Abstract: Gender Identity and Homelessness Experience Among Trans-Identified High School Students in Los Angeles (Society for Social Work and Research 22nd Annual Conference - Achieving Equal Opportunity, Equity, and Justice)

Schedule:

Friday, January 12, 2018: 8:44 AM

Mint (ML 4) (Marriott Marquis Washington DC)

* noted as presenting author

Ankur Srivastava, MPhil, PhD Student, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Eric Rice, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Background: Transgender youth report a higher prevalence of homelessness compared to their cis-gendered peers, and increased risk of being victims of violence in homeless youth housing facilities. Moreover, homelessness further limits transgender individuals access to mental health and medical care and leads to negative outcomes. The current study reports on trans-identified high school populating and in-group differences in their gender identity, expression, sexual orientation. In addition, we also hypothesize that transgender youth in our sample, compared to their cis-gendered counterparts, will report higher rates of homelessness.

Methods: A supplemental survey to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey with a focus on homelessness and sexual health was administered (N= 1,615) with adolescents from Los Angeles public high schools. Multivariate OLS and logistic regressions assessed the associations between transgender identity and past year homelessness and type of homelessness.

Results: 7.2% of the youth in the sample identified as transgender, with 50% as trans-man and 38% as trans-woman. The trans-sample varied on accounts of sexual orientation, gender performance, and sex of the partner. Majority of transgender men and women identified persons reported identifying as heterosexual (straight), though one-fifth of transgender women reported being not sure of sexual orientation. Controlling for sexual orientation, transgender and male adolescents were more likely to experience any homelessness. Among those who reported any type of homeless experience, transgender youth were more likely to report staying in a public place than their cis-gender counterparts. In addition, sexual orientation was found to be associated with staying with a stranger, in a shelter, and but not with staying in a public place.

Conclusion: Programs and practices directed towards sexual minority youth, may not necessarily address issues of transgender youth, and in specific in-group differences among transgender. Schools need to prioritize on homeless prevention and outreach to sexual minority and transgender youth, and understand these as distinct populations.