Childhood Gender Nonconformity
Encyclopedia
Childhood gender nonconformity is a phenomenon in which pre-pubescent children do not conform to expected gender-related sociological or psychological patterns, and/or identify with the opposite gender
. Typical behaviour among those who exhibit the phenomenon includes but is not limited to a propensity to cross-dress, refusal to take part in activities conventionally thought suitable for the gender and the exclusive choice of play-mates of the opposite sex.
Multiple studies have correlated childhood gender non-conformity with eventual gay/bisexual
and transgender
outcomes. In some studies, a majority of those who identify as gay
or lesbian
self-report being gender non-conforming as children. However, the accuracy of these studies has been questioned from within the academic community. The therapeutic community is currently divided on the proper response to childhood gender non-conformity. One study suggested that childhood gender non-conformity is heritable.
various ways in which a child relates to his or her gender.
males self-reporting gender-atypical behaviors in childhood, such as having little interest in athletics and preferring to play with doll
s. The same study found that mothers of gay males recalled such atypical behavior in their sons with greater frequency than mothers of heterosexual males. Nevertheless, not all gay/bisexual men exhibit especially feminine characteristics, and not all feminine men identify as gay/bisexual.
At the onset of adolescence, many girls modify their masculine behaviour and dress to reflect a more socially accepted female form. This modification may be motivated by peer pressure to fit in with a gender group, the desire to be sexually attracive to a specific type of person, or by an internal ideal of what it means to be an adult woman. Women who do not modify themselves thusly at adolescence are often subject to violence, social exclusion, bullying and even psychiatric intervention - techniques employed by others in the social milieu to police gender and sexuality boundaries. The rejection of prevalent social norms by some women may be the result of high self confidence, rebelliousness, indifference, isolation, intelligence, or mental health or social issues which serve to de-prioritise social conformity.
In many areas of the USA, gender specialists with experience in this area are virtually non-existent, leaving parents to fend for themselves using internet self-help groups and therapists with little or no training on what little is known about gender identity development. One California-based organization, Gender Spectrum
, provides international support to families of gender non-conforming children.
, the Head of the Gender Identity Service, Child, Youth, and Family Program and Psychologist-in-Chief at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, believe that behavior modification to extinguish gender variance is the appropriate response to cross gender interests. Dr. Zucker asks the rhetorical question of whether it would be ethical to treat an African American child who wishes to identify as Caucasian with cosmetic surgeries to facilitate this identity, though his critics point out that gender identity is completely non-analogous to ethnic identity. Dr. Zucker's choice as one of the professionals creating the new DSM entry on GID has elicited a firestorm of controversy in the GLBTQ community. Dr. Zucker has expressed the opinion that if his therapies also occasionally prevent a homosexual outcome, they are a valid parental choice.
Reparative therapy
for adults is generally discouraged by the ethics guidelines of major U.S. mental health organizations, including the American Psychological Association
, American Psychiatric Association
, the American Counseling Association
. There is no such consensus around such therapies for children.
or male physique. Other negative mental health outcomes could also result due to the influence of negative media and social portrayals of transgender and gender non-conforming children.
, 20/20 with Barbara Walters
, The Oprah Winfrey Show
, The Tyra Banks Show
, a Newsweek
cover story, and major articles in The New York Times
and The Atlantic have discussed childhood gender nonconformity, although they focused almost exclusively on transsexual children. The Dr. Oz show has also addressed the topic of transgender children.
On August 27, 2006, CBS News 60 Minutes
aired a report on childhood gender nonconformity.
The Belgian film from 1997, Ma Vie en Rose
, had as its major theme the gender nonconformity of a boy named Ludovic.
In 2009, author Brian Katcher released a novel called Almost Perfect which told the story of an adolescent transgender girl.
In October and November 2010, there was extensive media coverage of a mother who let her young son dress up as his favorite female character from Scooby Doo. The incident sparked discussion among gender activists, psychologists, and sociologists.
In an episode of "Our America with Lisa Ling" which aired in February 2011, host Lisa Ling highlighted a 7-year-old transgender girl who had seen herself as female ever since she was able to communicate. She changed her name on her own from Harry to Hailey. The show also profiled a trangender male adolescent and several transgender adults.
