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When to introduce the concept of transgender to children
an interesting article in huffington post about when to introduce the concept of transgender to children and how that may affect their gender identity:
Quote:Joanne HermanTransgender advocate and author of “Transgender Explained For Those Who Are Not”
Posted: January 9, 2011 12:40 PM
Should We Introduce Children to the Concept of Transgender People?
Should we introduce children to the concept of transgender people? The answer is yes according to an article published in the December 2010 issue of the peer-reviewed Graduate Journal of Social Science.
The article by Natacha Kennedy and Mark Hellen, entitled “Transgender Children: More Than a Theoretical Challenge,” was developed from a paper presented at the November 2009 conference “Transgender Studies & Theories: Building Up the Field in a Nordic Context” held at Linkoping University in Sweden.
Critics will cry that introducing all children to the concept of transgender people will cause children to “become transgender.” But the authors found that schooling has little impact on gender identity development in children. In fact, children who develop a transgender identity seem to do so in spite of often unwitting but nevertheless pervasive efforts by schools to enforce gender conformity.
Kennedy and Hellen believe that school efforts do have a consequence, however. Transgender children learn very quickly that being transgender is “not acceptable,” and so they conceal their identity, even from family members, to avoid suffering socially. As a result of fearfully suppressing their identity for such a long period, “many of these children achieve well below their abilities at school, leave school early, are more likely to self-harm or attempt suicide, and more likely to suffer from mental health issues in early adulthood.”
By having schools introduce the concept of transgender people to all children, the authors assert, transgender children will “feel they are not alone and that their gender identity is as valid as any other.” This will, in turn, greatly diminish the damaging consequences currently observed as these children mature.
Most studies have been based on direct observations of transgender children. In this case, the researchers instead surveyed transgender adults about their childhoods and then correlated their results with other research. One of the interesting results is a conclusion that there are many more children who conceal their non-conforming gender identities through childhood — so-called “non-apparent” children — than those who clearly identify as transgender as children.
Children themselves were not queried for the study because “there are ethical difficulties associated with obtaining data from children who may not be ‘out’ to their parents.” Additionally, the authors felt asking children to participate in any study could result in an unrepresentative sample skewed toward “apparent” transgender children.
The authors found that roughly three-quarters of transgender people were aware of being transgender before leaving elementary school, and there was “an average delay of 7.5 years between becoming aware of one’s transgender or gender variant nature, and learning any words with which to describe it.” This means “many transgender children go through most, if not all, of their time in compulsory education knowing their gender identity is different from that expected of them.”
On the strength of this finding, the authors argue:
If a school system tried to coerce any other group of individuals to become people they are not, to regard an inner core of their identities as illegitimate, and prevent them from expressing their identities freely, particularly from a very young age, it would be characterized as barbaric. … The [resulting] internalization of self-hatred, guilt, self-doubt and low self-esteem in childhood affects transgender people throughout their lives. Any education system, or indeed society, which allows this state of affairs to continue is neither fully inclusive nor fully humane.
That’s harsh criticism certain to draw the attention of educators. Also likely to speak up are mental health professionals, who have traditionally landed on the side of “it’s usually just a phase” in their work regarding transgender children. Regardless, the article opens a new chapter in the dialogue about transgender children, one that is certain to lead to greater progress for all transgender people.
some interesting comments – huffington post tends to attract these.
thoughts?
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5 Replies
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Virginia, I couldn’t agree more with the authors of this study, we seem happy to infect children with the worse features of our religions and introduce them to the threats of pedophilia at an early age and yet the transgender boogeyman is thought to be too much for the little dears. Just look at the hassle over even having ethics classes in schools!
In my experience children are very accepting of differences in people until they are frightened off by biased adults . I know of a few transgender children in this town , one who is very out about her interests though her parents appear to think she is just a bit retarded in her male progress and are putting her on testosterone to build her up as an adolescent , bound to cause her more problems as she gets older IMO. It is not my place to advocate on her behalf, I do not know her or the family well .
I have often thought that I would like to be able to talk to school kids about diversity , maybe using my martial arts background as a counterpoint to my TG ism but these things are fraught with trouble for the school and for someone without formal qualifications in this area. -
Two years ago or thereabouts when I had started to come out in my family ranks, we were worried about two of my second cousins in particular. Their mum (my cousin) was concerned about how they would handle knowing me part time but these two girls (both in primary school at the time) turned around to me and said that it wasn’t the first time that they had seen someone like me, they’d seen it twice before! I told their mum to come in and listen because these two girls were so broadminded it was unreal.
These two girls are very much a part of my life just as much as my other two second cousins and there has never been an issue, they all know and understand that I’ve been in transition and just talk to me as nothing has ever changed out of the ordinary. I don’t see what damage it would do to children at all if they were educated about basic Transgender issues, just remember that they only need to have a basic understanding of what the terms mean when they are young.
Peta A.
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There are so many parts to this story that strike a chord within me. I know I’m not alone in this feeling, especially on this forum.
Gender polarisation that I was exposed to as a child has taken half a lifetime to come to terms with. Yet, the younger children of some friends are comfortable with me being who I am. I am constantly amazed with the ease kids accept that some “boys” want to be “girls” and vice versa. It’s just like it was as inconsequential as though I was a policeperson or fireperson or teacher. And they understand the difference between someone who does it for entertainment and someone who knows they are the wrong gender.
Older kids seem to have more trouble accepting gender issues. I suspect that may be because they are already having a trying time of coming to terms with their own identities in their transition from a child to an adult.
How much better would it have been to grow up in a more broadminded and accepting society?
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Children get their views of the world from the adults around them and if there is fear and confusion about other people then they will take on the same feelings as the caregivers in their lives. When my daughter had a child we talked about how her and her husband wanted me to be around the baby. I had not dressed openly when my daughter was a small baby as my wife was concerned about how she may be confused by breast forms while she was being breastfed and so I went along with things though I was free to dress when E was asleep.
I do not present as a woman per se but am more androgynous in daily life so the breast issue is not factor nowadays and my granddaughter pays little attention to my painted toenails and hairless legs and arms, it is just her Poopah to her, no different from the beard that her other Grandfather has.
We can think too much and be too anxious about what our kids MAY think and react to but a relaxed and honest approach to differences is best IMO, they are very resilient before the rot of prejudice is put on them. -
Hi , I never tried to hide Ella from my two boys ,but they knew not to discuss Ella to friends .Both boys accompanied me too the Seahorse Ball in Sydney and other trans functions and meetings over the years .They are both men now 22 and 19 and are typical hetrosexual men … Imm fulltime female now and been on HRT for 23 months ,so they have told there friends and the general response from there childhood friends was ” We Know ” lol
Cheers Ella – Kristine
