Child and Adolescent Sexual and

GenderIdentity

Development

Morganne Ray, LICSWOctober 31, 2014

Conversation with a Small Child

“Are you a boy or a girl?”“That’s a complicated question…”“Do you have a penis?”“No”“So you’re a girl, you have a vagina.”“You’re right, I have a vagina, but I’m

not quite a girl. Know how you feel like a boy inside?”

“Yeah”“I don’t feel just like a girl inside, I feel

a little bit like both.”“So you’re like a girl and like a boy?”“Yup”“I’m hungry…”

GenderBreadGender Identity

Gender Expression

Sex

Sexual Orientation

Infancy• Identifies the gender assigned to self• Exploratory play, notices pleasurable

sensations• Curious questions about their own

bodies• Able to match feminine voice to face

and masculine voice to face• Limited inhibitions around nudity,

and bodily functions• Gender flexible play and cross-

gender role play common

Early Childhood• Can define genders based on

stereotypical personality traits, occupation, appearance and household activities

• Occasional masturbation for self-soothing

• Gender rigidity accompanied by exaggerated gender characteristics as a response to external influence

• Curious questions about others’ bodies

Binary CandySeparate your candy into

two groups

Binary CandySeparate your candy into two

groups

Did you separate your candy the same way as your neighbor?

What was difficult about separating the candy into two groups?

Middle Childhood• Aware that sex does not change• Gender norms strongly enforced

within peer groups• Aware of taboos around sex and

gender – lots of potty humor• Engages in sex play and romantic

role rehearsal with same and different sex peers

• Curious questions about reproduction

Late Childhood• Gender expression becomes

consistent• Increased participation in gender

roles• Sexual behaviors and curiosity

becomes private/covert• Interest in romantic relationships

develops• Onset of bullying based on gender

identity, expression or sexual orientation

Find Your GroupWithout talking, organize into

groups based on the color of your dot

Find Your GroupWithout talking, organize into groups

based on the color of your dot

How did you feel about dots different than yours?

How did you decide who could be in your group and who couldn’t?

Early Adolescence

• Gender identity and sexual orientation becomes more salient and is disclosed

• More bodily reactions to sexual arousal

• Increased modesty among same sex peers

• Interest in sexual activity with others develops

• Visible development of secondary sex characteristics

Plot Your IdentityAdd a dot on each line of the genderbread to depict your

present identity

List some of your other identities in the surrounding oval

Middle Adolescence

• Sexual activity increases & intensifies

• Seeks physical and emotional intimacy in romantic relationships

• Emphasis on appearance and sexual attractiveness

• Develops empathy for others of different identities

• Increased importance of chosen relationships over familial relationships

Late Adolescence• Differentiates between identity and

behavior, gender and sexual identities stabilize

• Questions peer, family, and cultural influence on identity expressions

• Interest in long term relationships increases

• Develops awareness of social capital and may attempt to disrupt oppression

Connecting Identities

How do some of the identities you listed in the oval impact your gender and sexual identities?

– What parts of your identities you express– How you learned to perform your identities– The language you use to describe yourself– Oppression or privilege you experience