Social work and trans identifying teens

[concernsocialworkstudent]

I'm currently on a fast track, post grad social work programme and have just finished a 5 week summer institute ahead of starting placement in September.

We had a lecture with LGBT+ anti abuse charity, Galop, last week and I am quite concerned by some of the teaching. There was a Q&A at the end of the session, and one of the participants asked a (very valid imo) question around balancing sensitivity towards trans identifying older children and the need to be aware that ROGD can be an indicator of child sexual abuse.

The guest lecturer from the charity completely shut the question down with a very swift response, something along the lines of "That's completely incorrect and not a known sign of child sexual abuse"

I was surprised at this and very concerned that this was deemed acceptable information to give to 450+ trainee social workers, most of whom are very young/straight out of undergrad. Basically being told, affirm the identity without question and ignore any concerns that there is anything more going on than #transjoy.

I have a different perspective on this. I think that when we hear that voice inside telling us to act, if we instead talk ourselves out of it, a bit of our vitality dies. And slowly this is how we become tired and small.

Yes, it is HARD to speak up. I have been there. You might lose some friends. But my experience was I also found out who the other like-minded ones were, and together we now have the beginnings of a tribe to navigate this with.

Leap and the net will appear.

Jordan Peterson "speak or wither away" on youtube might be interesting for you.

I appreciate what you are saying and certainly in my home life and at Uni I was happy to speak out. I've lost friends over this issue and frankly I've lost no sleep over that.

Yet I think you also need to appreciate the fact that "you need to be in it to win it".

Go in all guns blazing as an ASYE isn't going to change the profession. It's a path to blowing nearly £20k worth of MA fees and one less GC SW.

Sometimes we need to be careful and establish out place in the pecking order before pushing for change.

That doesn't mean "playing ball" with gender ideology or doing nothing. It's about being circumspect and realistic about what you are in a position to change and picking battle's carefully.

I've already mentioned Rachel Meade and the outcome of her tribunal could be a game changer for the profession if she wins.

As is, we are still in a situation where SW's fear being sanctioned by SWE and fired by their LA for expressing GC views on a private FB account, never mind actively campaigning/calling for change within the workplace.

Yet what we can do is keep chipping away. Making connections with other like minded SW's. Raising concerns using evidence based practice when dealing with relevant cases. Being professional and putting the best interests of the people we work with first and foremost.

Well said NQSW. While it's a compelling argument that we should all be shouting this from the rooftops, the landscape of sacked and bullied women shouldn't be ignored. As Social Work England & the LA have come out of the Rachel Meade case looking appalling, it's hopeful that she'll win. But it's not guaranteed and nobody should be expecting women to sacrifice their careers and financial futures for the grand gestures. Good luck in your new post.

Yes, this
I'm a gender critical social worker and there are honestly loads of us. There are also even more social workers who are completely out of the gender discussion but are thoughtful, critical and evidence based when working with trans ID teens.
yes the training is awful. We have a LGBT awareness training that I'm refusing to do (I'm a manager so can get away with just avoiding it) but it's provided by allsorts among others and I just know how awful it will be. However I can do more by modelling questioning, careful and quietly gender critical practice than I can by making a fuss about training.

To be honest, I'm not so sure. Whereas "it's not guaranteed and nobody should be expecting women to sacrifice their careers and financial futures for the grand gestures" I think there is a fine line between this and throwing one's sense of ethical responsibility out of the window to climb the greasy pole (especially for those established and respected). I'm disappointed there has not been more collective action. To be honest, I'm not sure how some sleep at night.

Was a social worker for many years, and looking back I cannot believe that I was let loose at a pretty young age, without life experience or even social work education that concentrated on evidence based practice. We should have had much more about dealing with abusive situations…but in those days CSA was being uncovered and we were unprepared .
These days I would not be able to manage to keep my mouth shut when dealing with these propagandarists in training sessions. It is with age and experience, and the knowledge that we don’t have to continue in the job that we can speak out. Except of course we need our job and will get no protection as Rachel Meade found out. I know so many otherwise concerned and sensible Social workers who have gone woke , that I fear for the future of the profession.

I’m a therapist in mental health for the NHS and it’s very captured, and I worry about the training that’s being given in the NHS too around this area. I feel a bit helpless with it all. I can say from my experience at work that everyone I have worked with who is trans identifying almost always has some trauma preceding the gender dysphoria and there’s a clear link. But I’d have to address this very carefully to avoid being accused of “conversion therapy” and it gives me anxiety.

To be honest, I'm not so sure. Whereas "it's not guaranteed and nobody should be expecting women to sacrifice their careers and financial futures for the grand gestures" I think there is a fine line between this and throwing one's sense of ethical responsibility out of the window to climb the greasy pole (especially for those established and respected). I'm disappointed there has not been more collective action. To be honest, I'm not sure how some sleep at night.

Ok I take issue with this.

It's not a zero sum game.

We actually want/need GC SW's to "climb the greasy pole" and be elevated to positions of influence.

That also does not have to mean throwing away your ethical responsibility. Rather we want SW's working with vulnerable children in an evidenced based way on a case by case basis rather than making grand gestures that ultimately only serves to dilute the GC mass of the profession.

To cite Meade again - many SW's are watching and waiting. If she wins then this does present greater opportunities to challenge gender ideology within SWE and LA's.

Throwing yourself under a bus before that outcome is known serves very little purpose.

EBSW do have a website but it does not seem to be available atm.

I don't know why.

You are right to be concerned. Increasing numbers of social workers and other professionals are beginning to organise against the absence of safeguarding around practice being advocated on gender identity. There is no such thing as a transgender child. Only a child who has been misinformed and their transitioned affirmed by adults. The Evidence Based Social Work Alliance has held several webinars on the issues. We are getting our website organised. Genspect and Gender A Wider Lens are both great sources of advice as is Transgender Trend.

If you want to challenge this OP, I don't think it's batshit to assert that some girls in particular might want to leave their female body and identity behind as a way of escaping memories of abuse, particularly if they're prone to self-harm and they're already pretty gender non-conforming.