SCET Journal 2020

Broadening Diverse Perspectives

representations are essential in meeting the needs of LGBTQ adolescents and helping them to build personal identity and agency. From having texts on bookshelves with characters who identify as LGBTQ and are positively represented to reading about and discussing the issues LGBTQ individuals face day to day, educators are able to give voice to those students who are often unheard. Conclusion CRP and YAL can be used to build exposure and lead to a more democratic classroom focused on social justice and the inclusion of more student identities. Through representation, educators can better meet the needs of LGBTQ learners and assist them in devel- oping healthy self-images and agency. Through YAL text, LGBTQ students have the ability to learn and read about students who experience similar issues. YAL is poised to assist teachers in meeting the needs of under- represented youth because it is both culturally relevant to adolescents and serves as mirrors, windows, and sliding-glass doors. YAL texts that have strong protag- References Baams, L., Grossman, A.H., & Russell, S.T. (2015). Minority stress and mechanisms of risk for depression and suicidal ideation among lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth. Developmental Psychology, 51 (5), 688-696. Balsam, K.F., Rothblum, E.D., & Beauchaine, T.P. (2005). Victimization over the life span: A comparison of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and heterosexual siblings. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73 (3), 477–487.

onists who deal with stress effectively can serve as role models who can assist our LGBTQ students in better understanding and managing the stress of adolescence. Teachers should seek to identify texts with LGBTQ protagonists who encounter and manage stress and suicidal ideation in a healthy manner. Through exposure, our students can not only see themselves in the liter- ature but also learn how, through the text, characters navigate the complex situations youths and particularly LGBTQ youths often face. Through seeing and reading real world issues in text, students can build a deeper understanding of themselves and the world. Educators can help all students understand social barriers and encourage collective cooperation and empathy in an effort to build agency and reduce stress. CRP and YAL are not a panacea in meeting the needs of LGBTQ youth and reducing stress and suicidal ideation, but educators have a unique ability to create an atmosphere where all populations are heard and valued and where students can see how others reduce stress, depression and suicidal ideation. Canlas, M., Argenal, A., & Bajaj, M. (2015). Teaching human rights from below: Towards solidarity, resistance and social justice. Radical Teacher, 103 , 38-46. Canty, J., Stubbe, M., Steers, D., & Collings, S. (2016). The trouble with bullying - deconstructing the conventional definition of bullying for a child-centered investigation into children’s use of social media. Children & Society, 30 (1), 48-58. Cates, J.A. (2007). Identity in crisis: Spirituality and homosexuality in adolescence. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 24 (4), 369-383. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2017). National Center for Health Statistics: National Vital Statistics System (NVSS). Dover, A.G. (2015). “Promoting acceptance” or “preparing warrior scholars”: Variance in teaching for social justice vision and praxis. Equity & Excellence In Education, 48 (3), 361-372.

Banks, J.A. (1993). Multicultural education: Development, dimensions, and challenges. Phi Delta Kappan, 75 , 22–28.

Bishop, R. (1990). Mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors. Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom. 6 (3).

Bruneau, L., Bubenzer, D.L., & McGlothlin, J.M. (2010). Revisioning the self: A phenomenological investigation into self-help reading. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education & Development, 49 (2), 217-230.

2018/2019

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