Gender Development in Gender Diverse Children

Abstract

Within “mainstream” developmental science, gender researchers largely study the developmental trajectory of children considered to be “gender typical,” while research housed primarily in psychiatry and clinical psychology often documents the trajectories of gender diverse children. This article aims to bridge the studies of gender diversity and “mainstream” gender development. First, we review literature on the development of four commonly studied subgroups of gender diverse children—children referred to medical clinics because of their gender identity and expression, transgender children, female children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and tomboys—highlighting how these gender trajectories do or do not align with modal developmental patterns. We then describe social, cognitive, and biological determinants of gender in light of their implications for understanding diverse gender development. Finally, we note methodological suggestions for future research, with an eye toward better integrating research on gender diversity into “mainstream” gender development research.