Kenneth Zucker

Kenneth J. Zucker is an American-Canadian psychologist and sexologist best known for his work on gender identity disorder in children.cite web |url= http://www.apa.org/monitor/apr04/gender.html |accessdate=2008-06-17 |author=Dingfelder, Sadie F. |title = Gender bender |date = April 2004 |work = "Monitor on Psychology", Vol. 35, No. 4]

Zucker is a Professor with the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Toronto and Psychologist-in-Chief and Head of the Gender Identity Service in the Child, Youth, and Family Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. He was named editor-in-chief of "Archives of Sexual Behavior" in 2001. In 2007 Zucker was chosen to be a member of the American Psychological Association Task Force on Gender Identity, Gender Variance, and Intersex Conditions, and in 2008 was named chair of the American Psychiatric Association workgroup on "Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders" for the 2012 edition of the DSM-V. He previously served on workgroups for the DSM-IV and the DSM-IV-TR.Bradley SJ, Blanchard R, Coates SW, Green R, Levine SB, Meyer-Bahlburg HFL, Pauly IB, Zucker KJ (1991). Interim report of the DSM-IV Subcommittee on Gender Identity Disorders. "Archives of Sexual Behavior" Volume 20, Number 4 / August, 1991]

Career

Zucker was born in New York.Wilkinson, Stephanie (2001). [http://www.brainchildmag.com/essays/fall2001_wilkinson.htm Drop the Barbie!] "Brain, Child"] Zucker received his B.A. from Southern Illinois University, his M.A. from Roosevelt University, and his Ph.D. from University of Toronto in 1982. He holds a C. Psych. certification.

Zucker's graduate work in developmental psychology resulted in his master's thesis on normative gender identity development in children. While in graduate school, Zucker met his future collaborator Susan J. Bradley, a child psychiatrist on staff at the Child and Adolescent Service (now the Child and Family Studies Centre) at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (then, the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry), a public mental health centre and a teaching hospital of the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine.

According to his biography, "Zucker's awe of the imposing Clarke Institute edifice inspired him to meet with the then chief of psychology, Dr. Kingsley Ferguson," who told Zucker of Bradley's new working group to assess children and adolescents with gender identity problems. Zucker, Kenneth J. and Susan J. Bradley (1995). "Gender Identity Disorder and Psychosexual Problems in Children and Adolescents." Guilford Press ISBN 0898622662] Zucker had read Richard Green's 1974 book "Sexual Identity Conflict in Children and Adults" and was convinced to join Bradley’s group.

Therapeutic intervention for gender variance

Since the mid-1970s Zucker has treated about 500 preadolescent gender-variant children to "help these kids be more content in their biological gender" until they are older and can determine their sexual identity.Brown, Patricia Leigh (December 2, 2006). [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/02/us/02child.html Supporting Boys or Girls When the Line Isn’t Clear] . "New York Times"] For children assigned as males at birth, Zucker orders parents to take away their child’s "feminine" toys and instruct the child not to play with or draw pictures of girls.Spiegel, Alix (May 7, 2008). [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90247842 Two families grapple with sons' gender preferences] . "All Things Considered", National Public Radio] Psychologist Darryl Hill describes Zucker's approach to gender-variant children:

Zucker and Bradley believe that reparative treatments (encouraging the child to accept their natal sex and associated gender) can be therapeutic for several reasons. They believe that treatment can reduce social ostracism by helping gender non-conforming children mix more readily with same sex peers and prevent long-term psychopathological development (i.e., it is easier to change a child than a society intolerant of gender diversity). Reparative therapy is believed to reduce the chances of adult GID (i.e., transsexualism) which Zucker and Bradley characterize as undesirable. Hill DB, Rozanski C, Carfagnini J, Willoughby B (2006). Gender Identity Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence: A Critical Inquiry. pp. 7-34. In Karasic D, Drescher J (Eds.) "Sexual and Gender Diagnoses of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM): A Reevaluation." Haworth Press ISBN 0789032147]

Zucker says parents set the goals at his clinic. "We recommend that one goal be to help the child feel more secure about his or her actual gender, another to deal with the child's emotional difficulties, and a third to help with problems in the family. It's helpful to have parents set limits on things like cross-dressing, which many parents have not done before coming to us."Goleman, Daniel (March 22, 1994). [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9901E0DA153CF931A15750C0A962958260 The 'Wrong' Sex: A New Definition Of Childhood Pain] . "New York Times"] Zucker's follow-up of 50 treated children found that "about 10 percent are still very unhappy about their gender, still cross-dressing, and thinking about having sex reassignment surgery" as young adults.

