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ERIC Number: EJ1189888
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Sep
Pages: 3
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0164-775X
EISSN: N/A
Safe School Environments for Transgender Students
DuBois, Coraline; Losoff, Rachel
Communique, v44 n1 p1, 20-21 Sep 2015
Transgender students have unique and intense needs to be addressed for a safer and more inclusive school experience. Experiencing harassment and feeling unsafe at school can lead to negative educational outcomes, such as depression, victimization, poor academic outcomes, substance abuse, school avoidance, risky sexual behavior, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behavior. School psychologists are essential in reversing some of these negative outcomes and can start by acknowledging transgender students' rights. This article discusses how school personnel can create a safe school environment for transgender students by (1) displaying supportive signs and posters; (2) promoting supportive student clubs; (3) setting up gender-neutral facilities; (4) creating therapeutic places where students can seek refuge; (5) creating safe zones; and (6) developing sensitive classrooms. This article describes how staff in a high school on the outskirts of Chicago began the process of establishing a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) advisory committee. The LGBTQ advisory committee was developed and included an administrator, dean, safety staff, athletic director, operations staff, counselor, department chair, school psychologist, school psychologist interns, teachers (including one Gay-Straight Alliance sponsor), and social workers. The purpose of the LGBTQ advisory committee was to create policies aimed at fostering a safe and discrimination-free school environment for all students, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
National Association of School Psychologists. 4340 East West Highway Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814. Tel: 301-657-0270; Fax: 301-657-0275; e-mail: publications@naspweb.org; Web site: http://www.nasponline.org/publications/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: Counselors
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Illinois (Chicago)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A