Given this complexity, it is not surprising that the process sometimes goes awry. Gender Identity Disorder of Childhood Problems in gender identity mostly arise early in life as part of the formation of overall identity. These children typical act in accordance with the stereotypical behaviors of the opposite sex, and when confronted by adults or peers, resist conforming to more traditional gender-consistent play, dress, and social behavior. At least in clinic samples with this disorder, boys significantly outnumber girls, although this may arise from greater parental concern about femininity in boys. In fact, most affected children do not carry their disorder into adulthood.
Many transsexuals wish to change their sex and some have opted for expensive sex-change operations.
Note that few hospitals are willing to do this operations, in part because of reluctance to use surgery for psychologyical problems, and in part because of many early operations yielding unsatisfactory psychological results. More recent figures are more optimistic about satisfaction and adjustment. On of the great problems of our time is child abuse. Estimates of its prevalence have skyrocketed, probably more as a result of increasing willingness to focus on the problem than any real increase. Regardless, the problem is sufficiently high to be considered a major problem, expecially given the outcomes.