Gender Identity and Sexuality in Adolescence

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Gender Identity and Sexuality in Adolescence Christina Spivey Grand Canyon University PSY-355: Child and Adolescent Psychology Professor Wheeler November 19, 2023 1

Gender Identity and Sexuality in Adolescence Adolescence is a challenging period for kids growing into young men and women because puberty and hormonal shifts cause significant physical and mental changes. The process by which a person forms a sexual identity through development and inquiry is one of the characteristics that characterize adolescence (Santrock et al., 2022). Various pop cultural forms integrate topics related to sexuality. Many popular channels of media feature representations of LGBTIA+ (gay, bisexual, lesbian, asexual, transgender, and asexual) individuals. Teens need a voice because it helps them understand that their emotions are genuine and not illicit or improper. It also offers an exchange that helps the teens feel more at ease with who they are. Analyzing a media work by way of an in-depth characterization examination that encompasses the primary characters, their evolution and hardships, their network of assistance, the significant effects on their trajectory (like societal misconceptions), and how the Christian worldview influences a person's sexuality and helps to the persistence of preconceptions. Character Synopsis In the Netflix series "Atypical," Casey Gardner portrays the younger sister of Sam Gardner, who has autism, and is 14 years old. Despite having a minor part, Casey's character is given a lot of screen time, and the four seasons of the show highlight her growth and difficulties with her sexual orientation. Izzie Taylor is in a high-school relationship with Evan Chapin all through the first two years of the series, but after relocating to an elite private institution in the third season, Casey starts to feel things for her. Casey fights with her sexuality because of her affection and sexual affinities for individuals of all gender distinctions. According to (Santrock et al., 2022), there is a widespread misconception that most LGBTQIA+ individuals had difficulties identifying sexually as minors and do not pursue people of a different gender. Casey had a more 2

nuanced approach to determining her sexual identity and was contrary to this widely held notion. Casey developed regularly during her formative years. She was a good scholar with mediocre marks who excelled as a track athlete for the school she attended. When Casey was a child, her involvement in athletics and her choice of apparel, both associated with men, would have made her a tomboy. She was surrounded by supportive family members, including her two parents, in addition to a helpful social circle. Her older sibling Sam, who had autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but was an accomplished individual, was the one factor that greatly influenced Casey's progress as a young person. He got a lot of attention from the family due to his condition, so Casey thought she had to do greater when it came to activities to be accepted and commended. However, Casey was very protective of her brother and tried to support him whenever she was able, so she never demonstrated enmity against him. Obstacles and Transitions In each of the initial two seasons of the show, Casey's love relationship with Evan displays her sexuality as heterosexual. In the second season, Casey transfers schools and befriends Izzie as they get to know one another while having to take care of their younger brothers and sisters. When Casey discovered out that her mother was having an adulterous affair with her father, she started to despise her mother and distance herself from the family. Casey's mother stays around at Casey's place and notices the two girls exchanging smooches. In the coming seasons, audiences will witness Casey putting Izzie first and ignoring Evan's phone calls. She remains unsure of her sexuality, and thus she hasn't revealed it yet. Casey first encounters Abby, her brother's publicly bisexual buddy, in season four. This is the turning point in Casey's life when she realizes she is unable to identify with a particular gender and that like both men and women is just fine. Casey then comes out as bisexual as an outcome of Abby's guidance. 3

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According to (Santrock et al., 2022), LGBTQIA+ youth frequently experience bisexual desire as an inherent component of growing their sexual self; they may be drawn to persons of identical sex and occasionally fall in love. Following their conversation, Sam and Sam's closest companion witness Casey's official coming out. In juxtaposition to her prior representation, she emerges feeling secure and at ease during this interaction. Casey had already reached puberty on a biological level before the television series began. On several occasions, she confides in her mother about her menstruation in the conventional uncomfortable adolescent fashion. Because individuals of both sexes undergo maturation and become sexually capable throughout this period, it is the most apparent phase throughout youth (Kar et al., 2015). A significant aspect to Casey and Evan's deteriorating relationship may be the gender-based developmental gap that exists between them. Casey's mental growth was inside the formally defined functional state of Piaget's theory. This is shown when she tackles challenging content and illustrates her capacity to think about additional individuals and the implications of her options, ranging especially considering the problematic relationship triad that she, Izzie, and Evan are caught up in (Santrock et al., 2023). During this phase of cognitive development, adolescents require authoritative adults to assist them navigate the complex ethical as well as moral ramifications of their choices. Casey looked up to her father, who walked away from the fight, and her adulterous mother (Ciranka & van den Bos, 2019). For Casey, social shifts were the most significant ones. Throughout the show, Casey explores her true identity, importance, and self-worth. She works hard to reconcile her sexual identity and how others will view her while attempting to find her place in her family, friends, and school. Every now and again, Casey demonstrates indications of severe stress from her athletic trainer and family to execute adequately. To better accommodate Casey's physical, 4

