As Kansas Lawmakers Try to Ban Trans Care, Data Shows Trans Teens Face Greater Mental Health Risks | KCUR

WICHITA, Kan. — Transgender students are more likely to be bullied and miss school because they feel unsafe, according to the first attempt to collect national data on transgender teens.

THE 2023 survey on risky behavior among young people This is the first time the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asked students if they identify as transgender. The survey is conducted every two years among approximately 20,000 students in grades nine through 12.

According to the report, about 3 percent of U.S. high school students identify as transgender, and 2 percent question their gender identity.

The survey found that trans teens and those who question their gender face much higher rates of bullying, depression and suicidal thoughts or behavior than other teens.

In 2023, nearly three-quarters of transgender students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and 1 in 4 students attempted suicide.

The CDC survey is the first to collect data on student well-being since more than half of U.S. states have passed laws restricting gender-affirming care for minors.

In Kansas earlier this year, Republican lawmakers passed a bill it would have prevented anyone under 18 from receiving hormone therapy and other gender-affirming treatments. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly vetoed the legislationand although the Kansas Senate voted to override his veto, the House fell two votes short of the required two-thirds majority.

If the bill had passed, it would have banned gender-affirming care for minors and prohibited state employees from supporting “social transition,” which is defined as including a person changing their preferred pronouns or his way of dressing.

Miles Wilson, a student at East High School in Wichita, led a protest on his school lawn last spring, urging the governor to veto the bill. He said anti-trans legislation and attacks on gender-affirming care negatively affect trans children and adolescents.

“If we had full access to the health care we need and the support around us, we wouldn’t have this high percentage of mental health problems,” Wilson said of the new survey results.

“These… problems are not caused by the fact that we are trans. It’s because so many people around us don’t accept it.

The federal report showed that about 40% of trans and gender-questioning students reported bullying, compared to 20% of cisgender girls and 15% of cisgender boys.

About 25% of trans and gender-questioning students skipped school in the past 30 days because they felt unsafe, compared to 15% of cisgender girls and 8% of cisgender boys.

Transgender students are also more likely to feel disconnected or isolated. About 36% of trans teens reported feeling close to others at school, compared to 51% of cisgender girls and 62% of cisgender boys.

And more trans students live in unstable housing: about 11% of trans teens, compared to about 2% of cisgender teens.

The 2023 survey also included questions about racism in schools, unfair discipline and how often students used social media.

The report calls on educators to support trans teens by enforcing anti-harassment policies, supporting inclusive student-led clubs, and identifying safe spaces and people.

“Activities that include LGBTQ+ students are associated with decreased risks (of violence and poor mental health) among all students, regardless of gender identity,” the report states.

Wilson, the senior at Wichita East High, said he feels supported by his family members and close friends. But he worries that many trans students often feel isolated at school.

“It’s difficult to live in a world that you know works against you most of the time,” he said.

Suzanne Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.

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