City Research Online

Abstract

Purpose: Prior research has outlined the ways in which the health and wellbeing of sexual and gender minoritized adolescents (SGMA) is compromised relative to heterosexual cisgender adolescents. However, to date the strengths of SGMA have been under-explored. Informed by the 5Cs framework (i.e., competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring) of positive youth development, this paper considers some of the strengths reported by SGMA, as well as those of heterosexual cisgender adolescents.

Methods: Aspects of positive youth development, drawing on the 5Cs framework, were explored amongst 7,076 adolescents aged 17 years old from the United Kingdom’s nationally representative Millennium Cohort Study. Logistic regression models were used to compare outcomes between heterosexual cisgender males and the other sex, gender and sexuality groups.

Results: The sample included 40.7% cisgender heterosexual males (n=2,877), 33.3% cisgender heterosexual females (n=2,359), 17.0% cisgender sexual minority females (n=1,205), 7.6% cisgender sexual minority males (n=541), and 1.3% (n=94) gender minoritized adolescents. The majority, regardless of sex, gender and sexuality, reported strengths, especially in relation to indicators of positive social connections and having caring dispositions. Compared to exclusively heterosexual cisgender males certain strengths were identified amongst SGMA, for example sexual minoritized adolescents were more likely to report competence in terms of academic qualifications, whilst gender minoritized adolescents were more likely to report often volunteering to help others and seeing themselves as original and as coming up with new ideas.

Conclusions: SGMA, as with all adolescents generally, have a range of strengths. These features are infrequently reinforced in the literature and warrant further attention.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2025. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Publisher Keywords:	positive youth development, strengths, well-being, adolescents, LGBT, sexuality, gender identity, developmental assets
Departments:	School of Health & Medical Sciences School of Health & Medical Sciences > Nursing
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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