Authors: Powell, Z., Angeltveit, E., Davis, C & Dodds, L.

Date of publication: 2024

Journal: Clinical Social Work Journal



Summary: This Australian study sought to understand the experiences of parents of Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) children aged 10-18 years old through Photovoice methods.



Eight parents were recruited and asked to take five photographs they felt represented their experience of parenting a TGNC child. The photographs were then used as the basis to guide their interviews with researchers.



Many of the experiences the parents identified in this study were centred around discovering their child’s identity, sharing and navigating this transition with others and negotiating a “new normal”. The researchers found that there was little change to the attachment in the parent/child relationship following their TGNC child “coming out” and this was maintained through parents rethinking the importance of gender, advocating for their children, remaining child focussed and maintaining unconditional positive regard for their child.



Parents spoke about experiencing their own transition which presented a journey through grief and loss even whilst being supportive and accepting of their TGNC child. The authors found that parents often did not seek support for their own mental health rather focussing on the needs of their child.



The authors highlight the importance of supporting parents of TGNC children by providing targeted information, trauma informed care and acknowledging and supporting their social and emotional needs.



You can read the full study here