nancy mullen, msw executive director, youth outlook andrea drott, msed youth leadership coordinator

Nancy Mullen, MSWExecutive Director, Youth Outlook

Andrea Drott, MSEdYouth Leadership Coordinator

Not-for-profit agency providing supportive, social, educational and recreational services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender variant, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) youth since 1998 in DuPage, Kane, Whiteside and DeKalb Counties of IL

Youth Outlook is the only not-for-profit that is dedicated solely to LGBT youth in our service area

www.youth-outlook.org

Direct service to LGBT youth:Drop-in Centers

Youth Leadership

Indirect service to LGBT youth:Community Education

Youth Outlook, 2011

Erikson—Adolescence as the crisis state: The search for identity must be resolved in order to successfully transition to the next stage

Ryan and Futterman– “During adolescence, males and females begin to consolidate adult identity.”


Identity Formation

Personalit

y

Gender Identity

Sex Roles

Sexual Orientation

4 Factors Compose the Sense of Self

(Ryan and Futterman, 1998)www.youth-outlook.org

Individual traits of a person, can be considered collectively

▼ Sensitivity ▼ Intellectually gifted▼ Impatient▼ Sense of humor▼ Easily bored or distractible▼ Shy▼ Aggressive


One’s sense of being male or female

Thought to be established by about age 3


Expectations of and beliefs about female and male behavior, usually established between ages 3 and 7

▼ Clothing ▼ Toys▼ Sports▼ Educational pursuits▼ Career choices▼ Relationship roles


▼ Sexual attractions and behaviors, thought to be established by early childhood

▼ Most children and youth are assumed to be heterosexual.


The average age that gay and lesbian youth “come out” = 13

The average age that gay and lesbian youth begin self-identifying = 5 to 7 years old

Center for American ProgressThe Federal Response to Gay and Transgender Homeless Youth

June, 2010


▼You know what makes you YOU +▼you are female +▼your insides match your outsides +▼you accept what moms and dads do +

▼you know who you are attracted to +▼you know what to do with that attraction =



Early

Adole

scen

ce

Middle

Adoles

cence

Late

Adolescenc

e

confusion

compari

son

toleran

ce

accepta

nce

pride

synthe

sis

▼6 stages in Looking at Gay and Lesbian Life (Blumenfeld and Raymond, 1988)

▼4 stages in Gay and Lesbian Youth Care & Counseling (Ryan and Futterman, 1998)


1. Identity Confusion2. Identity Comparison3. Identity Tolerance4. Identity Acceptance5. Identity Pride6. Identity Synthesis

From Vivienne Cass’ work

1. Sensitization2. Identity Confusion3. Identity Assumption4. Commitment

From RR Troiden


What’s happening with our youth?


Younger adolescents

Highly publicized and gruesome reports of LGBT youth suicide

“Other-ing”


Youth Outlook, 2011www.youth-outlook.org

The average age that gay and lesbian youth “come out” = 13

The average age that gay and lesbian youth begin self-identifying = 5 to 7 years old

Center for American ProgressThe Federal Response to Gay and Transgender Homeless Youth

June, 2010


Youth coming out at younger ages have, based on developmental models, less time for cognitive abilities to develop

Fewer, less developed coping skills to handle harassment and maintain intact self-identity

Potential for homelessness, mood disorders and risk-taking behaviors


Billy Lucas

Seth Welsh

Asher Brown

Tyler Clementi

Raymond Chase


Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US but it is the 3rd leading cause of death among youth and young adults, ages 10 to 24.


Centers for Disease Control, 2010

Suicide is a complex behavior impacted by individual, social and family structures.

There are RISK FACTORS but no identified causes.


Previous attempt(s) Firearm ownership Isolation Hopelessness Impulsivity and recklessness Family discord and dysfunction


LGB Youth are 1.5 to 3 times more likely to report suicidal ideation than heterosexual youth

LGB youth are 1.5 to 7 times more likely to have attempted

LGB youth from highly rejecting families are up to 8 times more likely to attempt


Higher death rates have not been established.


