Gender Affirmation in Childhood: Protective factors and strategies
Funding:
Australian Research Council Discovery Project
Project ID: DP240101695
About this project:
The research is funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery grant (2024-2027). The research aims to explore children’s and young people’s gender affirmation in the early years of life. Gender affirmation is viewed as the process when trans and gender diverse (TGD) people commence living their gendered self. It is an interdisciplinary investigation into gender, gender diversity, and gender affirmation from multiple perspectives and experiences from key stakeholders including TGD children and young people aged 5-17, their parents or guardians, TGD children’s allies (aged 5+), healthcare professionals and trainees, and early childhood, primary and secondary school teachers and pre-service teachers.
The research aims to identify protective factors and strategies to minimise distress experienced by TGD children, young people and their families. The research has a focus on building culturally safe and supportive practices via improving awareness and understandings about gender and gender affirmation in the early years, and co-developing resources for parents and guardians and service providers, such as healthcare professionals and educators.
Project Aims:
- Gain a greater understanding of gender affirmation in childhood and for young people through the perspectives of multiple key stakeholders: TGD children, parents/carers, children’s peer allies, health care professionals (HCPs) and Educators;
- Describe the complexity of gender and gender identity through the perceptions, understandings, and experiences of TGD children, their families, and TGD children’s allies;
- Identify socio-cultural, political, and medical discourses influencing understandings of gender, gender diversity, gender affirmation in childhood, decision making, and professional practices related to working with TGD children amongst HCPs and educators.
- Translate findings into online resources, co-developed with key stakeholders, to support and inform TGD children, their families, cisgender peer allies, HCPs, and educators, and to inform local, national, and international policies and practices on working positively with TGD children and families.
Research Methodology and Project Phases:
The Researchers:
- Distinguished Professor Kerry H. Robinson – Western Sydney University (she/her/they)
- Dr Cristyn Davies – The University of Sydney (she/her)
- Professor Rachel Skinner – The University of Sydney (she/her)
- Dr Sav Zwickl – University of Melbourne (they/them)
- Dr Justin Canty - University of Tasmania (he/him)
- Aleasa Kermode - Western Sydney University, Research Fellow (they/she)
- Dr Samantha Ryan - Western Sydney University, Research Fellow (she/her)
Contact Us:
Project email: GAC@westernsydney.edu.au