We hear often from parents that schools' view of their child's gender ID issues made an already complex situation worse.
We ask schools: please understand gender identity problems from a child development & mental health perspective, not solely as a minority rights issue 1/6
We ask schools: please understand gender identity problems from a child development & mental health perspective, not solely as a minority rights issue 1/6
Work with parents, and do everything to strengthen family bonds, not undermine them. Vulnerable adolescents need their parents, even as they may be railing against them. 2/6
It is staggering that schools need parental permission to take a pupil on a trip, yet can transition a child's gender without the parent's knowledge. Information-sharing is critical for safety. 3/6
Please recognise that social transition is an experimental psychological intervention with potentially far-reaching consequences that you are ill-equipped to intervene in without clinical oversight & the close involvement of parents . 4/6
Respect your pupil's search for meaning by doing all you can to keep a neutral space for uncertainty and exploration. Don't foreclose the opportunity for further change: these may be pupils working out their sexuality, or dealing with difficult feelings or past experiences. 5/6
Acknowledge that (1) teaching about minority gender identities (so pupils can participate as adults in a society that welcomes diversity & equal rights for all), and (2) supporting your own vulnerable pupils facing complex identity struggles, are fundamentally different. 6/6
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