In the article “Understanding Transgender Identity Development in Childhood and Adolescence”, Dr. Boskey argues for the inclusion of gender identity topics in U.S sex education curriculum and provides different manners in which trans issues could be incorporated into current sex education standards. Although some states in the U.S, including California, now include conversations about sexuality in a positive light, while others mention sexuality but only in a negative light, sex education curriculum is lacking information on trans and gender identity issues in all states.
In the past this lack of representation in Sex Ed curriculum has been to understandings of youth’s identifications as trans as minimal and scarce, however Dr. Boskey argues the data supporting these understandings are often under representing the actual population of trans youth. She sites a study by Schreier, Moller, Li, and Romer, stating that 6% of young boys and 12% of young girls exhibit cross-gender behavior. She approximates that given the census of 316 million in the U.S in 2013, about 1.5 to 6 million Americans identify as transgender.
Dr. Boskey continues to argue that trans issues are not new and are very rarely addressed in school, although individuals identifying off the gender binary are more susceptible to emotional disorders, negative self-imagery, trauma, and abuse. By providing gender identification sections within sex education curriculum and self-image/ beauty curriculum already present in sex ed, for youth attending K-12 public schools, curriculum should promote compassionate and understanding toward their non-conforming peers in order to stem bullying and trauma, and body positive curriculum for trans youth and cis-youth. While talking about gender identity educators would also have the opportunity to discuss the prevalence of gender roles that may adversely affect both men, women, and non-binary youth.
Children become aware of gender as young as the age of 2 and thus gender should be brought into a dialogue in a age appropriate lessons by elementary school and kindergarten. By middle school, when most students will begin the process of puberty, gender issues are especially important, as puberty can be a very traumatic, dysphoric, and stressful time for students who are non-binary conforming to go through, whilst also not receiving any formal acknowledgment of their struggles or any information or support from their academic mentors.
Dr. Boskey concludes that trans issues are not only important and necessary to the growing population of non-binary identifying students, but also broach issues important to cis and heterosexual youth about gender roles, puberty, bullying, and sexuality.
Boskey, Elizabeth. Understanding Transgender Identity Development in Childhood and Adolescence. American Journal of Sexuality Education. (Taylor and Francis, 2014.)