Recent headlines have sparked heated debate about whether boysshould be allowed to dress as girls. For example, a 5-year-old boyin Seattle who enjoys things traditionally for girls, such asjewelry, the color pink, and dresses was supported and encouragedby his mother, who wrote a book about him called “My Princess Boyâ€.A J. Crew ad featured a mother painting her young boy’s toenailshot pink (CBS News, 2011 April 13). Reactions ranged from outrageand disbelief to support of the mothers.
On the flipside, girls who shun traditionally “girly thingsâ€such as dresses and flowers in favor of more traditional “boythings†such as watching or playing sports, rough-and-tumble play,and choosing boys as friends are often called tomboys.
For either sex, choosing to engage in activities traditionallyreserved for a specific sex can result in teasing and accusationsof homosexuality.
Using research gathered from your textbook, online coursecontent, and at least 1 research article, analyze the abovescenarios.
Are the behaviors discussed above (i.e., preferring thingstraditionally acceptable for a specific sex) indicative ofhomosexuality? Why or why not?
Describe the psychological consequences (positive and negative)that might result from engaging in behaviors reserved for aspecific sex?
Develop an argument for or against concern that these childrenmight be exhibiting a paraphilia.
Which paraphilia(s) might apply and what criteria would you usebased on the research?
What, if any, intervention would you recommend to a parent whoselittle girl or boy expresses the desire to engage in behaviorstypical of the opposite sex? If you do not believe intervention isnecessary, explain why.
