FOR THE RECORD

The Pathways trial rests on the unexamined assumption that childhood “gender identity” is an innate, medicalisable entity. Child development science – from Piaget to Winnicott – demonstrates the opposite.

Any topic that is off limits to questioning becomes a space in which aversion to naming risk can become a fertile ground for harm or exploitation. If there is fear in putting our skills into practice, all the more reason to ask - turning away is the worst thing to do.

Jane Fenton Professor of Social Work at the University of Dundee presented on two key areas of her research. Firstly, with 400 Gen Z female students at the University of Dundee. This research uncovered shockingly low levels of well-being and a very negative and oppressed mindset within this sample of young women:

"in too many cases, the systems meant to safeguard them have been infiltrated by individuals and organisations projecting their own ideological views about gender and identity onto children, without adequate checks, evidence-based guidance, or the presence of strong and independent safeguarding voices."

I am worried that the social work profession has been silent on the impact of gender identity issues on our work,

our EBSWA colleague @prof_curiosity1 set out convincing evidence that the "transchild" is an invention