Darryl B. Hill

An Affirmative Intervention for Families With Gender Variant Children: Parental Ratings of Child Mental Health and Gender

This is a report on parents who have children who exhibit gender variant behaviors and who contacted an affirmative program in the United States for assistance. All parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist, the Gender Identity Questionnaire, and the Genderism and Transphobia Scale, as well as telephone interviews. The parents reported comparatively low levels of genderism and transphobia. When compared to children at other gender identity clinics in Canada and The Netherlands, parents rated their childrens gender variance as no less extreme, but their children were overall less pathological. Indeed, none of the measures in this study could predict parents’ ratings of their childs pathology. These findings support the contention that this affirmative program served children who were no less gender variant than in other programs, but they were overall less distressed.

“You Have to Give Them a Place Where They Feel Protected and Safe and Loved”: The Views of Parents Who Have Gender-Variant Children and Adolescents

This study focused on the experiences of parents of gender-variant children and teens. The goal was to document issues faced by parents of kids with childhood gender-variant behaviors and/or gender-variant identity and to compile their wisdom. Telephone interviews were conducted with 43 parents of 31 youth (all who met the DSM criteria for Gender Identity Disorder) from across the United States. Parents were asked for a history of their childs gender, focusing on their experiences and their thoughts about how to parent gender-variant youth. Parents spoke about their gender beliefs, how they came to accept their child, and the main challenges they faced. The implications of these findings for gender-variant teens are discussed.

Gender Identity Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence: A Critical Inquiry

Abstract While debates continue as to whether or not a diagnosis of gender identity disorder (GID) is wanted or needed by todays adult transsexual, there is increasing concern both in academic and lay literature regarding the diagnosis of children and adolescents with GID. This paper critically evaluates the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of GID in children and adolescents in light of published controversies, evidence, and arguments in psychological, psychiatric, and lay discourse since the release of the DSM-IV. In the years since GIDs first inclusion in the DSM-III, growing criticisms weigh heavily against the diagnosis of GID in children and adolescents. This analysis urges a re-evaluation of the GID diagnosis for children and, to a lesser extent, adolescents. Overall, there is deepening discomfort with pathologizing children and youth for extreme gender variance. In the very least, since this is a highly contentious diagnosis, with little established reliability and validity, and problematic assessment and treatment approaches, researchers and clinicians need to establish that GID is validly diagnosed with non-biased assessments and treated effectively in accordance with current standards.

Who Hates Gender Outlaws? A Multisite and Multinational Evaluation of the Genderism and Transphobia Scale

ABSTRACT Four independent studies conducted in three different countries evaluated the strength of the Genderism and Transphobia Scale (GTS; Hill & Willoughby, 2005), a recently developed measure of anti-trans sentiments and behaviors. Study 1 utilized the GTS to examine anti-trans attitudes among mental health professionals. Study 2 employed the GTS to evaluate the effects of personal contact with transpersons, conformity, and perceived threat to social cohesion on attitudes toward gender nonconformity. Study 3 examined the reliability, validity, and factor structure of the GTS among college students in the Philippines. Lastly, Study 4, conducted in Canada, used variables from the general literature on prejudice to create a comprehensive model predicting genderism and transphobia. Collectively, results of this multinational, multisite study further support the reliability and validity of the GTS and elucidate factors associated with anti-trans sentiments and behaviors.

GENDER IDENTITY DISORDERS IN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE

Abstract While debates continue as to whether or not a diagnosis of gender identity disorder (GID) is wanted or needed by todays adult transsexual, there is increasing concern both in academic and lay literature regarding the diagnosis of children and adolescents with GID. This paper critically evaluates the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of GID in children and adolescents in light of published controversies, evidence, and arguments in psychological, psychiatric, and lay discourse since the release of the DSM-IV. In the years since GIDs first inclusion in the DSM-III, growing criticisms weigh heavily against the diagnosis of GID in children and adolescents. This analysis urges a re-evaluation of the GID diagnosis for children and, to a lesser extent, adolescents. Overall, there is deepening discomfort with pathologizing children and youth for extreme gender variance. Since this is a highly contentious diagnosis-with little established reliability and validity, and problematic assessment and treatment approaches-researchers and clinicians need to establish that GID is validly diagnosed with nonbiased assessments and treated effectively in accordance with current Standards.

