Safeguarding Our Schools - Scotland

Going through puberty can be difficult and even really stressful, but it may be reassuring to know that this is something that most teenagers feel. As your body changes it can often feel uncomfortable and even ‘alien’ to what you have been used to up until this stage. However, this will begin to ease off as you come into adulthood and grew more comfortable and confident in your body.  

If something has happened to you that you feel is contributing to how you feel about your body, we would recommend you speak with someone you trust about this. 

Trans has come to mean different things to different people, and it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what it covers. If you feel that you should adopt the label of being transgender because you feel uncomfortable in your body, it may be the due to the points raised in question 1.  

If you are identifying as transgender, it might be a good idea to consider what it is you're identifying with, what it means to you and what you expect others to understand about your identity.  It's also important to remember that not everyone will agree with or believe in the same things that you do. This doesn't mean that they are against you, or wish you harm.

It's also important to remember that it is ok to be a boy who likes stereotypical girl things and a girl who likes stereotypical boy things. There's no right or wrong way to be your sex, and knowing and accepting the reality of your body can help you feel more comfortable in who you are without having to adopt a label. 

 No, that’s a physical impossibility. 

You may have been told that this is possible, but this is not true. Human beings come in two sexes, male and female. What lies within those categories are infinite ways to express yourself - this doesn't mean you have changed sex. 

No, because it’s a physical impossibility to change sex and medical treatments like hormone therapy and surgery may actually raise more questions for you and create problems that didn’t exist before. Your body is not finished growing and your brain has not yet reached full maturity - making decisions to irreversibly change parts of yourself before you have finished growing can lead to regret and harm and we would advise against this. 

Be patient with yourself, explore who you are without trying to assign a label that will often leave you no room to change your mind in the future if you choose to. 

No! We would always advise that you be very careful with what you find online. Ask questions and look for different views.

It’s ok to experiment with your developing identity and to try different things, but you may find that other people may not ‘play along’ with you. Its a good idea to not expect that everyone will agree with your decisions and some people (such as your parents) may have questions and very valid concerns, and this is a healthy and normal response.  

In most cases, your parents know you and love you and have been there for you since you were a baby. Parents want to support their children and will try to do what’s best for them. 

It is very normal as you grow to push back against your parents, and to turn to friends more. However, this doesn't mean that your parents wont have some good, solid and safe advice and this shouldn't be brushed aside. Healthy relationships allow for disagreement.