The relationship between sex, gender, gender identity, and psychological (dis-)comfort with gender typicality has increasingly become a topic of interest over the last couple of decades. Gender identity development from toddlerhood to late adolescence is an empirical developmental reality and a controversial political issue in the present (psychological) discourse. Consequently, it is necessary to identify the implicit and explicit normative values, as well as the power struggles that are generated within gendered societies.

Children and adolescents who are sexual and gender minorities are one of the most invisible and stigmatized populations in the social sciences. However, the stigma of the system and interpersonal environments that these youths experience is not only difficult to cope with in and of itself but is damaging in terms of social as well as societal context. It has long been a research area of interest to understand that adhering or not adhering to traditional gender norms can significantly impact on psychological, educational, and social aspects of one’s life.

In this context, it is important to recognize the sociopolitical nature of gender; the terminological variety in gender talk; and evidence suggesting that diverse gendered possibilities can be present in childhood and adolescence, if professionals are to support young people effectively. The language of gender is becoming ever more plural and context-specific, offering both opportunities for inclusion and challenges for operationalization - especially in the context of fledgling or non-existent empirical validation of many newer identity categories and a resolutely binary social order that refuses to change.

Instead, we advocate a more spectrum‐based understanding of gender grounded in contemporary advances in the social, biological, and psychological sciences. Even though studies demonstrated the failure of the gender binary, research still explains “difference phenomena” like the higher rate of physical aggression in boys (or depression and dissociation in girls), in terms of heteronormative gender differences, without an understanding of the underlying mechanisms.
Drawing from empirical evidence from developmental psychology, gender studies, and trans studies, we adopt a perspective on gender and gender identity as multidimensional phenomena to appreciate the complexity of children’s and adolescents’ experiences and the socio-emotional challenges they may encounter.

In recent years, the gender binary has been seriously challenged from the perspective of several fields such as neuroscience (about the human brain); behavioral endocrinology (regarding the “dimorphic hormonal systems”); psychology (for similarities between assigned males and females as well as between trans and nonbinary identities); and the research field dealing with gender and development (when dealing with binary concepts of gender identity as culturally determined). Curiously, even though the limitations of the binary and the advancements in numerous areas outlined here are recognized, empirical measures based on a more intersectional gender identity system, though on the rise, have not become the norm.

For these reasons, this Research Topic aims to consolidate empirical, conceptual, and methodological research on gender and gender identity development from toddlerhood through late adolescence. We are interested in alternative measures of gender identity in childhood and adolescence that are multidimensional and incorporate identification of both gender identity and sexual attraction that include gender on a continuum and at the same time consider the gendered social context in which children and adolescents are raised, socialized, and educated. Particular themes include, but are not limited to:

• Intersection of gender, gender identity, and sexual attraction;
• Gender identity pathways from childhood to late adolescence
• Instrument review for use with trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse youth;
• Inclusive, contextually appropriate conceptualizations of gender identity in adolescents;
• Educational and developmental processes shaped by gendered social environments;
• Implications of multidimensional gender identity measures for educational research and practice.

We invite submissions of original research, conceptual analyses, reviews, and methodological papers.

Please note: For this Research Topic, abstracts (manuscript summaries) are mandatory. If you wish to submit a paper, please submit a summary of your work ahead of time. Summaries are used for internal assessment only and are not published. If you have any questions, please email developmentalpsychology@frontiersin.org.

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Frontiers in Developmental Psychology

Adolescent Psychological Development

Social and Emotional Development