Are you a good witch or a bad

witch?


Physical AnatomyGender Identity

Gender PresentationOrientation


Courtesy of Deb Wilke, Courtesy of Deb Wilke, LCPCLCPC

Compassionate CounselingCompassionate Counseling

Bolingbrook, ILBolingbrook, IL


Physical AnatomyPhysical Anatomy

♂♂ ♀♀People who People who are intersexedare intersexed


Gender IdentityGender Identity

♂♂ ♀♀People who are People who are transgendertransgender


Gender PresentationGender Presentation

♂♂ ♀♀AndrogynAndrogynyy


Sexual OrientationSexual Orientation

HeterosexuHeterosexualal

HomosexualHomosexualBisexual,Bisexual,

Asexual,Asexual,

PansexuPansexualal

What do we know about timing and the development of the

brain when things really begin “heating up” for LGBT youth?


Historically, LGBT people have been…

CriminalizedPathologizedDemonized


All kids, not just the gay ones, are growing up in a world that seems

very happy to publicly ridicule, shame and reject LGBT people.

All kids are absorbing the message that this is ok.


84.6% of LGBT students report being verbally harassed

40% report being physically harassed

18.8% report being physically assaulted

GLSEN 2009 National School Climate Surveywww.youth-outlook.org

61% report feeling unsafe in school because of their orientation

39.9% feel unsafe because of their gender expression


29% of LGBT students missed class at least once

30% missed at least one day in the last month


Center for American Progress, June 2010


Complex-two youth experiencing the same stressor do not respond the same way

Synergistic-the effect of a single factor increases with additional factors

Dynamic-the effect changes over time


Orientation Gender variance Gender expression variance Victimization Lack of support Family problems Suicide attempts of friends


Homelessness Substance use Isolation Psychiatric disorders Abuse is repetitive

and severe Fewer protective

factors

Gender nonconformity1

Internal conflict about sexual orientation2

Time of coming out3

Early coming out4

Low family connectedness5

1. Fitzpatrick et al. 2005; Remafedi et al. 1991

2. Savin-Williams 1990 3. D’Augelli et al. 2001 4. Remafedi 1991

Youth Outlook, 2011

Lack of adult caring5 Unsafe school5 Family rejection6

Victimization7

Stigma and discrimination8

5. Eisenberg & Resnick, 2006 6. Ryan et al., 2009 7. Bontempo & D’Augelli 2002; Russell & Joyner 2001

8. Meyer 1995


More risk factors or more severe ones: Unsafe school Rejection/abuse within family Victimization Previous attempt(s) Exposure to suicide loss

Specific to or mostly relevant to LGBT youth: Gay-related stress and minority stress Gender nonconformity Internal conflict regarding sexual orientation


Increasing the protective factors is found to be more effective than reducing the

risk factors.Archives, Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 153 (6)


Mission◦Youth Outlook is committed to creating a

safe, supportive, and respectful environment for youth, whether they identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender-variant, questioning or queer. Youth Outlook’s programs facilitate ongoing personal growth, and the development of a positive identity for the people we serve.

Vision◦Youth Transforming the Future!

Four+ Locations

Ages 14-18 and 16-20

Social, recreational, educational

Structure

LGBT specific

Non-LGBT specific

Youth Outlook to-go

Benefits to Youth Outlook

◦Ownership

◦Peer to peer

◦New Ideas

Benefits to Youth Involved

◦Leadership skills

◦Helping Behaviors

◦Mentor opportunities

Recruitment

◦Application◦Interview

Training

◦Youth Outlook◦Communication◦Group Dynamics

Assist in Drop-in centers

Outreach

Fundraising

Additional Events

“It gave me the confidence and the experience that I feel that I needed.”

~22 year old, bisexual, transman

School Gay Straight Alliance

In-service

Help others

Share stories

“It gave me a sense of who I wanted to be, and what I wanted to be.”


Utilizing opinion leaders as a source of education for peers.

