In aid of Pride Month, Childline is encouraging children and young people with concerns about sexuality and gender to seek support.
June marks Pride Month, an international month-long celebration of LGBTQ+ communities. Although it has been running for 56 years, new figures from Childline suggest some young people still worry about acceptance.
The NSPCC-run service provided 2,457 counselling sessions last year to young people worried about their sexuality and gender.
It said worries about coming out were among the most common concern, accounting for more than 40% of sessions. Young people told counsellors they were anxious about their parents reactions, being excluded from friendship groups, and the impact on their mental health.
One 17-year-old said: ‘I’ve only recently started accepting myself as gay after years of bullying. I’ve been freaking out that my parents will find out, because yesterday my cousin texted me saying that they know about me.
‘I’m out at school, but I’m not ready for my whole family to know. I was planning to wait until I moved to college to tell them. I feel like I’m losing control.’
Other concerns included discrimination and prejudice and gender dysphoria, which rose by 20% in counselling sessions.
Where gender was recorded, almost two-thirds (64%) of sessions involved young people who identify as transgender or non-binary.
A 14-year-old trans boy said: ‘I think it’s hard for my mum to accept who I am because of what she reads and sees in the media about other trans teenagers. It’s caused a lot of misunderstanding for her about what being trans means and has created a lot of anger around it.’
Shaun Friel, director of Childline, said they will be using this Pride Month to ‘reassure all children that they can reach out as their authentic selves.’
‘At Childline we regularly hear from those who are scared to come out; expressing anxieties about being judged by their family or alienated by a friend group that doesn’t accept them,’ he added.
‘Childline is here to be a confidential, and wholly accepting space, where young people can discuss their concerns and feelings freely.’
The NSPCC will also join Lidl GB at four Pride events this year, including London. The supermarket is sponsoring the charity’s Pride presence for a fourth consecutive year – the partnership will see the organisations attend 15 events across the UK.
Information about how to contact Childline if you’re struggling or just want to talk to someone, can be found here.
Image: Raphael Renter/UnSplash
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