Working with children

[Kimberly]

I am not planning to come out as TG in my current employment on a playscheme with special needs children, but I wonder if anyone has ever known or had experience of such an eventuality, and whether it cost the individual their job.

I've been CRB checked in the UK...
(Are you a paedophile?: No. Good, then you can work with kids.)

and wondered how transgenderism effected that in a way.

I'm also curious to know if GID children have ever been treated as special needs, requiring any resbite care or other such, because of their GID. If so, I think this is a travesty -- the children I currently look after have specific learning or speech difficulties, and bear no resemblance to children who are transgendered. But I was only wondering.

[Megan72]

Kimberly
I work with at risk youth here in the States. I have had one kid dignosed with gender dysphoria and several that were homosexual. The one with gender dysphoria, was not tol about this diagnosis for fear that it may force him out of his shell prematurally. The issue is though that just because he and the others are gender dysphoriac or homosexual does not make them at risk. It may put enough stress on them to cause risky behaviors.

This is kinda different than your question. I am not aware of anyone who was treated special needs because of the gender issues, or sexual preferance.

[Clare]

I am not planning to come out as TG in my current employment on a playscheme with special needs children, but I wonder if anyone has ever known or had experience of such an eventuality, and whether it cost the individual their job.

I've been CRB checked in the UK...
(Are you a paedophile?: No. Good, then you can work with kids.)

and wondered how transgenderism effected that in a way.

[SIZE=3]This is something that i've wondered about too. Although I have never directly worked with, or cared for, Children as an occupation, I fear that TG individuals could be construed as sexual deviants and possibly lose their jobs if it was to become public knowledge.

In my case, I was asked to be a Scout Leader many years ago (I was never a Scout myself) and I declined because I was going overseas for 1-2 years. But if I had accepted, what would the consequences have been for me if my crossdressing had been discovered? I would never hurt a child in any way, but the public would just see a person with a weird (sexual?) fetish and that would be sufficient to label a person as an undesirable to supervise children.

It's sad to recognise that societies attitude could be so presumptious, but then again, I have a 4 year old Son and if there were issues about any person caring for my child, i'd like to be fully informed about the circumstances.

I'm sure there are many members of the forum here who work with or care for children in some form or another. In my workplace, I can only face embarressment, but for others, they could be lablled with a lifelong ban and listed on a database preventing them having any responsibility/access to Children even if they are innocent! It's not fair that a person's lifestyle choice has the potential to reach out and ruin a career or incur serious adverse ramifications for a person's future employment.

Mind you, having just said that, I do believe that in general, the kids always come first! It's a matter of understanding the 'lifestyle' choice (crossdressing) and it's potential to harm children that needs to determined. [/SIZE]

[Bev06 GG]

Hi Girls,
Well I can tell you from experience that there is definitely no room for concern on this issue. A couple of years ago i took my Diploma in Playwork, alongside a self confessed crossdresser. He was actually a drag queen and was Gay. Nothing was ever said and he went onto work with 5-11 year olds. I think his employers actually cashed in on his expertise in dressing up, and they definitely scored brownie points in having him around, with OFSTED.
Take care
BEVxxxx

[Kimberly]

Wow!! Thanks, Bev! That's brilliant!

I just wonder on the reaction of the children if a transgendered individual presented themselves in a non-cisgendered way, at work. Would it be a problem for the child?? Enough that the transgendered person couldn't express themselves again, unless under the cisgender rules?

This is where my morals get into conflict with one another - especially with children with learning difficulties. The best thing for a learning difficulty child is reinforcement of acceptable behaviour and a safe environment psychologically... This would mean cisgender is a factor. I don't believe that the cisgender is right though! You should be able to dress and express yourself however you want to - but would this distabilise a child enough to make their environment an unsafe one (in their eyes).

So much internal conflict, dammit!

[Kimberley]

Kimberly
I work with at risk youth here in the States. I have had one kid dignosed with gender dysphoria and several that were homosexual. The one with gender dysphoria, was not tol about this diagnosis for fear that it may force him out of his shell prematurally. The issue is though that just because he and the others are gender dysphoriac or homosexual does not make them at risk. It may put enough stress on them to cause risky behaviors.

This is kinda different than your question. I am not aware of anyone who was treated special needs because of the gender issues, or sexual preferance.

Hi Kelliann,
I find this interesting at the least because of the youth not being told. I even find it more perplexing because of the "excuses" for this action.
My SO is a certified youth counsellor and the approach here is exactly the opposite, that being; inform them then work with them to accept the situation and deal with it in everyday life. This eliminates the continued dilemma and questions the youth have and gives them validation.
Many of these youth are in the justice system and act out because they are "different". The success with these kids has been exceptional.
I would be interested in knowing why this approach is taken at your end.

Kimberley.