I have been working with Third Culture Kids (TCKs) since 2005, and conducting research since 2012.

While my Masters thesis (2017) was completed in an academic setting, I have chosen to do most of my research outside academia. This allows me to look at broader topics and ask questions that TCKs, Adult TCKs, parents, and caregivers want answered—and share the stories TCKs want to tell. I publish research online and in book form, including through my role as Director of Research at TCK Training. Scroll down to learn more about recent and ongoing projects.

RESEARCH YOU CAN TAKE PART IN

experiences of change and home

This 36 question survey takes ~15 minutes to complete, and will be used to supplement interviews I did to help me write my third book. The book is all about experiences of change (something everyone goes through in life) as well as what makes us feel a sense of home. I hope to release it in early 2026!

Are you doing research on TCKs? Want to advertise your survey here? Contact me with the information and a square graphic for consideration.

free TCK RESEARCH YOU CAN learn from

FIRST LOOK: Data from the 2024 Survey on the impact of childhood global mobility on adult wellness (jan. 2025)

As TCK Training’s Director of Research, I was instrumental in crafting the 2024 survey, ran the data analysis on responses from 1,643 Adult TCKs, and was lead author on this First Look which is available as a free PDF download from TCK Training’s website. In it you will learn about:

  • How TCKs perceive their childhood experiences

  • Strengths TCKs see in themselves

  • Some of the struggles TCKs experiences in adulthood

  • TCK experiences of mental illness, including diagnoses

Sources of Trauma in International Childhoods (Oct. 2023)

As TCK Training’s Director of Research, I was lead author of this white paper, the third stemming from our 2021 survey. In it we discuss ten different factors which can potentially lead to higher ACE scores in TCKs, including:

  • The impact of peer relationships

  • The number of years lived abroad

  • Medical emergencies in the home

  • Witnessing potentially traumatic events

  • Experiencing natural disasters, evacuation, and other large scale events

TCKs at Risk: RISK FACTORS AND RISK MITIGATION FOR GLOBALLY MOBILE FAMILIES (dec. 2022)

As TCK Training’s Director of Research, I was lead author of this white paper, the second stemming from our 2021 survey. In it we discuss 12 different risk factors: the 10 ACE factors, plus two additional risk factors we considered worth including in the same discussion. Overall these factors include:

  • Physical and emotional abuse occurring in the home

  • Physical and emotional neglect

  • Sexual abuse occuring in childhood, plus grooming

  • Household dysfunction, including parental mental illness

Caution and Hope: The Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Globally Mobile Third Culture Kids (june 2022)

As TCK Training’s Director of Research, I was lead author of this white paper, the first stemming from our 2021 survey. It creates a foundation for understanding TCKs, ACE scores, and why this research was groundbreaking in bringing the two fields of research together. It also looks at what was found about ACE scores in TCKs from our survey of over 1,900 Adult TCKs - most notably, that TCKs were twice as likely as other populations around the world to have a high risk ACE score.

get the latest

Sign up for my research updates to receive four newsletters per year

supporting my work

I believe in the great importance of the research and writing work that I do, but this is work that comes without a salary. I have a Patreon account, where patrons who share this vision sponsor my work, helping me financially so I can devote more time and effort to what amounts to volunteer work on my part. These patrons receive a few benefits, chief among which is exclusive information from my on-going research and sneak peeks of where my writing is headed. For $2 a month you too can become one of my patrons, and hear all the latest about my research and writing. Higher tiers include benefits such as a handwritten postcard from me, submitting a question to be answered as a blog post on this website, and discounts on my workshops.

 

MISunderstood: The Impact of Growing Up Overseas in the 21st Century

Misunderstood is my first book, published in 2016. It explains the TCK childhood experience to those who have not experienced it. It also provides TCKs with validation and recognition: others felt the same way they did, and their feelings and experiences make sense in context. I have received countless emails and other messages from teenage and adult TCKs who read my book and were astounded that others had put their own thoughts into words, and found comfort and understanding they believed was impossible.

Misunderstood is based on a decade of experience working with TCKs in Asia, along with hundreds of interviews with TCKs around the world and an original survey of 744 adult TCKs. Whether you grew up overseas, are raising children overseas, or know a family living abroad, Misunderstood will equip you with insights into the international experience, along with practical suggestions for how to offer meaningful care and support.

Buy it now: paperback or ebook

THONGS OR FLIP FLOPS? AUSTRALIAN KIDS OVERSEAS AND WHAT COMES NEXT

My second book was co-written with Kath Williams and published in 2024. It is like a Misunderstood for Australians who grew up overseas, their families, educators, and caregivers.

Thongs or Flip Flops? contains advice for living overseas and attending school as an Australian child, returning to Australia as a child or young adult, accessing Australia’s social services including tertiary education, and getting on with the business of adult life as and Australian — whether at ‘home’ or abroad. Information for long-term planning when it comes to cross-cultural life is also included. All of this comes with stats and stories from hundreds of Australian TCKs who have been through these experiences themselves.

Buy it now: paperback or ebook

What experts are saying about Misunderstood:

  • “Misunderstood is a must-read for anybody trying to deepen their understanding of the TCK experience and how international mobility affects a child. Tanya Crossman’s collection of unique real-life stories will not only resonate with TCKs, but will also inspire empathy and understanding for anyone who has ever transitioned.”

    Valerie Besanceney, International Education Consultant and Author

  • “If I were moving overseas with my kids today, this is the book I’d want in my hand luggage. Misunderstood updates the gold standard of TCK research for today’s families, weaving detailed information together with compelling personal narrative, giving a voice to this generation of kids growing up overseas, and fostering understanding with those who love and care for them.”

    Kay Bruner, MA Licensed Professional Counselor and Author

  • “It’s hard to imagine a more thorough – or more thoughtful – treatment of the dynamics of being a TCK. Crossman’s survey results alone make this an invaluable contribution to the field, but it is the compelling voices of TCKs themselves, generously cited throughout, that will leave a lasting impression. Anyone who is a TCK or who cares about them will find insights on every page.”

    Craig Storti, Director of Communicating Across Cultures and Author of many books