emotional, social, and intellectual development as well as her preferences and skills, both parents’ ought to have had a deeper awareness of developmental receptivity and adjusted their expectations of her (Frosch et al., 2019). Support Despite their differences, Casey's family tries to be helpful to one another and loves one another. Although Sam, Casey's siblings, has been identified as having autism and considers challenging to establish connections, he nevertheless makes an effort to help his sister when she requires it. Nevertheless, Casey is usually compelled to watch endlessly to safeguard her brother. Notwithstanding the fact that both of her parents seem perfect, Casey discovers personally that they are plagued by infidelity when she accompanies her mom and uncovers her conducting an illicit relationship in the nearby area with a waitress. According to family systems theorists, marital conflict can be linked to adolescents' introspection and imparting of difficulties, and parent-child relationships lay the groundwork for the bigger family structure (Mastrotheodoros et al., 2020). Despite their differences, Casey's family tries to be supportive of one another and loves one another. Despite having an autism diagnosis and finding it difficult to establish relationships, Sam, Casey's brother, tries to support his sister when she requires him. However Casey has to keep an eye after her brother a lot. Even though her parents appear flawless, Casey uncovers personally that they battle with dishonesty when she chases after her mother and catches her engaging a sexual relationship in the community with a server. According to social theorists, disagreements between spouses can be linked to adolescents' introspection and imparting of difficulties, and interactions between parents and children lay the foundation for the broader family structure (Mastrotheodoros et al., 2020). When Casey comes out to Sam, he just offers her unwavering love and support and accepts her sexual identity without hesitation. 5

Significant Elements and the Development Processes With time, the stigma attached to the LGBTQIA+ community has undergone a significant transformation. There used to be frequent bullying, violence, and discrimination because of one's membership in the community. Even while the LGBTQIA+ community is still subjected to terrible crimes, these incidents are gradually declining as the community becomes more accepted, particularly considering media exposure. When Casey starts to feel something for Izzie, she worries that she will be stigmatized. Western culture's social norms uphold heterosexual relationships and gender roles that define men as masculine and women as feminine (Cislaghi & Heise, 2020). Casey defied these gender stereotypes since she had more male characteristics than feminine ones. Izzie was even more anxious when her father expressed to her, informing her that she had destroyed Casey's existence and that she feared having to reveal to him that she was gay. Religion was not an issue of debate on the television series, and Gardner's convictions were not evident. The mother brought up church a handful of times, but it wasn't apparent if she meant it in a good or bad way. How a family perceives or embraces their child's sexual identity is significantly affected by their faith. Strong affiliations with religion have been linked with less popularity than insufficient or insufficient religious connections, per one study (Smith, 2020). Since Casey's mother originally urged her to play around with her sexuality more, viewers might infer that Casey's father possessed more ardent religious convictions. 6

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The Impact of Worldviews For an extended period, it has been believed that Christians are homophobic. Rhetoric that threatens the LGBTQIA+ group to an eternity of pain is in rotation. Scriptures can be used to defend or disparage any form of sexual identity. For example, the ESV renderings of Romans 8:38 and Corinthians 5:19 proclaim that a person's faults will never be remembered against them by God and that naught is going to sever them from their affection for him. Leviticus 18:22 ESV puts forth the other viewpoint, stating that a man and a woman should not engage in sexual relations. The Bible can be interpreted in several ways because it has been transcribed many times and is available in multiple forms. The primary flaw in the Christian worldview is the golden rule, which can be found in Matthew 22:39 ESV and stipulates that you ought to regard those around you as yourself. The golden rule exists irrespective of if you concur with the orientation of sexuality of the LGBTQIA+ community. Other worldviews have comparable effects to those of the Christian worldview when it comes to acceptance. In accordance with (Ventrilio et al., 2021), there has been a notable surge in the acceptance of homosexuality in numerous countries. In Kenya, for instance, in 2002 just over one percent of respondents to a study felt that the LGBTQIA+ community should be embraced; by 2020, that percentage had risen to fourteen percent. For some, adolescence can be a challenging time. They believe that how they should act, and feel is determined by conventions of society, but occasionally they defy those rules. Adolescents who identify as sexually gay must overcome numerous social stigmas to lead peaceful and enjoyable lives. The persona in addition to struggling with familial acceptance, bisexual actress Casey Gardner of the television series Atypical also struggles with identity confusion. Her development was not inherently influenced by her religion, but in general, one's 7

worldview and religion have a big impact on how they view and accept the LGBTQIA+ community. 8

References Ciranka, S., & van den Bos, W. (2019). Social Influence in Adolescent Decision-Making: A Formal Framework. Frontiers in psychology , 10 , 1915. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01915 Cislaghi, B., & Heise, L. (2020). Gender norms and social norms: differences, similarities and why they matter in prevention science. Sociology of health & illness , 42 (2), 407–422. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13008 Frosch, C. A., Schoppe-Sullivan, S. J., & O'Banion, D. D. (2019). Parenting and Child Development: A Relational Health Perspective. American journal of lifestyle medicine , 15 (1), 45–59. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827619849028 Kar, S. K., Choudhury, A., & Singh, A. P. (2015). Understanding normal development of adolescent sexuality: A bumpy ride. Journal of human reproductive sciences , 8 (2), 70–74. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-1208.158594 Mastrotheodoros, S., Canário, C., Cristina Gugliandolo, M., Merkas, M., & Keijsers, L. (2020). Family Functioning and Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Problems: Disentangling between-, and Within-Family Associations. Journal of youth and adolescence , 49 (4), 804–817. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-019-01094-z Santrock, J. W., Lansford, J. E., & Deater-Deckard, K. (2022). Children (15 th ed.). McGraw Hill LLC. ISBN-13: 9781260726794 Smith J. (2020). Transmission of Faith in Families: The Influence of Religious Ideology. Sociology of religion , 82 (3), 332–356. https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/sraa045 9

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Ventriglio, A., Castaldelli-Maia, J. M., Torales, J., De Berardis, D., & Bhugra, D. (2021). Homophobia and mental health: a scourge of modern era. Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences , 30 , e52. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796021000391 10

Gender Identity and Sexuality in Adolescence

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