Gender Identity Disorder (GID) and Gender Reassignment (GR)

 My understanding is that Gender Reassignment (GR) is the extreme form of Gender Identity Disorder (GID). De Vries et al. (2011) results indicate significant behavioral, emotional, and psychological improvements post GnRHa treatment. Both general performance on the global mood scale and body image improvements appear to stabilize after 3-6 months of GnRHa treatment, which argues for the robustness of this clinical effect. The same results also report stagnation in anxiety and anger levels, as well as gender dysphoria and body satisfaction. And though I know that correlation does not necessarily constitute causation, one could not help but correlate anxiety with gender dysphoria and the subsequent uncertainty and fear of the unknown and anger with the unsatisfactory body image.

Though, in my opinion, the results of a more recent follow up assessment on the subjects of the research would be helpful to formulate a more educated view on the subject, the evidence at hand suggests the effectiveness of the GnRha approach. particularly because not only are the effects of GnRHa treatment reversible but also because it provides extra time for contemplating whether GR measures are truly the ultimate treatent. Concerns have been raised about the risk of making the wrong treatment decisions, as gender identity could fluctuate during adolescence, adolescents in general might have poor decision-making abilities, and there are potential adverse effects on health and on psychological and psychosexual functioning." (de Vries et al., 2011)

In the second paper, the authors suggest that "early maturing females are at unique risk of persistent difficulty during adolescence and should be targeted for preventive efforts; late maturation among males may be associated with a late-onset pathway for deviant behavior or substance abuse" (Is Pubertal Timing Associated With Psychopathology in Young Adulthood?, 2010). And even though it seems strange to suggest that adolescent males should be targeted for preventive measures, the authors cite research showing that early maturation among males may be associated with late-onset of deviant behavior and/or substance abuse. On the other hand, different studies have found that early puberty in males was associated with higher levels of aggression, and delinquency, relative to late maturity.

The study's finding that early maturation among females and late maturation among males are both correlated with later-onset psychopathology suggests that early development as a predictor of later-onset disorder should be considered as an important target for intervention. My own take-away from this investigation is that such a correlation exists and that parents and educators should pick up on early physical and behavioral indicators of pubertal timing psychopathologies and GID.

Finally, there are large differences in when pubertal development begins among teenagers. According to a large body of research, changes in pubertal timing may have an impact on one's mental, social, and physical health (e.g., Mendle et al. 2007, Mendle and Ferrero 2012; Negriff and Susman 2011). Both genetic and environmental variables may affect pubertal development. (Stroud & Davila, 2016).



References

de Vries, A. L., Steensma, T. D., Doreleijers, T. A., & Cohen‐Kettenis, P. T. (2011). (PDF) Puberty Suppression in Adolescents With Gender Identity Disorder: A Prospective Follow-Up Study: Puberty Suppression in Adolescents With GID | Annelou de Vries - Academia.edu. (PDF) Puberty Suppression in Adolescents With Gender Identity Disorder: A Prospective Follow-Up Study: Puberty Suppression in Adolescents With GID | Annelou de Vries - Academia.Edu.

https://www.academia.edu/4322018/Puberty_Suppression_in_Adolescents_With_Gender_Identity_Disorder_A_Prospective_Follow_Up_Study_Puberty_Suppression_in_Adolescents_With_GIDIs Pubertal Timing Associated With Psychopathology in Young Adulthood? (2010, January 4). Is Pubertal Timing Associated With Psychopathology in Young Adulthood? - ScienceDirect.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890856709613216Stroud, C. B., & Davila, J. (2016, January 1). Pubertal Timing | SpringerLink. Pubertal Timing | SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-319-32132-5_14-2

590 words

Thomas Onyebuchi Igwe replying to Khaled Hassan

 Sun, 11 Sep 2022, 10:41 AM

Re: DF2

I agree with you Khaled,
Early development as a predictor of later-onset illness should be taken into consideration as an essential target for intervention, according to the study's findings that early maturation among females and late maturation among males are both connected with later-onset psychopathology. My own conclusion from this study is that there is a correlation between the two, and that parents and teachers should watch out for the early physical and behavioral signs of pubertal timing psychopathologies and GID.
Thanks.

