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Abstract
The author addresses social work practice with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) youth. Identity development, including disclosure and the emergence of sexuality are discussed, along with family and school issues. Particular emphasis is given to a number of risk factors that GLBT youth encounter: emotional distress, isolation, internalized homophobia/transphobia, depression, substance abuse, suicide, violence/victimization, family conflict, school performance, and sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. Guidelines for social work practice with GLBT youth are presented.
This article explores social work practice issues with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) youth, defined here as young people from the ages of 12 to 21 years old. Adolescence, in general, is a challenging time of development, and it is all the more challenging for young people who are GLBT. In this article the challenge of developing a positive GLBT identity as a sexual minority youth is explored. Questions of disclosure, or coming out, are examined in conjunction with identity development. Challenges encountered in the family system and school environment are addressed. In addition, issues pertaining to the emergence of sexuality as well as the to consideration of diversity when working with this population are reviewed. Particular emphasis is given to a number of risk factors that GLBT youth encounter: emotional distress, isolation, internalized homophobia/transphobia, depression, substance abuse, suicide, violence/victimization, family conflict, school performance, and sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. I conclude the article with a section on guidelines for social work practice with GLBT youth.
Adolescent Development
Adolescence is a transition time from childhood to adulthood. Accordingly, adolescents actively engage the process of figuring out who they are as "no-longer-children, but not-yet-adults" throughout this transition process. Perhaps the most salient developmental task of adolescence is that of developing a sense of identity (Erikson, 1950, 1963). Included in this process are tasks such as thinking about a career, fitting into a peer group, developing social skills, coping with increasing independence, and dealing with emerging sexuality. Developing a positive identity within a heterocentric social environment can be especially challenging for GLBT youth because there are often severe social penalties, such as ostracism, taunting, and even violence, for not conforming to socially approved dating practices and gender expression norms.
GLBT Adolescent Development
Adolescent development for GLBT youth can be...