WICHITA, Kansas — Transgender students are more likely to experience bullying and to skip school because they feel unsafe, according to the first attempt to gather national data on trans teens.
The 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey marks the first time the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asked students whether they identify as transgender. The survey is administered every other year to about 20,000 ninth- through 12th-graders.
About 3% of U.S. high school students identify as transgender, according to the report, and another 2% question their gender identity.
The survey found that trans and gender-questioning teens face much higher rates of bullying, depression and suicidal thoughts or behaviors compared with other teens.
In 2023, nearly three-fourths of transgender students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and 1 in 4 had attempted suicide.
The CDC survey is the first to collect data on student welfare since more than half of U.S. states have passed laws restricting gender-affirming care for minors.
In Kansas earlier this year, Republican lawmakers passed a bill that would have blocked anyone younger than 18 from receiving hormone therapy and other gender-affirming treatments. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the legislation, and although the Kansas Senate voted to override her veto, the House fell two votes short of the two-thirds majority required.
Had the bill passed, it would have banned gender-affirming care for minors and banned state employees from supporting “social transitioning,” which is defined to include a person changing their preferred pronouns or manner of dress.
Miles Wilson, a student at East High School in Wichita, led a protest on the front lawn of his school last spring, urging the governor to veto the bill. He said anti-trans legislation and attacks on gender-affirming care negatively affect trans kids and teens.
“If we had full access to the health care that we need, and support around us, we would not have this high percentage of mental health issues,” Wilson said of the new survey findings.
“These … issues are not caused by the fact that we’re trans. It’s that so many people around us aren’t accepting.”
The federal report showed that about 40% of trans and gender-questioning students reported bullying, compared to 20% of cisgender girls and 15% of cisgender boys.
About 25% of trans and gender-questioning students skipped school within the past 30 days because they felt unsafe, compared with 15% of cisgender girls and 8% of cisgender boys.
Transgender students also are more likely to feel disconnected or isolated. About 36% of trans teens said they feel close to others at school, compared with 51% of cisgender girls and 62% of cisgender boys.
And more trans students experience unstable housing — about 11% of trans teens compared with about 2% of cisgender teens.
The 2023 survey also included questions about experiencing racism in school, unfair discipline and how often students used social media.
The report called on educators to support trans teens by enforcing anti-harassment policies, supporting student-led inclusive clubs and identifying safe spaces and safe people.
“Activities that are inclusive of LGBTQ+ students are associated with decreases in the odds of (violence and poor mental health) among all students, regardless of sexual identity,” the report said.
Wilson, the Wichita East High senior, said he feels supported by his family members and close friends. But he worries that many trans students often feel isolated at school.
“It’s hard to live in a world that you know is working against you a lot of the time,” he said.
Suzanne Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.
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