Trans/Gender/Sexuality

Abstract This paper discusses a research agenda for trans (transgender and transsexual) experience in the U.S., both how and what to study. As the field of trans studies develops, researchers should primarily utilize a community-based participatory action research model. Research remaining to be done includes: documenting the size of trans communities across the U.S., exploring the short and long-term effects of hormonal and surgical interventions, studies that focus on resiliency and wellness (i.e., those who are able to fend off pathology), explorations of who is likely to oppress or discriminate against trans people, and the legal issues faced by trans people.

An Affirmative Intervention for Families with Gender-Variant Children: A Process Evaluation

This is a report on a program for parents who have children who exhibit gender-variant behaviors and who contacted an affirmative program in the United States for assistance. All parents completed semi-structured telephone interviews. The data analysis proceeded in two phases, first as a grounded-theory analysis for themes that emerged from the data, and second as an examination of the data in light of the psychology of social exclusion. The results support the contention that parents who develop a supportive stance about their childs gender variance are diverse in their concerns and may or may not start from a position of rejection and attempts at normalization. In order to arrive to acceptance, parents go through a process of reassessment of previously held attitudes or beliefs, and this process is varied. Regardless of initial attitudes, most parents reported significant benefits, both to their self and their child, from their involvement with the program.

“Feminine” Heterosexual Men: Subverting Heteropatriarchal Sexual Scripts?:

Little is known about the sexual lives of “feminine” heterosexual men (i.e., men who eschew traditional rigid “masculine” gender roles in favor of more stereotypically “feminine” gender roles and characteristics). Based on an analysis of gender and sexuality discourse, mostly from social psychology, this paper proposes a model of the sexual subjectivity of the feminine heterosexual man. This model suggests that these men may find it difficult to attract a partner and maintain satisfying sexual relationships, but once established they appear to build strong relationships. This conceptualization proposes that feminine heterosexual men subvert overly restrictive heteropatriarchal sexual scripts, freeing both traditional and nontraditional men to explore ways of being sexual with women outside a dominant-submissive dialectic.

Differences and Similarities in Men's and Women's Sexual Self-Schemas

In the last 10 years, researchers have developed separate rating scales for men and women that purport to measure a persons thoughts about their sexual self or sexual self-schema. While these scales are promising, there are some problems intrinsic to these measures. This study addresses these concerns and tests a combined measure for use among both men and women, while retaining internal consistency and a factor structure similar to the womens scale. Having both men and women complete the same scale permitted a comparison of how men and women think about their sexual selves. In this study, gender differences netted a small effect, with men scoring lower on both the loving/warmth and reserved/conservative factors compared to women. Results are discussed in terms of future research with this new scale and the meaning of gender differences along these dimensions.

Theory in Applied Social Psychology Past Mistakes and Future Hopes

Across the last four decades, applied social psychology has sought to apply theories to ‘real world’ social problems, hoping for some insight into intractable social issues. This paper reviews applied social psychology discourse on the application of theory in the resolution of social problems, with a focus on the ‘post-crisis’ literature. This analysis suggests that much of applied social psychology lacks serious theoretical analysis and has yet to use the kind of theory needed to understand social problems. While exceptions to these trends are noted and discussed, current mainstream applied social psychology, as exemplified by a survey of recent texts, seems highly individualistic, rarely focused on important social issues, and generally atheoretical. Two themes, which run counter to these trends—the emergence of critical psychology and renewed attention to the limits of generalizability, along with the importance of knowing contexts—may set the agenda for further theoretical efforts in applied social psychology.