What Changes During Adolescence?

Find a therapist to support kids and teens

A new study finds LGBTQ teens with higher self-esteem can better manage the anxiety of starting high school.

A related study finds cisgender straight students open to LGBTQ peers improved their social well-being.

The findings support school-based efforts to promote self-esteem and affirming environments.

Starting high school is hard for many kids; for LGBTQ teens, the transition can be particularly daunting.

In many school districts, students move from a smaller middle school to a larger high school. They are introduced to new social structures and more rigorous academics while experiencing the physical and emotional changes that accompany adolescence. Often, high school provides a more diverse environment, including greater exposure to students who identify as LGBTQ .

New research from the PRIDE Lab under the direction of Dr. Adam Hoffman and lead by doctoral candidate Robert Klein in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University looks at the changes that occur for both LGBTQ and cisgender heterosexual high school students during their first years of high school.........

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