A parent's suggestion of conversion therapy doubles risk of suicide, self harm, says researcher
Wednesday, 9 February 2022
This article has been amended since initial publication. Please see footnote for details.
Rainbow youth whose parents suggest they get conversion therapy for being queer or transgender are twice as likely to consider suicide and self harm.
University of Auckland researcher and psychologist Dr John Fenaughty says, according to his research, parental involvement can be potentially lethal.
He hopes if parents understand the risks they are taking when suggesting this to their children, they will be less likely to do so.
Fenaughty’s comments come after the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill passed its second reading on February 8 – 113 MPs voted for it, seven were against.
**READ MORE:
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Those against were National MPs Simon Bridges, Simeon Brown, Melissa Lee, Simon O’Connor, Dr Shane Reti, Louise Upston, and Michael Woodhouse.
Speaking to the Australian Associated Press on Tuesday morning, Bridges said he would vote against the bill in favour of allowing “parents to be parents”.
He said he believes “reasonable New Zealanders” would prefer to talk to their children, and take a “watchful waiting” approach to gender dysphoria and sexuality.
“There are permanent consequences of treatments and medical procedures. This bill allows for none of that nuance. It’s not about being bigoted, but it is about allowing people to have rights and for parents to be parents,” he said.
Fenaughty, who presented the findings of his research to the select committee on the bill – which included Bridges, Brown and O’Connor – was shocked to hear these comments.
“The public do not have the privilege that Simon Bridges and other politicians have, who sat through all of these select committee hearings and were exposed to the research that shows these practices are potentially lethal,” he said.
Fenaughty’s research is based on a survey of 4800 rainbow young people aged 14 to 26 in Aotearoa.
The survey, called Identify, asked participants whether they had undergone conversion therapy, and who suggested it to them. It also allowed participants to say they were too upset to answer questions on conversion therapy.
He said 3 per cent said they had experienced conversion therapy, and 4 per cent were too upset to talk about it.
“Conservatively then, we’re getting close to around one in 10 [rainbow] young people right now are likely to have been impacted directly by a conversion therapy experience,” Fenaughty said.
“We know that when parents suggest conversion therapy to young people, we double the odds of an attempted suicide.”
Fenaughty said while the results of the Identify survey showed that 7.1 per cent, which works out as one in 14 rainbow young people likely to have been impacted by a form of conversion practice, he believes the reality is closer to one in 10.
He said: “One of the reasons that 7.1 per cent is likely to be a conservative estimate is because we know these practices are associated with significant harm and distress, so suicidality but also depression, self harm … they can often produce longstanding emotional harm for people, which would mean they are less likely to see calls to participate in research, to be connected to communities.”
“When you're dealing with a behaviour that is harmful, and harming, and will have harmed people, we know that you will most likely be under-representing these voices.”
Fenaughty said politicians and political parties should protect young people, and protect their parents and caregivers from potentially making the “lethal mistake” of pushing for conversion therapy.
“My question to those parents would be: would you be willing to do something that could potentially double the odds of your child reporting an attempted suicide? I don’t think many parents would.”
He said there was no other way to explain the heightened suicide risk among young people whose parents had proposed conversion therapy.
The findings back up years of qualitative studies interviewing survivors of conversion therapy who reported similar experiences, Fenaughty said.
The Identify study has not yet been peer reviewed. It is shortly due to undergo that process but was submitted to the select committee early due to its relevance to the bill.
Under the proposed law, a person could receive a three-year prison sentence for subjecting anyone 18 or younger or anyone with impaired decision-making to conversion therapy.
In the case of conversion therapy applied to adults, the practice would be criminalised if it caused “serious harm”, with a maximum sentence of five years.
The Justice Select Committee received 107,000 submissions on the bill, and more than 800 oral submissions. The bill remained largely unchanged by the committee, which made recommendations which clarified the wording, and added examples type of actions that constitute conversion therapy.
Clarification: Additional reporting has been added to this story to further explain Fenaughty’s estimation that one in 10 rainbow people are likely to be impacted by a conversion therapy experience. Story updated February 17, 10.55am.
Where to get help
OUTline NZ 0800 688 5463 (0800 OUTLINE)
RainbowYOUTH 09 376 4155
1737, Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor
Depression.org.nz 0800 111 757 or text 4202
Lifeline 0800 543 354
Suicide Crisis Helpline 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
Kidsline 0800 54 37 54 for people up to 18 years old. Open 24/7.
Youthline 0800 376 633, free text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz, or find online chat and other support options here.
Updated (June 10, 2022): The Media Council has upheld a complaint against Stuff regarding the headline originally used. The Council said the headline was presented as indisputable fact whereas it was Dr Fenaughty’s interpretation of his research and it would have been more accurate to attribute the statement to him. The Media Council ruling can be read in full here.