Mick Hartley

The Telegraph previews the Cass review, due to be released on Wednesday – Children must not be rushed to change gender, report warns:

Children who believe they are transgender may actually have mental health issues, a landmark report is set to find this week.

It is expected to advise that children should not be rushed onto a path to change gender, and that they receive counselling that addresses the mental health issues they may have rather than being put on drugs.

Dr Hillary Cass, a paediatrician, will on Wednesday unveil her long-awaited review into how transgender children are supported and the medical treatment they receive.

It comes amid concern that children are being allowed to change gender in school without their parents’ knowledge or consent, and after the routine prescription of puberty blockers was banned by NHS England.

The Telegraph understands that the report will find that children who think they are trans disproportionately have mental health issues stemming from a difficult family situation or having suffered from abuse. They are also more likely to be neurodiverse.

We know all this, of course, but it's good to see it laid out clearly in an official review.

It is expected to suggest that these children need counselling to tackle these issues holistically, rather than them automatically being put on a path to change gender.

The report is expected to warn that it is wrong to assume it is in the best interest of children who think they are trans to change gender, and urge extreme caution over the use of drugs such as puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to facilitate this, even once someone is over 18 years old.

"Children who think they are trans", not "trans children": that's important. No children are trans – "born in the wrong body" – but plenty of vulnerable children have been persuaded to believe it, through social media and the pernicious influence of groups like Mermaids and Stonewall. Let's hope this marks a turning point.