Protecting LGBTQ+ Children and Youth

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) children and adolescents, an often-invisible population, frequently viewed as “different” by their own families and in fact by society as a whole, are at high risk for neglect, abuse, and violence from family members and from within the child welfare systems that are designed to protect them. Self-identified LGBTQ+ children and youth, and those perceived to be because of gender expansiveness, reported that they were the victims of abuse, neglect, and violence. LGBTQ+ youth are disproportionately impacted by multiple forms of trauma, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, dating violence, sexual assault, and peer violence. The practices of child protection have made significant contributions to how systems respond to maltreated youth’s needs. However, LGBTQ+ youth are largely excluded from many child protection conversations.