“If you’re not yourself, who are you going to be?” An Exploration of Gender and Sexuality Diverse Pupils Experiences of Visibility Management in School

Gender and sexuality diverse (GSD) young people (YP) frequently spend their youth exploring and discovering their identities. At this time, they often begin to think about how and when to disclose their GSD identity to others in a variety of contexts; this dynamic and ongoing process can be termed visibility management (VM). 

At school, GSD YP actively test social reactions, interpret attitudes, and assess safety; ultimately, seeking to be an authentic self and to find acceptance and community. This systematic review explored findings from 16 qualitative studies capturing GSD YP's experiences of managing visibility in schools internationally. 

Data was thematically synthesised and seven themes were constructed: We need to explore, discover and accept who we are before we can be our authentic selves, Visibility management is a constant negotiation and a fluid process, We are influenced and oppressed by norms; our visibility breaks norms and changes culture, We are acutely aware and often fearful of social reactions to the visibility of GSD people and to disclosure, We need school staff to do more to support us, We need a visible community to feel safe and experience belonging and We fight for our right to be visible.

Implications for practice are discussed.

GSD YP transgress social and gender norms and are at an elevated risk for bullying in secondary school. In the UK, GSD identity-based bullying is pervasive and colours the lives of many GSD YP. It constitutes trauma and often results in negative mental health outcomes. 
Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) is the perception of positive psychological growth following trauma and has been recorded following various traumata, including interpersonal trauma. In adults and YP, several predictors of PTG have been identified. However, little is currently known about its antecedents in GSD YP. 

This study aimed to address this gap in the field. Survey data was collected from 173 participants (aged 16-25 years) who self-identified as GSD. Independent variables included social acceptance and support from secondary school friends, social support from school staff, engagement in activism, GSD school culture and sense of school belonging. Data was analysed using multiple regression. 

Results demonstrate the model was statistically significantly predictive of PTG in this population, with social support and acceptance from school friends being the strongest predictors. The study concluded that multiple facets of social support and acceptance promote positive outcomes following GSD identity-based bullying and that the support and acceptance of friends is particularly critical.