Zucker coauthored a statistical report with J. Michael Bailey that found gays and lesbians exhibited more cross-gender activity as children.Bailey JM, Zucker KJ (1995). Childhood Sex-Typed Behavior and Sexual Orientation: A Conceptual Analysis and Quantitative Review. "Developmental Psychology", v31 n1 p43-55 Jan 1995] Bailey claims Zucker considers transsexualism a "bad outcome" for these children.Bailey, J. Michael (2003). "The Man Who Would Be Queen: The Science of Gender-Bending and Transsexualism". Joesph Henry Press, ISBN 978-0309084185]

Critics cite "'reparative' therapy that seeks to reverse sexual orientation or gender identification"Dean, Laura, Ilan H Meyer, Kevin Robinson, Randall L. Sell, Robert Sember, Vincent M.B. Silenzio, Daniel Wolfe (2000). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health: Findings and concerns. "Journal of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association", 2000.] as an "extreme example" of bias that may hamper effectiveness of care, an approach that "may lead to increased self hatred and mental health problems." Ryan, C, Bradford, J & Honnold, J. (1999) Social workers' and counselors' knowledge and understanding of lesbians. "Journal of Lesbian and Gay Social Services", 9(4):1-26.] Clinicians have called Zucker's therapeutic intervention "something disturbingly close to reparative therapy for homosexuals." Pickstone-Taylor, Simon D. (2003). Children with gender nonconformity. "Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry", 42, 266.] Journalist Marc Lostracco described Zucker's therapy as "problematic and harsh." Lostracco, Marc (May 9, 2008). [http://torontoist.com/2008/05/but_for_today_i_am_a_boy.php But for today I am a boy] . "Torontoist"] , and author Phyllis Burke wrote, "The diagnosis of GID in children, as supported by Zucker and Bradley, is simply child abuse." Burke, Phyllis (1996). "Gender Shock". Anchor. ISBN 978-0385477185] Zucker dismisses Burke's book as "simplistic" and "not particularly illuminating;" journalist Stephanie Wilkinson said Zucker characterized Burke's book as "the work of a journalist whose views shouldn't be put into the same camp as those of scientists like Richard Green or himself."

LGBT activists protested Zucker's 2008 appointment to the DSM-V working group.Chibarro, Lou Jr. (May 30, 2008). [http://www.washingtonblade.com/2008/5-30/news/national/12682.cfm Activists alarmed over APA: Head of psychiatry panel favors 'change' therapy for some trans teens] . "Washington Blade"] Rau, Krishna (July 7, 2008). [http://www.xtra.ca/public/viewstory.aspx?AFF_TYPE=3&STORY_ID=5074&PUB_TEMPLATE_ID=2 Trans activists infuriated by doctors in charge of gender identity definitions.] "Xtra"] The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force issued a statement questioning the APA's decision to appoint Zucker and a second member of the work panel, Ray Blanchard, who argues that certain manifestations of transgender behavior should be classified as a paraphilia or transvestic fetishism, terms to which transgender advocates object. According to a response released by American Psychiatric Association, Zucker does not advocate reparative therapy for transgender adults or for trans youth in all cases, and he opposes change therapy for gays under all circumstances.

Publications

According to the Web of Science, Zucker has published almost 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals. These articles have been cited over 2000 times, with an h-index of 20. [Citation
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* "Gender identity disorder and psychosexual problems in children and adolescents", 1996, Guilford Press, ISBN 9780898622669, with Susan J Bradley
* "Ex-gay research: analyzing the Spitzer study and its relation to science, religion, politics, and culture", 2006, Harrington Park Press, ISBN 9781560235576, coedited with Jack Drescher

References

External links

* [http://www.camh.net/Research/Scientific_staff_profiles/bio_detail.php?cuserID=42 Kenneth Zucker profile] via Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
* [http://www.psych.org/MainMenu/Research/DSMIV/DSMV/MeettheTaskForce/KennethJZuckerPhD.aspx Kenneth Zucker profile] via American Psychiatric Association
*imdb name|2516047|Kenneth Zucker