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
. Typical behaviour among those who exhibit the phenomenon includes but is not limited to a propensity to cross-dress, refusal to take part in activities conventionally thought suitable for the gender and the exclusive choice of play-mates of the opposite sex.
Multiple studies have correlated childhood gender non-conformity with eventual gay/bisexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
and transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
outcomes. In some studies, a majority of those who identify as gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
or lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
self-report being gender non-conforming as children. However, the accuracy of these studies has been questioned from within the academic community. The therapeutic community is currently divided on the proper response to childhood gender non-conformity. One study suggested that childhood gender non-conformity is heritable.
Manifestations of gender non-conformity in children
Gender non-conformity in children can have many forms, reflectingvarious ways in which a child relates to his or her gender.
- Cross gender clothing and grooming preferences;
- Playing with toys generally associated with the opposite sex;
- Preference for playmates of the opposite sex;
- Identification with characters of the opposite sex in stories, cartoons or films;
- Affirmation of the desire to be a member of the opposite sex;
- Strong verbal affirmation of a cross-gender identity ("No, I'm not a boy, I'm a girl", or "no, I'm not a girl, I'm a boy.")
Association with sexual orientation
Gender-variant men and boys are often assumed to be gay or bisexual. Indeed, one study found a high incidence of gayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
males self-reporting gender-atypical behaviors in childhood, such as having little interest in athletics and preferring to play with doll
Doll
A doll is a model of a human being, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have traditionally been used in magic and religious rituals throughout the world, and traditional dolls made of materials like clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls...
s. The same study found that mothers of gay males recalled such atypical behavior in their sons with greater frequency than mothers of heterosexual males. Nevertheless, not all gay/bisexual men exhibit especially feminine characteristics, and not all feminine men identify as gay/bisexual.
Adolescence
Gender non-conformity has gradually become more socially acceptable, especially for girls. Gender behaviour is still quite limited for boys and men in terms of what is considered appropriate masculine behaviour, and those who present effeminate or traditional feminine behaviour often draw unwanted attention to themselves. However, in recent times our society has seen cross-sexed behaviour among boys that has become more socially acceptable.At the onset of adolescence, many girls modify their masculine behaviour and dress to reflect a more socially accepted female form. This modification may be motivated by peer pressure to fit in with a gender group, the desire to be sexually attracive to a specific type of person, or by an internal ideal of what it means to be an adult woman. Women who do not modify themselves thusly at adolescence are often subject to violence, social exclusion, bullying and even psychiatric intervention - techniques employed by others in the social milieu to police gender and sexuality boundaries. The rejection of prevalent social norms by some women may be the result of high self confidence, rebelliousness, indifference, isolation, intelligence, or mental health or social issues which serve to de-prioritise social conformity.
Therapeutic response
Psychologists are divided on how best to respond to childhood gender nonconformity or gender variance. Some therapists support allowing children to transition or express gender variance, while others favor behaviour modification to discourage gender variance.In many areas of the USA, gender specialists with experience in this area are virtually non-existent, leaving parents to fend for themselves using internet self-help groups and therapists with little or no training on what little is known about gender identity development. One California-based organization, Gender Spectrum
Gender Spectrum
Gender Spectrum is a Bay Area-based non-profit organization whose mission is to create more gender-sensitive and -inclusive environments for all people, including especially gender non-conforming and transgender youth. Gender Spectrum provides education, resources, and structured training sessions...
, provides international support to families of gender non-conforming children.
Supportive professionals
Some professionals, including Dr. Edgardo J. Menvielle of the Children's National Medical Center, who has specialized in this area in his clinical practice, believe that the proper response to gender variant behavior is supportive therapy aimed at helping the child deal with any social issues which may arise due to homophobia / transphobia. These professionals believe that attempts to alter these behaviors, and/or whatever mechanism is responsible for their expression, are generally ineffective and do more harm than good. While not universally advocating for what childhood transgender advocates refer to as full social transition, the CNMC model generally supports allowing a child to express cross gendered interests at home in an age appropriate fashion. Other professionals associated with a supportive model include Dr. Norman Spack of Children's Hospital Boston, Catherine Tuerk, MA, RN, Herbert Schreier, MD (Children's Hospital Oakland), and Ellen C. Perrin, MD of the Center for Children with Special Needs (CCSN) at TUFTS.Reparative therapy
Other professionals, typified by Dr. Kenneth ZuckerKenneth Zucker
Kenneth J. Zucker is a Jewish American-Canadian psychologist and sexologist, and head of the child and adolescent gender identity clinic at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Based on his collaboration with Susan Bradley, Zucker is considered an international authority in the field...
