors identified throughout the literature. The evidence showed that while TGM youth disproportionately experience stigma, discrimination and unequal health outcomes, there were sources of resilience at the micro-, meso-, and macro- levels that serve as protective factors against health inequalities. Conclusions Discourse that focuses exclusively on the ‘at-riskness' of trans and gender minority young people presents a one-dimensional perspective that fails to capture the reality and richness of their lives. Over-emphasising individual risk factors may obscure the structural and social factors that underpin the health inequalities experienced by TGM youth.

scholarly journals Youth Motivations for Program Participation

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 7-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenifer K. McGuire ◽  
Jodi Dworkin ◽  
Lynne M. Borden ◽  
Daniel Perkins ◽  
Stephen T. Russell
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Youth Programs ◽  
Minority Youth ◽  
Sexual Minority Youth ◽  
Personal Goals ◽  
Program Participation ◽  
Opportunities To Learn ◽  
Demographic Groups

Through their participation in youth programs, young people have access to opportunities to learn and build important skills. A total of 214 youth between the ages of 10-19 (mean 15.5 years) completed an online survey about characteristics of youth programs they participated in, didn’t participate in, and had participated in but quit. We found that youth participated in activities that provided a benefit to meet personal goals or develop skills. However, our findings suggest that youth may leave activities, or never join them, based on different sets of motivations than the reasons they stay in activities. There was variability across demographic groups: Males reported more problems with past activities, sexual minority youth were more likely to endorse social problems with past and never joined activities, and ethnic minorities reported less support for personal goals and connection to adults in current activities and more logistic barriers for activities never joined.

scholarly journals The Prevalence of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth in the Justice System: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 999-1019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa R. Jonnson ◽  
Brian M. Bird ◽  
Shanna M. Y. Li ◽  
Jodi L. Viljoen
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Minority Youth ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
And Gender

Theoretical models, such as the minority stress model, suggest that sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth may be overrepresented in the justice system. However, few studies have examined rates of SGM youth in the system, and even fewer have compared them with rates of these youth in the broader community. To obtain a more accurate estimate, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 31,258 youths and compared rates of SGM youth in the justice system with those in the community. Contrary to claims that SGM youth are overrepresented generally, this review suggests that sexual minority girls, specifically, are disproportionally involved in the justice system. Rates of involvement appeared to differ across ethnic subgroups of sexual minority youth, and evidence is inconclusive regarding the prevalence of gender minority youth in the system. Implications of these findings for researchers and justice system professionals are discussed.

scholarly journals Intimate Partner Violence Experiences of Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents and Young Adults Assigned Female at Birth

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah W. Whitton ◽  
Christina Dyar ◽  
Brian Mustanski ◽  
Michael E. Newcomb
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Minority Youth ◽  
Coercive Control ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Cyber Abuse

Sexual and gender minority youth, especially those assigned female at birth, are at risk for intimate partner violence (IPV) due to minority stressors. With a sample of 352 sexual and gender minority youth assigned female at birth (ages 16–32), we aimed to describe IPV in this population, including the prevalence, directionality, frequency, co-occurrence, and demographic correlates of various IPV types. Rates of past-6-month IPV were high, with victimization and perpetration of minor psychological IPV most common (64–70%); followed by severe psychological, minor physical, and coercive control (21–33%); and severe physical and sexual IPV (10–15%). For cyber abuse and IPV tactics leveraging anti-sexual minority stigma, victimization (12.5% and 14.8%, respectively) was more common than perpetration (8% and 5.7%, respectively). Most IPV was bidirectional and occurred 1–2 times in 6 months, although the frequency varied considerably. Latent class analyses revealed that half of the participants reported no or minimal IPV; one-third experienced multiple forms of psychological IPV (including coercive control); and 10–15% reported psychological, physical, sexual, and cyber abuse. Racial minority youth had higher rates of most IPV types than White participants. We hope study findings will inform policies and interventions to prevent IPV among gender and sexual minority youth assigned female at birth.

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