Questioning Youths: Challenges to Working with Youths Forming Identities

Youths who question their affectional orientation are increasingly identified as a group of young people with needs for support. These questioning youths are often included in groups intended for sexual minority youths, but may be ill served by them if the groups' developers fail to conceptualize their status as developmental. Rigid social expectations about sexual identity development may further complicate the experiences of these youths in schools and communities. This article reviews definitions of sexual orientation, identity, and questioning youths and suggests implications these have for youths and programs. Recommendations are made for school programs that support the alliances among youths regardless of sexual orientation and that include both social activities and group support.