Abstract: Agency instead of heteronomy - a critical-psychological approach to empowering trans children

Trans children often suffer not from themselves, but from an adultist society that denies them key decisions about their gender. An empowerment-oriented approach, in the sense of critical psychology, promotes control over one’s living conditions — and is therefore central to achieving the three desired outcomes.

• Happiness stems from meaningful, self-determined experiences of congruence, rather than from parental or institutional control.
• Altruistic quality of life is strengthened when children share responsibility and experience recognition in relationships, rather than having to subordinate themselves.
• A solid quality of life develops when children’s perspectives are taken seriously, and they are recognised as co-creators of the social world.

Such relationships (e.g. between parents, teachers and children) create security and actively encourage resistance against a trans-hostile environment.

Reference to the JBI model:

This approach is compatible with the JBI model through:

• Inclusion of children’s subjective experiential knowledge;
• Reflection on pedagogical and psychological practice (clinical expertise)
• Critical examination of evidence-based research, which is often characterised by adultist and cisnormative norms, rather than being neutral.

Focusing on agency adds an emancipatory element to evidence-based practice, making it child-centred rather than control-oriented.