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Children who question their heterosexuality.
Priscilla R Carver1, Susan K Egan, David G Perry
1Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA.
Developmental Psychology
|January 1, 2004
Summary
Childhood sexual questioning, a period of questioning heterosexuality due to same-sex attractions, is linked to impaired self-concept and gender dissatisfaction in children. These associations appear small, with questioning potentially influencing outcomes rather than resulting from them.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Childhood Studies
Background:
- Many adults identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual recall childhood sexual questioning.
- Childhood sexual questioning involves questioning heterosexuality, driven by same-sex attractions and leading to same-sex exploration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate hypotheses regarding the correlates, causes, and consequences of childhood sexual questioning.
- To understand the relationship between sexual questioning and psychological attributes in children.
Main Methods:
- The study involved 182 children from 4th to 8th grade.
- Short-term longitudinal analyses were employed to examine temporal relationships.
Main Results:
- Children experiencing sexual questioning reported lower self-concept, fewer same-sex-typed attributes, and less satisfaction with gender assignment compared to their heterosexual-confident peers.
- Sexual questioning appeared to be a determinant, rather than a consequence, of these correlated variables.
- The influence of sexual questioning on these outcomes was found to be small.
Conclusions:
- Childhood sexual questioning is associated with specific psychological characteristics in children.
- While sexual questioning may precede certain outcomes, its overall impact on these variables is limited.