Introduction:
“Transgender” is a rather broad category, an umbrella term under which fall transsexuals (those who have made the transition to the other gender), cross-dressers, and gender benders/blenders. The term is generally used for those who seem to have transcended traditional gender paradigms.
Researcher Finessa Ferrell-Smith with the National Conference of State Legislatures writes (Ferell-Smith 2003) that although there is no standard or universally understood definition of bullying, there are usually elements common to each case: the pattern of behavior over time- repeated exposure to intentional injury inflicted by one or more students against another. This behavior includes physical contact, verbal assault, social ostracism, obscene gestures, or other aggressive acts that will cause fear and will distraught the victim, more serious instances of this can result in physical and emotional injury and trauma. A second common element is a perceived imbalance of power, which allows one student—or group of students—to victimize others.
The bullying, harassment and mistreatment of transgender youth by their peers and community is a common practice in the modern world, with serious- sometimes fatal- consequences. For many, these consequences are a result of not the bullying, but of something “inherently unhealthy” that stems from the result of being a member of the LGBT community. But recent studies, like those of Dr. Hatzenbuehler (Phd.) seem to lean towards the contrary. Such studies show that supportive, tolerant communities have lower transgender suicide rates than those communities where the youth did not receive proper care or support
This paper will attempt to explain the phenomenon of bullying transgender youth and will attempt to analyze the consequences of this bullying of the transgender youth by peers, on both the youth and society.
Incidence and Prevalence:
For a study conducted by Arnold H. Grossman (PhD., MSW) and Anthony R. D’Augelli (PhD), fifty five transgender youth reported on their life threatening behavior. Almost 50% reported considering suicide and almost a quarter reported suicide attempts. Similar factors leading to these decisions seemed to stem from previous parental abuse, low body esteem and peer’s views of them and their bodies. This seems to tie in very well with Dr. Hatzenbuehlr’s research which shows that supportive, tolerant communities have lower LGBTQ suicide rates than those communities where the youth did not receive proper care or support. The transgender youths faces the problem of not only developing personalities and social identities that will help shape their lives but also of developing sexualities at an already vulnerable age. In addition, the transgender community seems to face an added problem of being the invisible community because society assumes a binary classification of gender and sees any third party as social deviants. Exhibition of this a-typical behavior sees the transgender youth stigmatized as vulnerable populations, i.e. : social groups who can experience relatively more illness, premature death, and diminished quality of life than comparable groups, as they have been defined by Flaskerud and, while everyone agrees that discriminating on the basis of color, race, national origin, sex and level of ability are wrong, there remains no federal laws that protect the LGBTQ community- especially the youth- from being bullied inside and outside the classrooms. Almost all the youth who took part in the previously mentioned study stated that they lacked a safe environment, support access to healthcare and that they were concerned about safety issues related to being victimized by violence on “coming out” as transgender or that information being disclosed by others. Many were also afraid that the constantly faced verbal harassment and discrimination would escalate into physical or sexual abuse- the last in particular was a great concern, as they claimed to find themselves being constantly objectified sexually. This negative reaction also had severely harmful effects on their self esteem, a situation that is aggravated because of lack of health care- especially mental healthcare. A study conducted by the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network found that sexual harassment of LGBTQ students was a huge factor in the increase of negative physical symptoms (e.g., headaches, loss of appetite). LGBT youth who experienced high levels of bullying and harassment were at greater risk of getting STDs and HIV as adults. Those living in homophobic environments were found to have higher levels of stress hormones and 65% of middle/high school U.S. students report having been verbally and/or physically harassed or assaulted at school during the past year with middle and high school students reporting that sexual orientation and gender expression were among the top three reasons they were bullied. Statistics also show that LGBT students are more likely to be bullied and harassed than other students (90% vs. 62% of non-LGBT students harassed/assaulted in past year at school). Another study showed that large majorities reported both cyber-bullying (62%) and the theft or destruction of their property (67%) by peers
Interventions and/or Treatments:
Unfortunately, not much information is available on transgender youth. In the words of Mallon, who said that if the research on gay and lesbians persons is slim, the research on transgendered persons is almost non-existent. And without that information, it will prove difficult to provide any help or increase efforts for assistance of the LGBT youth. The victims of sexual harassment are generally seen as (and therefore, see themselves as) weak and most do not want to draw more attention to themselves. Those who feel oppressed therefore hide that oppression and the bullying therefore goes unreported. Even anti bullying policies are of no use if there is insufficient information to utilize them or improve them. There is a need for a comprehensive definition not only of Bullying and transgender, but of a comprehensive anti bullying and educational policy and framework that will allow institutions (state owned and educational) to assist these students, and provide them with the counseling they need in order to live their lives without fear. The media has an important role to play in this and need to play their part in order for the LGBTQ to have proper representation in the media thus allowing more awareness to be raised. Programs like the Trevor Project can only do so much without additional support.
References:
- Bullying Statistics (Para3) Retrieved from: http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/gay-bullying-statistics.html
- Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Para 2-Experiences with Violence) Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm
- D'Augelli , Anthony R. PhD ; Grossman, Arnold H. PhD., MSW.: Suicide and Life Threatening Behaviour. Volume 37, Issue 5, October 2007 Retrieved from: http://www-dev.csusm.edu/gsr/irb/irbforms/transyouth.pdf
- Ferrell-Smith, Finessa - National Conference of State Legislatures (Ferrell-Smith 2003)
- Flaskerud and Ungvarski-1999 (Introduction):
- Hannah, Daryl: LGBTQ Policy Journal at Harvard Kennedy School: 2011 Edition Shutting LGBT Students out: How Current Anti-Bullying Policies Fail America’s Youth Retrieved from: http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k78405&pageid=icb.page414495
- Hatzenbuehler, Mark. L. PhD.: A research study published in Pediatrics: The Social Environment and Suicide Attempts in Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Youth.
- Issues of LGBT Students, Retrieved from: http://transequality.org/Issues/education.html
- Mallon, 1999c
- National Centre for Education Statistics(2010)Report - National Center for Transgender Equality submitted to the US Congress– May 2011- titled: Peer Violence and Bullying Against Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Youth- Submission to the United States Commission on Civil Rights
- Stop Bullying Now (Para 2-4): http://www.stopbullyingnow.com/glbtyouth.htm
- The TransMuse Planaet-(Article) The New Bullies of Transgender People (Para 3) http://www.transmuseplanet.com/news/conservative-media-the-new-bullies-of-transgender- people/
- The Trevor Project- Educator Resources (Para 1-2): http://www.thetrevorproject.org/sites/default/files/educatorresourceguide.pdf
