Study points out the major obstacles to professionals who work with LGBTI+ children and teens

Lack of trust in services and lack of specific training are the main obstacles perceived by most professionals working in the field of gender self-determination of children and adolescents in Portugal. These are the first results of a study carried out by a team from the Centre for Social Studies (CES) of the University of Coimbra (UC).

The study is part of the project "Diversity and Childhood (DaC) - Changing social attitudes towards gender diversity in children across Europe", a consortium that brings together 30 researchers from 9 European countries. The project aims to diagnose and intervene to combat discrimination affecting LGBTI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and other orientations) children and adolescents in five areas: school, health, media, public spaces and child and family support services.

"The lack of resources is evident, especially in terms of training and information for professionals involved in the implementation of the law on self-determination [Law No. 38/2018, of 7 August, amended in 2019]. This creates obstacles to the equal treatment of this population in areas such as education, health, family intervention, media and public and community spaces," says Ana Cristina Santos, coordinator of the Portuguese team.

According to the preliminary results of the study, carried out through a survey - the first European survey focused on gender diversity in childhood - a fact "that should make us reflect is the total absence of LGBTI + subjects in the academic and curricular training of most of these professionals, with more than half of them admitting never to have subsequently upgraded their knowledge or received specific training for working with LGBTI + children and adolescents", stresses the CES principal investigator.

These findings, she says, "highlight the need for sexual and gender diversity training for professionals in all sectors. In fact, among the factors that most hinder the intervention are the lack of training to work specifically with LGBTI + children and adolescents (81.2%), the lack of knowledge about positive practices / LGBTI + resources (78.3%), the lack of knowledge of technicians about the services available (69.8%) and LGBTI + issues in general (66.7%) and the lack of services for LGBTI + children (60.9%). In fact, 40% of the professionals who responded to the survey are "not aware of the existence of any local, regional or national service aimed at LGBTI + children and adolescents".

Looking at the education sector, the study shows that 73% of the professionals surveyed say they have never received any training that would enable them to support an LGBTI + student in school. "Equally alarming is the fact that more than half of these professionals say that they do not have access to specific resources or policies for LGBTI + children in the institution where they work, in order to guarantee a comprehensive and adequate intervention," the researcher said.

In the health sector, the most worrying conclusion, according to Ana Cristina Santos, is related to the lack of trust in services: three quarters of the health professionals who participated in the study "consider that the main difficulty that LGBTI + children and adolescents face in accessing health care is the lack of trust in services. Therefore, there is an urgent need to implement patient-centred policies that allow for a close and trusting working relationship, so that LGBTI + children and adolescents perceive the doctor's office as a safe, inclusive and non-violent space".

In light of the results of this research, the CES expert warns that there is still a way to go in terms of "creating and promoting safe spaces for LGBTI + children. Therefore, the success of the law on gender self-determination depends on the implementation of LGBTI + action plans in institutions to support an effective intervention with these children and adolescents".

Launched in 2019, the Diversity and Childhood project is funded by the European Commission until 2021. In Portugal, the research team is made up of Ana Cristina Santos (coordinator), Mafalda Esteves (co-coordinator) and Alexandra Santos, and is supported by the Ministry of Education, the LGBTI Youth Association and the EXAEQUO network.

^{Translation by Diana Taborda}