The phenomenon
Over the past decade, the U.S. has witnessed a 1000% increase in teen girls who announce they are nonbinary (don't identify as male or female) or transgender (identify as the opposite sex). Most of these girls have no previous history of gender dysphoria (being unhappy as a female) or gender nonconformity (acting more like a male). Thus, their announcement often comes as a shock to parents.
Origin
Researcher Lisa Littman coined the term "Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria" (ROGD) in a 2018 study analyzing the phenomenon. In the study, parents describe a sudden gender identity change in their teenage daughters along with friends who adopt alternative identities. ROGD appears to be a social contagion that spreads among peers and via social media apps like Tumblr, TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram.
Contributing factors
In her book Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, Abigail Shrier describes several factors that may account for the rise in ROGD among teen girls: 1) the invention of the smartphone spreads social media contagion among peers; 2) discomfort with their developing bodies can make girls feel like they don't measure up to cultural standards of feminine beauty, which makes them vulnerable to the suggestion they may not be "real" women; 3) exposure to violent pornography makes womanhood seem undesirable; and 4) comorbid mental health issues such as depression and suicidal thoughts compel teens to seek alternative ways to alleviate painful emotions. These are the same girls who in past decades may have sought relief through maladaptive coping mechanisms like eating disorders and cutting.
Why teen girls "transition"
Adopting a nonbinary or transgender identity is a trendy way for teen girls to dissociate from emotional pain. A girl battling feelings of rejection receives immediate affirmation when she announces her alternative identity on social media. This gives her a rush of euphoria and the impression that being "born again" in her new identity will resolve all her troubles. It also shields her from further peer rejection because teens celebrate LGBTQ identities. In some states, she can access testosterone injections without parental consent, and the injections can take the edge off her emotional pain, further confirming her assumption that transitioning will resolve her problems. Some girls may begin to bind their breasts and even go so far as to have a double mastectomy and hysterectomy.
The harsh reality
Search "detransition" on YouTube, and sadly, you'll see dozens of girls who realized "transitioning" didn't resolve their problems. And yet, they must live with the permanent effects of testosterone injections such as a lowered voice, receding hairline, and increased facial and body hair, not to mention the irreversible consequences of mastectomies and hysterectomies.
How to help
Today's generation of teen girls desperately needs guidance from parents and pastoral influences to help them process the pains of life in healthy ways so that girls can push through the awkward years of puberty and peer rejection to discover who God created them to be when He knit them together in their mother's womb (Psalm 139:13-16). We recommend the book Desist, Detrans, Detox: Getting Your Child Out of the Gender Cult and the other resources below which offer practical tips, such as expressing support for your child without affirming a false identity, limiting your child's social media use (especially unsupervised, private chat rooms), increasing family connection and communication, encouraging your child to prioritize in-person relationships over virtual ones, and addressing any underlying mental health concerns.
ROGD is different than classic gender dysphoria. See the Quick Guide on how to help someone with gender dysphoria.
Recommended resources
- Desist, Detrans, Detox: Getting Your Child Out of the Gender Cult, Maria Keffler
- Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, Abigail Shrier
- Trans-Formation, Linda A. Seiler, PhD
- Gender Dysphoria Network, secular (genderdysphoriasupportnetwork.com)
© ReStory Ministries. This page reproduces the guide's content; the full formatted version is available as a PDF above.