هویت جنسیتی و دوره قبل از بلوغ: یک مطالعه مقدماتی

Considering the scarcity of Italian investigations on gender identity in developmental age and specifically the total lack of investigation regarding preadolescence, we wanted to carry out a first exploratory study in this age bracket. We directed our attention to the cognitive and affective dimensions of gender identity. Moreover, we were interested in identifying possible deviations of gender typicality perception in a normal population as well as their associations, if any, with personality traits and psychosocial adjustment. Subjects' age ranged from 9 to 13 years. Investigation was carried out with the following instruments: for children the Gender Identity Interview for Children and the Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ) were used; for teachers a Gender Identity Questionnaire, based on the observation of behaviours relating to gender identity and gender role of children, and for parents the Child Behaviour Checklist/4–18, CBCL. At a descriptive level, the majority of children seem to be satisfied with the sex to which they belong, although a remarkable percentage (40.2%) does not recognise any positive elements to their gender. Descriptive analysis of subjects with sex-atypical profile (all females) showed specific personality traits at BFQ associated with gender nonconformity: high emotional instability and low conscientiousness. These results, however, should not be considered indicative of genuine correlations, rather they could represent a starting point for new hypotheses to be tested in future investigations. The same applies to scores at CBCL showing that subjects with sex-atypical profile have a tendency to exhibit aggressive–transgressive behaviours. These reflections lead us consider the advisability for the principal education institutions, school and family, to face the question of sexual education with the necessary serenity and competence, focusing above all on gender and role differences.

L'identité de genre traduit la perception unitaire et persistante de soi en tant qu'homme ou femme (Simonelli, 2002). Du fait de la carence des recherches italiennes sur l'identité de genre en rapport avec l'âge de développement et en particulier l'absence de travaux sur la préadolescence, nous nous sommes fixé l'objectif de mener une première étude exploratoire sur cette tranche d'âge. De plus, nous avons cherché à détecter les éventuelles déviations de la perception de typicité de genre dans une population normale et les associations éventuelles avec les variables de personnalité et d'adaptation psychosociale. Par « atypie de la perception de l'identité de genre » dans cette recherche, nous entendions une non-conformité aux standards culturels normatifs implicites qui pourrait être source de malaise actuel et dans l'avenir dans des différentes dimensions existentielles et relationnelles.