Children and Adolescents with Transsexual Parents Referred to a Specialist Gender Identity Development Service: A Brief Report of Key Developmental Features

This research investigated the prevalence of looked-after and adopted young people within a case file review of 185 young people referred to a UK gender identity development service over a 2-year period (1 April 2009 to 1 April 2011). Data were extracted from referral letters, clinical notes and clinician letters. Looked-after young people were found to represent 4.9% of referrals in this cohort, which is significantly higher than within the English general population (0.58%). Adopted young people represented 3.8% of referrals. In addition, the findings showed that looked-after young people were less likely to receive a diagnosis of gender dysphoria compared with young people living within their birth family. There were no statistically significant differences in the gender ratio or age of first gender dysphoric experience between groups. Looked-after and adopted young people were also not found to be experiencing greater impairment in overall functioning compared to other young people referred to the gender identity development service. In conclusion, there are a substantial proportion of referrals pertaining to looked-after or adopted young people, and it appears the referral route and process through the service may be distinct, particularly for looked-after young people. This may be understood by considering the possible complexities in the presentation of these groups, alongside the established higher levels of complexity generally for those experiencing feelings of gender dysphoria.

Download Full-text

Gender diversity and non-binary presentations in young people attending the United Kingdom’s National Gender Identity Development Service

Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/1359104518804311 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 277-290 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Jos Twist ◽

Nastasja M de Graaf

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Identity Development ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Gender Diversity ◽

The Body ◽

Intrinsic Factors ◽

Gender Expression ◽

And Gender ◽

Development Service ◽

Binary Gender

There has been a recent rise in the number of people who hold a non-binary gender identity. However, the proportion of young people attending gender services who identify as non-binary has not yet been investigated. This article presents the findings from a pilot study of newly designed questionnaire, the Gender Diversity Questionnaire, which included questions about gender identity and gender expression. Responses from 251 adolescents attending the United Kingdom’s National Gender Identity Development Service between June 2016 and February 2017 are reported here. The majority, 56.9%, of young people identified as trans, 29.3% identified as a binary gender (male or female), 11% identified as non-binary and 1.2% as agender. There were no significant differences in self-defined identities based on assigned gender or age. However, once young people were separated into these groups, some of them were very small; thus, a larger sample is required. In terms of aspects of gender expression that were important to the young people, the data formed five themes – name and pronouns, external appearance, the body, intrinsic factors and ‘other’. Strengths and weaknesses of the research are discussed as well as future work that will be conducted.

Download Full-text

Co-ordinating meaning within a gender identity development service: What can the theory of the co-ordinated management of meaning offer clinicians working with young people, and their families, exploring their gender identities

Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/1359104519838313 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 322-337 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ashley Miller ◽

Sarah Davidson

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Identity Development ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Prior Experience ◽

Language Family ◽

Multiple Perspectives ◽

Therapeutic Rapport ◽

Management Of Meaning ◽

The Many ◽

Development Service

Working with young people who present with diverse gender identifications and their families requires consideration and acknowledgement of a range of contexts (including relationship, family, social and cultural) as well as the influences of prior experience and language. Family members often present with diverse understandings and hopes from their referral to the Gender Identity Development Service and look to us to meet these. This article considers the contribution of Cronen and Pearce who introduced the theory of the co-ordinated management of meaning (CMM). We focus on their ideas about communication, the complexities of communication, meaning, context and multiple perspectives. This article relates to our practice as well as considers useful ways to work with families and young people, within a highly contested field. Clinical examples are used to illustrate how we have made use of the theory and models of CMM to facilitate engagement, build therapeutic rapport, facilitate understanding and support those we see in a way which takes into account the many contexts of their lives.

Download Full-text

Between Scylla and Charybdis: exploring atypical gender identity development in children and adolescents

Transvestism, Transsexualism in the Psychoanalytic Dimension ◽

10.4324/9780429484261-3 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 55-71

Author(s):

Domenico Di Ceglie

Keyword(s):

Identity Development ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Children And Adolescents

Download Full-text

Bone density and body composition in post-pubertal adolescents treated with GnRH analogues in a gender identity development service

Bone Abstracts ◽

10.1530/boneabs.6.p006 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Xanthippi Tseretopoulou ◽

Nadia Amin ◽

Talat Mushtaq

Keyword(s):

Body Composition ◽

Bone Density ◽

Identity Development ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Gnrh Analogues ◽

Development Service

Download Full-text

A psychological support group for parents in the care of families with gender diverse children and adolescents

Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/1359104520963372 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 135910452096337

Author(s):

Angela M Caldarera ◽

Sarah Davidson ◽

Benedetto Vitiello ◽

Chiara Baietto

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Identity Development ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Support Group ◽

Well Being ◽

Psychological Support ◽

Gender Diverse ◽

Feedback Questionnaire ◽

Diverse Children

Parenting gender diverse children and adolescents can be a challenging experience, entailing doubts about how to protect and support them during their development. Parental reactions impact on the child’s sense of security and well-being. Therefore, when caring for families with gender diverse children, it is important to offer support to parents. In this article we present an experience with a 12-month support group for parents of young people who attended the service for gender identity development at a paediatric hospital. We describe the group structure and methodology, together with the process for evaluating the intervention. At 6-month intervals, parents were asked to indicate the most important topics that had emerged during the monthly sessions. At 12 months, they completed a semi-structured feedback questionnaire about their experience in the group, including possible difficulties encountered. Thematic analysis showed an evolution in time, with participants taking a more complex perspective on gender diversity and the needs of their children, while feeling more able to deal with the uncertainties related to gender identity development. After attending the group, parents reported feeling less lonely, more confident, and better able to communicate with their children. They related these positive changes to the opportunity of sharing experiences and mutual learning. This feed-back provides preliminary evidence that the psychological support group was perceived to be a useful resource by parents of gender diverse young people.

Download Full-text

Advocacy to Support Gender Identity Development in Schools in the Face of Organized Backlash

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Schooling ◽

10.1093/med:psych/9780199387656.003.0013 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 219-237 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

David Fischer ◽

L. Boyd Bellinger ◽

Stacey S. Horn ◽

Shannon L. Sullivan

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Identity Development ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

The United States ◽

Gender Nonconforming ◽

Record Keeping ◽

The Face ◽

And Gender ◽

Opposition Group

Supporting transgender and gender-nonconforming children and adolescents represents a challenge to schools and districts that are not prepared to do so. While much of the conversation focuses on the need for anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies, often what is left out are the support and accommodations necessary that allow transgender and gender-nonconforming children and adolescents to thrive, such as gender-neutral bathrooms, record keeping, name and pronoun usage, and gender-segregated activities. This chapter explores the process used by one safe schools organization in the United States to advocate for inclusive policies and the backlash that ensued when an opposition group began organizing against the passage of the policies. A summary of the process for passing the policies and subsequent organizing efforts to protect the district employee who supported the policies, along with the policies themselves, leads to implications for future organizing efforts.

Download Full-text