Gender Identity Disorder in children Gender Identity Disorder in children (GIDC) is the formal diagnosis used by psychologists and physicians to describe children who experience significant gender dysphoria. Gender identity disorder is a conflict between a person's actual physical gender and the gender that person identifies himself or herself as. For example, a person identified as a boy may actually feel and act like a girl. Males are diagnosed with GIDC 5-30 times more than females. The person experiences significant discomfort with the biological sex they were born. Children with GID may feel disgusted by their own genitals, have anxiety or depression or believe they will grow up to be the opposite sex. The exact cause of gender identity disorder is not known, but several theories exist. - These theories suggest that the disorder may be caused by generic (chromosomal) abnormalities. Gender identity disorder is a rare disorder that affects children and adults. It can be evident in early childhood and most people recognize that they have a gender identity problem before they reach adolescence.