Children and Adolescents with Transsexual Parents Referred to a Specialist Gender Identity Development Service: A Brief Report of Key Developmental Features

Abstract

An investigation of the psychosocial development of children of transsexual parents provides a special opportunity to examine whether and how parental gender role influences children’s own gender development, mental health, family relationships and peer relationships. Data on the presence or absence of gender identity disorder, depression, peer relationship difficulties and problems in family relationships among children of transsexual parents were collated from audit of a specialist clinical service. Only 1 female adolescent of the 18 children of transsexual parents recorded temporary concerns with respect to gender identity. Compared with children referred to the same clinical service regarding concerns about their own gender identity, the children of transsexual parents were less depressed and less likely to report peer harassment, persecution or victimization. However, the case notes of children of transsexual parents revealed that this group was more likely to have experienced marital conflict between their parents than were children referred with gender identity concerns and as likely to record difficulties in parent-child relationships and general difficulties with peer relationships. It is suggested that clinical work with children of transsexual parents needs to focus on the quality of family relationships.