The cycle of absenteeism and hyper-disciplining of transgender students

Transgender students often face significant challenges in the school environment, leading to higher rates of absenteeism than their cisgender peers. Such attendance discrepancies have been most closely linked with their exposure to victimization and their perception that school is unsafe. ¹

The relationship between transgender absenteeism and mental health challenges is particularly concerning, as transgender students report higher symptoms of anxiety, chronic sadness (depression), and suicidal thoughts–which are exacerbated by unfair and unsafe school environments ²–and are strongly associated with their higher rates of both excused and unexcused absences. ³

Research consistently shows that chronic absenteeism parallels poor academic outcomes across all student populations, and transgender students are no exception. Absenteeism leads to loss of critical instructional time and diminishes engagement with the school community, leading to academic failure, increased drop-out rates, and reduced future opportunities. ⁴

These poor absentee rates have cumulative adverse effects: not only do these students lose necessary instructional time and opportunities for socialization–they also face disproportionate disciplinary consequences for truancy. Over half (53.6%) of the students who missed school due to feeling unsafe were disciplined, compared to just over a third (34.0%) of students who did not miss school for those reasons ⁵–which suggests that victimization leads to absenteeism that results in further disciplinary action.

Just in general, transgender students are significantly more likely than their cisgender peers to experience detention, suspension, or expulsion–as nearly half of transgender students have faced disciplinary actions at school, and more than half of students who experience higher levels of victimization have been disciplined. ⁶

This hyper-disciplining of transgender students not only reinforces absenteeism, but also directly impacts academic performance. Studies show that students who face more frequent and severe discipline, such as suspensions and expulsions, are more likely to experience academic failure and disengage from school altogether. ⁷ That is, such disciplinary actions frequently lead to further, more severe consequences.

First, transgender youth are disproportionately criminalized; second, they are subjected to harsher punishments; third, they are sent to juvenile detention facilities where they are; fourth, more likely to experience abuse upon arrival. ⁸

Given that transgender students are more frequently subjected to such measures (nearly half of all transgender students report disciplinary actions at school), the compounded effect of absenteeism and hyper-disciplining severely undermines their ability to succeed academically. ⁹

Because of their increased exposure to this trajectory, transgender students are generally less likely to be afforded the same educational opportunities as their cisgender peers, yet more likely to drop out or rely on alternative educational settings where support may be limited (such as alternative schools or juvenile justice facilities). In other words, the same harsh and exclusionary disciplinary policies that effectively push transgender students out of schools ultimately contribute to their over-representation in the school-to-prison pipeline. And, thus, their under-representation in professional spaces–such as court rooms, hospitals, and school buildings–where they could better advocate for their community.

Unsurprisingly, even against their LGBQ peers (who may face similar issues with victimization, bullying, and violence),transgender and gender-nonconforming youth are three times more likely to report that they do not expect to finish high school. ¹⁰

An analysis of this data suggests that few populations are more at-risk than transgender students in public school settings. Nearly all LGBTQ students have been subjected to homophobic remarks, and a significant percentage of transgender students have faced victimization and bullying, leading to an overwhelmingly negative school climate. ¹¹

Despite the established role of school climate in the lives of transgender students, and the influence that climate has on students’ decision to disclose their gender identity, there is no federal placeguard for providing social support and advocating for safe and inclusive environments ¹² that allow transgender students to be themselves without the feelings of vulnerability to bullying or violence that their current attendance statistics reflect.

Given the troubling trends, it is clear that as a community, we must work together to implement school policies that address bullying and harassment, support the coming-out process, and reaffirm the dignity and rights of all students.

Such policies would significantly benefit transgender students and help create the inclusive and supportive school environment that every child deserves.

1. (Burton et al., 2014; Hazel et al., 2019; Konishi & Saewyc, 2014) ↩︎
2. (Educational Exclusion, 2016) ↩︎
3. (Abreu et al., 2019) ↩︎
4. (Educational Exclusion, 2016; Thaler, 2013; WestEd, 2021) ↩︎
5. (Educational Exclusion, 2016) ↩︎
6. (Educational Exclusion, 2016) ↩︎
7. (Educational Exclusion, 2016; Thaler, 2013; WestEd, 2021) ↩︎
8. (Wilson et al., 2017) ↩︎
9. (Educational Exclusion, 201 ↩︎
10. (Educational Exclusion, 2016) ↩︎
11. (Kosciw et al., 2020; Day et al., 2018; Kann et al., 2016 ↩︎
12. (Abreu et al., 2019) ↩︎