Developmental research on childhood gender identity disorder

Developmental Research on Childhood Gender Identity Disorder
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According to DSM IV, childhood gender identity disorder (CGID) is a medical condition where a child is obsessed with the desire to be the opposite gender. This medical condition is common among children who are between two and three years of age. Besides the delayed cognitive development to differentiate between both sexes, parents play a significant role in influencing a child’s perception of autonomy and authenticity. Incidences of trauma, anxiety, and abuse during parenting may trigger destructive and unbearable memories in the mind of a child which in the long run will have a detrimental impact on how they perceive the aspect of autonomy.
A careful observer and a guardian would not miss noting the complex matrix that dictates a child’s conception of gender. A child aged between 6 and 12 months will be interested in pictures of the same sex, and at the age of 2 years, they can identify persons of the same sex (Coates, 2006). However, the child cannot differentiate gender based on the anatomical sex if the significant external characteristics such as clothing and hairstyle are withdrawn. Consequently, even at the age of 5 years, the child does not understand the role of genitalia in determining the gender of a person. Children will only comprehend that the anatomy dictates the gender of a person at the age of 6-7 years.
At the age of 2-3 years, children believe and desire to be both sexes.

However, it is quite cynical that one gender will prefer being the opposite gender. A typical example is where a boy wishes to wear the clothes of a girl, and the converse is also true (Coates, 2006). The children will feel deprived upon realizing that their gender places a limit on what they can do, what they can wear, and the orientation of the body. Once a child understands their gender, there is a decreased desire to play with kids of the opposite sex and an increased desire to spend time with children of the same sex.
Reference
Coates, S. (2006). Developmental research on childhood gender identity disorder. Identity, gender, and sexuality, 150, 103-138.