School Psychologists’ Awareness, Training, Attitudes, and Supportive Practices With Transgender Youth

Abstract

School psychologists have an important role to ensure that schools are safe and inclusive learning environments for all students, family members, and school staff. Transgender and gender variant youth are at high risk of experiencing peer victimization, academic underachievement, lower motivation to pursue secondary education, experience of mental health problems, substance abuse, and suicidality (GLSEN, 2017). Thus, school psychologists have an ethical responsibility to meet the unique social, emotional, and academic needs of diverse populations of students, including sexual minority and gender-nonconforming youth (National Association of School Psychologists [NASP], 2010). The purpose of this study was to assess school psychologists’ awareness about the experiences of transgender youth, attitudes towards transgender individuals, and professional practices with transgender students. A series of multiple linear regression equations were used to examine predictors of school psychologists’ awareness, attitudes, and professional practices related to transgender youth. Predictor variables included training, attitudes toward supportive school practices, attitudes towards transgender youth, and current practices. Training predicted higher levels of awareness and engagement in current practices, awareness towards transgender experiences predicted current practices, attitudes towards supportive school practices predicted awareness and attitudes, and engagement in supportive practices predicted attitudes. School psychologists reported overall low levels of training experiences, positive attitudes towards supportive school practices with a moderate level of implementation, positive attitudes towards transgender youth, and moderate levels of awareness about transgender experiences. These findings call for the need to increase training opportunities and implementation of supportive school practices.