Youth Development Insight

By Joseph Rand Want to ensure youth are learning? Start with safety and be a learner yourself. Young people who don’t feel social, emotional and physical safety have a hard time learning. LGBTQ youth who are marginalized fall into this category much of the time. The 2017 School Climate Survey from Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) indicates that victimization in schools based on gender expression and sexual orientation had remained steady since the previous survey in 2015. LGBTQ students experiencing discrimination and harassment: Are more likely to miss school. Are more likely to face discipline in school. Are less likely to attend post-secondary education. Have lower grades. Have lower self esteem. While some forms of harassment trended downward, harassment based on gender expression has risen. So has the frequency of negative remarks regarding gender expression from school staff. Though there are more Gender Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) than befor...

By Joseph Rand It’s nice to say you’re an ally to marginalized groups, but what actions are you taking to create change? “Ally” is a verb, and requires action. So if you want to be an ally for youth, you have to speak up! I was reminded of this by a speaker at the Ohio 4-H LGBTQ+ Summit recently. How are you making marginalized groups like LGBTQ+ youth and families feel included? One simple way is through inclusive language. The Human Rights Campaign reports that 92% of LGBT youth say they hear negative messages about being LGBT; the top sources are school, the internet, and peers. GLSEN reports that that rate is higher for rural and suburban students than it is for urban students. We as youth development professionals must ensure that out-of-school-time spaces are safe and inclusive. Here are four actions you can take to be an ally. Think of ways to separate groups or label activities other than than boys and girls Reinforcing this binary can be damaging to youth who...

By Karen Beranek We know that young people take risks. An image of a group of teens drinking, smoking or skipping school may instantly form in your mind when you think about risky behavior. But risk-taking is not necessarily something to avoid. Teen brains are programmed for experimentation . We must build a culture of healthy risk-taking for youth. Research shows us that young people need to reach outside their comfort zones to try new things in order to reach their potential. Taking healthy risks is a normal part of positive youth development .