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82 words

Khaled Hassan replying to Thomas Onyebuchi Igwe

 Tue, 13 Sep 2022, 3:17 AM

Re: DF2

Hi Thomas and thanks for your reply.

Khaled

8 words

Jason Talley replying to Khaled Hassan

 Mon, 12 Sep 2022, 7:51 AM

Re: DF2

Khaled,

You clearly have read and considered the material carefully. I agree that intervention might be needed for students dealing with puberty onset issues. What do you think would be a sign that a formal intervention is needed?

You are right to point out that correlation does not necessarily constitute causation. That is a simple, but important fact that people often overlook. I would even say that as teachers, no matter our subject, we should be sure to pass that reminder on to our students.

While this was a good piece on the whole, if I could offer a suggestion, a less abrupt conclusion would be a more academic way to conclude a post like this.

Thanks for sharing.

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Sigmund Freud's Psychosexual Stages

 

Meaning of Adolescence (1953) [Video].

 

Identity Texts

 In my opinion, there is great value in having students produce identity texts. First of all, it teaches students how to stop, reflect on themselves, and then communicate their findings through a means of their choice. Their expression of the final product could be spoken, written, or even performed. When done correctly, students take ownership of the text and become invested in it because it represents their own identity (Gaysek, J. 2012). Besides helping non native students challenge the devaluation of their identity, this approach could be specially helpful to students who might be facing identity issues. Moreover, research has highlighted several pedagogical benefits of the framework such as students being able to find and express their individual voices through multimodal identity text projects than traditional means (Mills, K. 2010). Furthermore, the use of identity texts has proven to be helpful in ELL classes. Teachers can promote Ell students' literacy when they connect with their students in ways beyond the usual constricted pedagogical frame. 

Socially, identity texts tend to uncover much about students' identity, culture, and perspectives on relationships. This important because it gives the teacher an insight into the background of the student. Human interaction is at the heart of schooling and these interactions are often more central to student development than other methods for teaching literacy. Academically, educators can utilize these texts to create  an interpersonal space where learning takes place and students' identities are recognized, affirmed, and explored. These texts  help students affirm their identities in various forms such as dance, music, poetry, stories, bilingual texts, etc... 

The main challenge that this approach faces is the rigidity of the one size fits all curricula and mandates enforced by some kind of punitive sanctions. During my school years in a French Jesuit school, I was never introduced to identity texts nor was I ever encouraged to express myself or my opinion. On the contrary, I was often told to keep to myself and stop complaining. Looking back on it, this might have been the reason behind poor relationships with teachers and many colleagues. Had the idea been introduced to me, I think I might have had a more enjoyable learning environment and experience. 

Evidently, students native language is not totally irrelevant to making progress in learning English language. Literacy instruction cannot and should not substitute for literacy engagement. Such engagement could be promoted through enabling students to use their home language as a source for learning. Educators have a choice to go beyond the conventional academic expertise framework and its curricular guidelines and mandates. This could be done by acknowledging students' prior knowledge and attempting to utilize it to serve the acquisition of new knowledge (Zapata et al. 2020). References

Gaysek, J. (2012). Identity texts. Retrieved 30 December 2020, from https://www.slideshare.net/jsplendiferrous/identity-texts

Mills, K. (2010). What learners ‘know’through digital media production: Learning by Design.E-Learning and Digital Media,7(3), 223–236. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.2304/elea.2010.7.3.223

Zapata, Gabriela & Ribota, Alessandra. (2020). The instructional benefits of identity texts and learning by design for learner motivation in required second language classes. Pedagogies. 10.1080/1554480X.2020.1738937.