The United Nations defines a youth as someone aged 15 to 24. Worldwide, 1.2 billion youth account for 16% of the total global population. In 1995, the UN decided to dedicate more resources and funds to combat issues that disproportionately affect youth, such as access to education, gender inequality, and underemployment. August 12 is International Youth Day, created in 1998.
The acronym LGBTQ+ can be used to describe communities of individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, or another non-heterosexual identity.. BIPOC is an acronym that stands for black or indigenous people of color.
Deep disparities exist in these communities, but particularly among youth. In the recent 2023 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, students from all marginalized racial and ethnic groups were 2–3 times more likely to experience racism when compared to White students.
High school students who experienced racism had a higher prevalence of poor mental health, suicide risk, and substance use.
Trusted adults are older individuals, usually aged 25 and older, who are responsible for protecting, respecting, and nurturing youth/adolescents’ boundaries, knowledge, and sense of self-worth. According to Missing Kids and Youth Smart, trusted adults build positive and structured relationships with youth by providing safe, non-judgemental environments where youth feel heard. Not all adults are trusted adults. In fact, it is very common for a youth’s first experience with abuse and/or violence to come from someone they know.
Advocates for Youth offers a framework for Youth-Adult Partnerships to guide adults in centering young people and working alongside them to fight for sexual health, rights, and justice. This framework was used in the creation of this resource, integrating the vision, perspectives, and expertise of young people and adults into the creation of this guide
Sources:
- https://www.missingkids.org/blog/2021/being-a-trusted-adult
- https://www.youthsmart.ca/how-to-identify-trusted-adults/
About this guide
This guide was inspired & developed by Ramirez Brown with support from EBGTZ staff and community collaborators.
Ramirez Brown biography:
Ramirez Brown is a 25-year-old black gay college student completing his BFA in Fashion Merchandising from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. He’s originally from Los Angeles but has lived in the Bay Area since 2017. He has worked with East Bay Getting To Zero as their Youth Engagement Specialist since January 2023 but as a volunteer/intern starting in 2020. He also participates in other federal and local organizations such as NMAC and CHLI. He knows his purpose is to make sure black LGBQT+ folk feel loved, welcomed and appreciated.