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Counseling issues with gay and lesbian adolescents

Adolescence, Winter, 1996 by Janet H. Fontaine, Nancy L. Hammond

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Such work begins the process of advocacy for these students. However, these behaviors are not without risk for the school counselor, since homophobic school boards and parents can apply pressure to prevent such "encouragement of the gay lifestyle" from occurring in their schools. It is our position that the needs of these at-risk adolescents far outweigh the costs of advocating on their behalf.

If not the counselor, then who?

CONCLUSIONS

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Lesbian and gay teenagers, or any adolescents whose sexual identity is uncertain, face a challenging combination of barriers on their journey toward formation of a positive identity. For many, this journey may include an extended period in which sexual orientation is unclear. Under ideal circumstances, parents, counselors, and other important figures in the lives of these teenagers will not only tolerate, but encourage the young person in their exploration of sexual identity issues. Throughout this process, it is important to allow the teen to "try" on labels, rather than adopt them. When appropriate to provide adolescents with information about resources within the gay, lesbian, and bisexual communities, it is crucial that the counselor screen resources for safety and appropriateness. Token efforts to meet the needs of gay, lesbian or bisexual youth by offering a single support group or library book are insufficient. There is need for a variety of resources, including written materials, waiting room posters, library resources and, ideally, at least one identified "safe" school faculty or staff member who is available for discussions and whose expertise in this area is made known to students.

Because the majority of adolescents with sexual identity concerns will remain hidden throughout their school careers, systems advocacy on their behalf is critical. In this regard, mental health workers focusing on adolescent populations as well as school counselors can work in concert to develop and implement school policies which provide safety from physical and verbal threats and abuse, and acknowledge the existence and legitimacy of individuals with a homosexual or bisexual orientation. Although such measures often provoke controversy, the alternative is to perpetuate an environment which places lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth (as well as those uncertain about their orientation) at risk of mental health problems and school drop out.

REFERENCES

Bell, A. P., & Weinberg, M. S. (1978). Homosexualities: A study of diversity among men and women. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Bell, A. P., Weinberg, M. S., & Hammersmith, S. K. (1981). Sexual preferences: Its development in men and women. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

Bodnar, A., & Fontaine, J. (March, 1993). Has the revolution in counseling women affected master's level counseling programs? Paper presented at the Association for Women in Psychology National Conference, Atlanta, GA.

Buhrke, R. A., Ben-Ezra, L. A., Hurley, M. E., & Ruprecht, L. J. (1992). Content analysis and methodological critique of articles concerning lesbian and gay male issues in counseling journals. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 39(1), 91-99.

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Counseling issues with gay and lesbian adolescents

Adolescence, Winter, 1996 by Janet H. Fontaine, Nancy L. Hammond

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