Fostering youth self-efficacy to address transgender and racial diversity issues: The role of Gay-Straight Alliances

Eddie S.K. Chong, V. Paul Poteat, Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Jerel P. Calzo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)54-63
Number of pages10
JournalSchool Psychology Quarterly
Volume34
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2019

Keywords

  • Diversity issues
  • Gay-straight alliance
  • Peer discussions
  • Self-efficacy
  • Youth programs

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Education
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

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