HIV prevention Bystander programs

“It gave me something to do, something to care about, something to stay alive

for.”~24 year old, bisexual, transman

The individual student must be considered as a whole person.

Each student is a unique person and must be treated as such.

The student's total environment is educational and must be used to help the student achieve full developmental potential.

The major responsibility for a student's personal and social development rests with the student and his/her personal resources.

The individual student must be considered as a whole person.

“LGBT people are everywhere and they could be anyone. They aren’t this separate group of

people.” ~ 23 year old, gay man

Each student is a unique person and must be treated as such.

“Give students the opportunity to be who they are, don’t make them fit into boxes

that work better for you.”~24 year old, bisexual, transman

The student's total environment is educational and must be used to help the student achieve full developmental potential.

“[Youth Outlook was responsible for] planting the seeds to the long process of

accepting myself.” ~23 year old, queer, woman

The major responsibility for a student's personal and social development rests with the student and their personal resources.

“It was the only long term source of stability in my life that even when I strayed I knew that I could go back whenever I wanted/needed and

my presence would be welcomed and celebrated.”

~23 year old, queer, woman

Higher rate of family acceptance as protective factor

High vs. Low Acceptance of LGBT children◦Ethnicity◦Immigration status◦Occupation status◦Religious affiliation

“I didn’t plan on having much of a future while I was in high school until Youth Outlook.”


Family Acceptance in Adolescence ◦Young adult positive health outcomes

◦Protective factor for negative health outcomes

“Having my mom there from the beginning on my side is probably what

kept me around.”~22 year old, bisexual, transman

“I very much feel that Youth Outlook saved my life in that I don’t think I would have made it all the way through high school with as depressed as I was, without finding that niche. I don’t think I would have been able to stop self-injuring without the support of the friends that I had made at Youth Outlook, or the staff that showed genuine concern without reprimanding me as my parents did- while their concern was genuine, accompanied by threats and anger [it] means nothing.”


“If it wasn’t for Youth Outlook I wouldn’t be the person I am today, they have changed me in ways that I can’t even begin to describe, but in ways that I will forever be grateful. And I wish that more people can be able to experience that.”

~21 year old, pansexual, gender neutral

Recommendations for Practice◦ Ask LGB adolescents about family reactions to

their sexual orientation and gender expression and refer to LGB community support programs for supportive counseling as needed.

◦ Identify LGB support programs in the community and online resources to educate parents about how to help their LGB children. Parents need access to positive parental role models to help decrease rejection and increase family support for their LGB children.

Advise parents that negative reactions to their adolescent’s LGB identity may negatively influence their child’s health and mental health

Recommend that parents and caregivers modify highly rejecting behaviors that have the most negative influence on health concerns, such as suicidality.

Expand anticipatory guidance to include information on the need for support and the link between family rejection and negative health problems in LGB young people.

PFLAG◦ National non-profit organization with over 200,000

members and supporters and over 350 affiliates in the United States.

University Resources◦ Consortium of Higher Education Lesbian Gay

Bisexual Transgender Resource Professionals! Our goals are to support colleagues and develop curriculum to enhance this work; to seek climate improvement on campuses; and to advocate for policy change, program development, and establishment of LGBT Office/Centers.

“It would be nice to go to a doctor who is at least aware of what transgender is. If I’m coughing up a lung, I don’t want to have to give a lesson.”


“Youth Outlook would be a breath of fresh air in my week. There for me throughout my coming out process. Everyone being very supportive.”

~22 year old, gay, man

“Most importantly it let me know that I wasn't alone.”

~24 year old, queer, man

“I come from a background of bigotry and bi-polar disorder, just being in attendance brought just the sense of belonging that I know has kept others and myself from self-destruction.”

~24 year old, queer, woman

“People fear what they don’t understand. But instead we should

replace fear with knowledge. Just learn.”

~21 year old, pansexual, gender neutral

Thank you!Contact information:

Nancy [email protected]

Andrea [email protected]


nancy mullen, msw executive director, youth outlook andrea drott, msed youth leadership coordinator

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