One of the main components of identity development is Sexual Identity Development. Sexual development begins with the coming together ofX genes from the Mother andX, Ygenes from the Father. Psychologically, there are 3 basic components of Sexual Identity development.
These are
1. Core Sexual Identity
2. Gender Roles
child psychology
3. Sexual Orientation.
In the preschool period, the child's identification of himself as a boy or a girl is considered the basic indicator of Core Gender Identity. Children who identify as boys or girls begin to behave according to the gender they identify with. The gender defined at birth and the family's upbringing behaviors play a major role in the development of Gender Roles. The family's upbringing behavior determines the child's clothing style, toys, physical characteristics (e.g. hairstyle, nail polish, earrings, necklace...), gender of his/her friends, and the games he/she plays. If we give an example of gender role: A family with 4 daughters and no sons among close relatives is given the male gender role to a newborn girl even though her biological gender is a girl... Sexual Orientation is determined according to the gender to which the person's sexual desire is directed.
The behaviors of sexual identity development in the child begin to show themselves in the preschool period. Boys prefer to play with boys, and girls prefer to play with girls. While boys prefer games that are active and where motor behavior is at the forefront, girls prefer calm, emotional, scripted games according to their sexual development. In the preschool period, boys discover their genitals differently from girls. According to psychological explanations, during this period, girls may think that they are being punished for an event by not having sexual organs like boys (Oedipal Period). Boys also think that girls are being punished for an incident. They may worry that they will be punished like the girls and lose their sexual organs. For this reason, it is considered appropriate for the environment to make sexual jokes in the preschool period. It is not seen. Circumcision is not recommended in this period as it can increase psychological stress considerably.
In the preschool period, boys show a psychological bond with their mothers and girls with their fathers. A boy competes with his father and a girl competes with her mother. Boys try to imitate their father's behavior and girls try to follow their mother's example. With the start of schools, teachers become role models. For this reason, teacher selection is very important in families that are not role models for various reasons.
With the school period, sexual development passes into the rest period, which we call the latent period. Children try to show themselves (study success, physical strength, etc.) in a new environment. During primary school, boys like to spend time with boys and girls like to spend time with girls.
In recent studies, the average age of puberty for boys is 11.5, while for girls it is 10.5. Early puberty is when development begins before the age of 8 in girls and before the age of 9 in boys. Late puberty is when development does not begin until the age of 13 in girls and 14 in boys. Although the age of puberty is primarily determined by genetic reasons, nutrition, obesity in infancy (being overweight), sugary foods, low birth weight, hormones and chemicals we consume in food affect it.
Adolescence. It begins with the release of sex hormones when the time comes. Due to the increase in sex hormones, the breasts first grow in girls (the ovaries grow, but we cannot see them from the outside because they are in the abdomen), while in boys, the first growth occurs in the ovaries. With this development, growth in hands and feet in boys and girls (more noticeable in boys), increased height, increased hair growth and subsequent hair growth, deepening of the voice (more noticeable in boys) is observed. Due to the development of breasts, girls are shy and ashamed of this situation. They stand hunched over so that the development of their breasts does not attract attention from the environment.
Following this development, approximately 2 years later, menstrual periods occur in girls and night wetting occurs in boys. This coming With the m level, adolescents gain the ability to reproduce like adults. It is very important that adolescents before this period are informed by their families in simple and understandable language. Most of the time, families become at risk of abuse because they do not provide this information or as a result of false information they receive from the environment (especially from their friends).
While they prefer to stay away from their own gender in the early adolescence period, they With age, interest in the opposite sex increases. Special friendships begin during this period. It competes with its own species. Being liked and appreciated physically becomes an important part of their lives. Friendship choices during this period are very important. During this period, with increasing self-confidence, there is an increase in risky behaviors. During this period, it is very important for families to make the adolescents feel that they are with them rather than having a questioning attitude.
It is important for families to provide preliminary information before the onset of sexual development. Preliminary information should be given simply, without any details, and at a level that the adolescent can understand. More detailed information should be given with adolescence. Families should stay away from directive and critical conversations such as "don't do this, do that like that, that friend is bad, don't talk to him, don't talk to him, his family is bad". It is important to have conversations that involve mutual participation by defining the problems and listening to his/her ideas.
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