Serving LGBTQ youth through digital support groups
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Transcript of Serving LGBTQ youth through digital support groups
Serving LGBTQ youth through digital support
groupsNicole Levitz
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
LGBTQ participants were from 27 states (n=92)
2 in-person focus groups in Seattle, WA
2 in-person focus groups in Dallas, TX
8 national focus groups 20 personal
online/telephone interviews
Participant Demographics AlabamaAlaskaArizona
ArkansasCaliforniaDelaware
FloridaGeorgiaIllinoisIndiana
LouisianaMassachusetts
MarylandMichigan
MinnesotaMississippiMontanaNebraska
New JerseyNew York
North CarolinaOhio
OklahomaTennessee
TexasVirginia
Washington
Participant Demographics
Age 15 Age 16 Age 17 Age 18 Age 19 Age 20
17% 18% 25% 18% 20%1%
White Latino Black Mixed Asian Native
52%
16% 14% 11% 5% 1%
Participant Demographics (N=92)Gay Man
Queer
Lesbian
Questioning
Bi Female
Pansexual
Bi Male
36%
27%
25%
18%
17%
10%
7%
Male 34%
Female 34%
Gender Queer, Gender Fluid or Non-
binary18%
Transgender 14%
Social and emotional health concerns predominate and can be an obstacle to physical health and taking care of oneself
Youth consistently express a need for support and community
Youth need their parents to be more supportive, understanding, and accepting
Issues for different identity groups are different Youth can and do find support and community online,
and they want more and better resources to do this
Key themes
Online support groups for youth via chat Facilitated by experienced counselors
Synchronous experience
Optimal number of participants in each group
Digital LGBTQ Center
Not a typical behavior to engage in support groups
Even less typical of digital behavior
Need to create a safe(r) space
Support Groups
Convey safe(r) space for LGBTQ youth
Ground rules actively set
Orient users about what to expect in advance
Enable administrators to remove individuals with bad intentions
Goals for the implementation
Safe(r) space for LGBTQ youth
Ground Rules
Orientation to what to expect in advance
Administrator Removal