Open AccessFostering youth self-efficacy to address transgender and racial diversity issues: The role of gay–straight alliances.
Author(s) -
Eddie S. K. Chong,
V. Paul Poteat,
Hirokazu Yoshikawa,
Jerel P. Calzo
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
school psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.395
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 2578-4226
pISSN - 2578-4218
DOI - 10.1037/spq0000258
Subject(s) - transgender , diversity (politics) , gender studies , psychology , sociology , political science , anthropology
Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) aspire to empower youth to address multiple systems of oppression, including those affecting transgender and racial/ethnic minority youth, yet there is little indication of factors contributing to youths' self-efficacy to do so. We examined individual and group factors predicting self-efficacy to address transgender and racial issues among 295 youth in 33 high school GSAs. Multilevel results indicated that level of GSA engagement, individual and collective involvement in transgender- and race-specific discussions, and in some cases intergroup friendships were associated with each form of self-efficacy. The association between GSA engagement and transgender self-efficacy was stronger for youth in GSAs with greater collective transgender-specific discussions. Associations with racial self-efficacy differed based on youths' race/ethnicity. Continued research needs to identify how GSAs and similar youth programs promote self-efficacy to address diversity issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).