​The Nebraska Psychological Association supports and applauds Lincoln Public Schools’ recent efforts to make schools safer and more supportive for transgender and gender diverse students by increasing teacher awareness of the challenges these children and youths face. Many transgender and gender diverse students experience high levels of harassment and even physical assault, including at school. Because children spend an average of 1,000 hours per year in school, making this environment more supportive to transgender and gender diverse youth would likely go a long way towards reducing the stress that accompanies the discrimination that  members of minorities often experience.  Reducing this stress would also benefit the achievement and health of these young people, because minority stress may result in depression, anxiety, and attempted suicide.  Making a more welcoming environment for transgender and gender diverse youth performs a great service to that population, while modeling the type of compassion that we hope to see in all our children.   

Additional information about transgender and gender diverse youth is available through the American Psychological Association website,http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/programs/transgender/index.aspx.The American Psychological Association and the National Association of School Psychologists recently adopted a Resolution on Gender and Sexual Orientation Diversity Among Children and Adolescents in Schools.
The public is encouraged to participate in screening events or take an anonymous depression screening online at www.HelpYourselfHelpOthers.org. There are screening programs geared specifically toward military personnel and their families, college students, employees and the general public.

To find out more about NPA visit www.nebpsych.org and follow us on Twitter at @NEPsychAssoc.