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... In accordance with the DSM-IV-TR
“Gender Identity Disorder is defined as incongruence between the physical phenotype and the gender identity, that is, the self identification as male or female.”
Essentially, Gender Identity Disorder (GID) occurs when One’s sexual identity or sense of belonging to one sex does not match their biological sex, so Mark has a stronger sense of belonging to the female sex, thus wishing/believing he is really Mary. ... The term “phase” is used not in a dismissive sense suggesting that if the gender inappropriate behaviour be ignored then the child will grow out of the inappropriate behaviour but more in the sense that the behaviour does not have deep psychological roots and so may be reformed. ... In addition the treatments and interventions applied to this disorder will be outlined in the hope of providing a glimpse into the world of Gender Identity Disorders and the more extreme Transsexualism. ... The experience of being gender dysphoric is that of incongruence between One’s sex and gender identity. Individuals who seek to and succeed in adapting their sex (phenotype) to establish congruence with their gender identity are known as transpeople or transsexual. ... Examples of such gender incongruent behaviours may include adamant refusal of a girl to sit while urinating or a boy’s insistence on wearing his mothers/sisters clothes (Sarason & Sarason, 2000). Such behaviours may not always mean a gender identity problem is present but Money (1987), highlights that such behaviours while not indicative of gender incongruence often reflect a higher likelihood of homosexual orientation in adulthood. ... It is only when the child becomes aware of this permanence and continues to engage in a gender role incongruent to that of their sex that an intervention may be recommended. ... Green highlights the possibility that the child’s behaviour was initially reinforced by his mother and this may have contributed to his increased tendencies towards gender inappropriate behaviour. ...
In adolescence and adulthood the presence of GID is evident in two forms; transsexualism and nontranssexual gender identity disorder. ... Nontranssexual gender identity disorder is characterised by the same discomfort with biological sex that is prevalent in transsexuals. ... On the other hand nontranssexual GID’s are fulfilling psychological desires and a need to become the opposite sex when cross-dressing.
As with most, if not all, mental disorders recognising symptoms and forming a diagnosis is not difficult to achieve, the problems soon present themselves however when an attempt is made to uncover the aetiology behind the disorder. ...
One of the first theories exploring the aetiology of GID is that of Freud’s Psychodynamic theory and the links between male homosexuality and male-to-female transgender identity (Zucker & Bradley, 1997). ... Individuals who fail to separate from their mother and establish their own gender identity with guidance from a male model/father figure show obvious deficits in masculinity (Stoller, 1973). Further studies by Schott (1995) and Zucker et al (1995) extended this psychodynamic approach attempting to show both transvestism and cross-gender expressions as resulting from ‘too much mother’ and an absent father figure. ... Reckers (1995) swung the pendulum back in favour of the psychodynamic view with his study on a subset of boys evaluated for gender disturbance. His findings, without doubt, highlighted that paternal deprivation in boys parallels abnormal psychosexual development namely gender disturbances. ... It stands, therefore, without parental influence behaviours congruent to gender may not be learned during childhood. Contextualistic influences on gender identity are not always as serious and obvious as an absent father. As mentioned (Green, 1974) parents often encourage gender inappropriate behaviours in their children unaware of potential consequences. ... Understandably the child enters into a conflict between his anatomical sex and acquired gender identity as his/her perception of what is appropriate behaviour for the opposite sex is being encouraged when he/she engages in it. ... Returning to Reckers study on a subset of boys evaluated for gender disturbances an evident correlation between parental mental health and GID emerges. These findings suggest that parents of gender disturbed boys have an unusual degree of psychological maladjustment with eighty per cent of mothers and forty-five per cent of fathers having a history of mental health problems.
Approximate Word count = 3370
Approximate Pages = 13.5
(250 words per page double spaced)
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