Is it important to play your own gender role as a child. As a boy
is it necessary that you play solider and not house. Well according to
some recent studies it is. Recent studies have shown that children who
do not conform to their gender roles while playing pretend during puberty
are at an increased risk for abuse and trauma. Not only does their
In the light of this information is it important for
parents to make sure their kids fall into their particular gender
roles? This question brings up to what extent should kids be allowed
to differer from a prototypical female or male role. What is more
important, the child's freedom of expression or their potential
safety, both mental and physical? Because of this the AMA has
recommended that sex changes not be preformed on any person under the
age of 18.
Now some doctors have started hormone treatment so
that children can age to about 16 without the onset of puberty. This
is done so that when the patient becomes 18 he or she can make a more
informed decision about a sex operation or any other permanent medical
decisions relating to their sex without becoming at increased risk for PTSD.
behavior seem to attract physical abuse but it seems they are at
increased risk for PTSD.
increased risk for PTSD.
In the light of this information is it important for
parents to make sure their kids fall into their particular gender
roles? This question brings up to what extent should kids be allowed
to differer from a prototypical female or male role. What is more
important, the child's freedom of expression or their potential
safety, both mental and physical? Because of this the AMA has
recommended that sex changes not be preformed on any person under the
age of 18.
Now some doctors have started hormone treatment so
that children can age to about 16 without the onset of puberty. This
is done so that when the patient becomes 18 he or she can make a more
informed decision about a sex operation or any other permanent medical
decisions relating to their sex without becoming at increased risk for PTSD.
However have they really grown mentally to the full extent if they have
not experienced puberty, are they able to make an informed decision?
This and many other questions surround gender uncertainty. Personally I
believe it needs to be addressed in a case by case basis. However, maybe
it would be wise to put kids with extreme gender uncertainty in therapy
to help avoid any future physical or mental trauma.
2 comments:
Interesting topic, but would like to see you explore this in more detail if you keep it as one of your R4 essays. Currently, it is mostly orienting with your case-by-case comment right at the end
There seems to be something very circular about the logic of this study. They say children who don’t conform to gender roles are more likely to receive abuse or suffer from PTSD, and then they offer suggestions on reforming treatment such as hormone injections until the patient is old enough to choose whether or not they want a sex change. The researchers’ intentions may be good, but they are just dancing around the issue here. A person who is naturally homosexual will not be able to avoid this fact by trying to force themselves to conform to stereotyped roles which don’t apply to them. In fact that may crate even more negative repercussions. Why should being homosexual ever be more likely to induce trauma? The reason is the tragedy of our homophobic society.
It seems somewhat idealistic to suggest that instead of addressing a certain issue, we should change society so as to eliminate it. For example saying that society should become chaste in order to prevent AIDS from spreading is not practical in the least. However, in this case society is the main cause of the problem. The statistics gathered from this study simply reflect exactly how society’s homophobia unjustly harms people with unusual gender identities. In response, we can do as the article says and offer hormone treatment until they’re old enough to have a sex change. However, we can also take a stand and fight for the rights of these people to be who they are without receiving undue stress, without having to worry about whether or not the people closest to them will disown them if their “identity” is ever revealed. In a country founded on the freedom of people to say and think what they want, no one should ever be discriminated against because of who they are, especially when they aren’t harming anyone else. I think the best solution to the issues raised by the survey is to establish homosexual rights and make society accepting of all its members, thus creating an atmosphere where children who do not conform to traditional gender roles will feel no external pressure to be anything else. Only then will they be able to make whatever decisions they feel is right for them, without being influenced by anyone else.
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