, the Head of the Gender Identity Service, Child, Youth, and Family Program and Psychologist-in-Chief at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, believe that behavior modification to extinguish gender variance is the appropriate response to cross gender interests. Dr. Zucker asks the rhetorical question of whether it would be ethical to treat an African American child who wishes to identify as Caucasian with cosmetic surgeries to facilitate this identity, though his critics point out that gender identity is completely non-analogous to ethnic identity. Dr. Zucker's choice as one of the professionals creating the new DSM entry on GID has elicited a firestorm of controversy in the GLBTQ community. Dr. Zucker has expressed the opinion that if his therapies also occasionally prevent a homosexual outcome, they are a valid parental choice.
Reparative therapy
Reparative Therapy
Conversion therapy, sometimes called reparative therapy or reorientation therapy, is one type of sexual orientation change effort that attempts to change the sexual orientation of a person from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual. These types of therapies have been a source of intense...
for adults is generally discouraged by the ethics guidelines of major U.S. mental health organizations, including the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
, American Psychiatric Association
American Psychiatric Association
The American Psychiatric Association is the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the most influential worldwide. Its some 38,000 members are mainly American but some are international...
, the American Counseling Association
American Counseling Association
The American Counseling Association is a professional organization of counselors in the United States. It is the world's largest association exclusively representing professional counselors....
. There is no such consensus around such therapies for children.
Mental health outcomes
Many researchers see the potential of childhood gender nonconforming adult males having mild dissatisfaction with their bodiesBody image
Body image refers to a person's perception of the aesthetics and sexual attractiveness of their own body. The phrase body image was first coined by the Austrian neurologist and psychoanalyst Paul Schilder in his masterpiece The Image and Appearance of the Human Body...
or male physique. Other negative mental health outcomes could also result due to the influence of negative media and social portrayals of transgender and gender non-conforming children.
In media
Episodes of 60 Minutes60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
, 20/20 with Barbara Walters
Barbara Walters
Barbara Jill Walters is an American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality. She has hosted morning television shows , the television newsmagazine , former co-anchor of the ABC Evening News, and current contributor to ABC News.Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news...
, The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, The Tyra Banks Show
The Tyra Banks Show
The Tyra Banks Show, also known as and shortened to Tyra or The Tyra Show, is an American talk show hosted by Tyra Banks. The last new episode aired on Friday, May 28, 2010.-2005-2009: Syndication:...
, a Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
cover story, and major articles in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and The Atlantic have discussed childhood gender nonconformity, although they focused almost exclusively on transsexual children. The Dr. Oz show has also addressed the topic of transgender children.
On August 27, 2006, CBS News 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
aired a report on childhood gender nonconformity.
The Belgian film from 1997, Ma Vie en Rose
Ma vie en rose
Ma vie en rose is a 1997 Belgian film directed by Alain Berliner. It tells the story of Ludovic , a child who was born male but consistently insists that she is supposed to be a girl...
, had as its major theme the gender nonconformity of a boy named Ludovic.
In 2009, author Brian Katcher released a novel called Almost Perfect which told the story of an adolescent transgender girl.
In October and November 2010, there was extensive media coverage of a mother who let her young son dress up as his favorite female character from Scooby Doo. The incident sparked discussion among gender activists, psychologists, and sociologists.
In an episode of "Our America with Lisa Ling" which aired in February 2011, host Lisa Ling highlighted a 7-year-old transgender girl who had seen herself as female ever since she was able to communicate. She changed her name on her own from Harry to Hailey. The show also profiled a trangender male adolescent and several transgender adults.