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Experimental Evidence of Peer Gender Nonconformity Triggering Dehumanization in Children: Developmental Trajectory, Form, and Link to Bullying.

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Title: Experimental Evidence of Peer Gender Nonconformity Triggering Dehumanization in Children: Developmental Trajectory, Form, and Link to Bullying.
Authors: Hui, Marshall M. C. (AUTHOR), Kung, Karson T. F. (AUTHOR)
Source: Developmental Science. Nov2025, Vol. 28 Issue 6, p1-16. 16p.
Subjects: Gender nonconformity, Dehumanization, Bullying, Nonbinary people, Psychosocial functioning, Social marginality, School children
Geographic Terms: Hong Kong (China)
Abstract: Gender nonconforming (GN) children are at higher risk of experiencing bullying and social exclusion than are gender conforming (GC) children. Nonetheless, very little is known about the socio‐cognitive mechanisms underlying children's bias against GN peers. The present study was the first to examine children's dehumanization of GN peers (developmental trajectory, form, and link to bullying). Chinese children in Hong Kong (N = 472; in four age groups: 5–6, 7–8, 9–10, and 11–12 years) were assessed individually in an in‐person experimental study. Children were shown experimentally manipulated vignettes of four hypothetical peers (GC boy, GC girl, GN boy, and GN girl). Next, children's blatant and subtle dehumanization of these peers, and their propensity to bully these peers, were assessed. In the blatant dehumanization task, children rated how human‐like/insect‐like each peer was using a visual scale with a continuous slider. For subtle dehumanization, a mind perception task was used to assess the frequency and diversity of mental state words spontaneously used by children to describe videos associated with different peers. Children also completed questions assessing bullying tendency. By age 9–10 years, children dehumanized GN peers both blatantly and subtly, regardless of peer gender. Older children rated GN peers as less human‐like/more insect‐like than GC peers and also spontaneously attributed fewer and less diverse mental states to GN peers than to GC peers. According to multilevel moderated mediation analyses, blatant dehumanization partially explained older children's tendency to bully GN peers. Further research may develop interventions aimed at reducing children's dehumanization of GN peers. Summary: 5‐ to 12‐year‐old children's blatant and subtle dehumanization of gender nonconforming peers were assessed.Older children (7‐ to 12‐year‐old) blatantly rated gender nonconforming peers as less human‐like/more insect‐like than gender conforming peers.Older children (9‐ to 12‐year‐old) spontaneously ascribed fewer and less diverse mental states to gender nonconforming peers than to gender conforming peers.Older children's (9‐ to 12‐year‐old) blatant humanness ratings partially explained their propensity to bully gender nonconforming peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Developmental Science is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Experimental Evidence of Peer Gender Nonconformity Triggering Dehumanization in Children: Developmental Trajectory, Form, and Link to Bullying.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Developmental+Science%22">Developmental Science</searchLink>. Nov2025, Vol. 28 Issue 6, p1-16. 16p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hong+Kong+%28China%29%22">Hong Kong (China)</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Gender nonconforming (GN) children are at higher risk of experiencing bullying and social exclusion than are gender conforming (GC) children. Nonetheless, very little is known about the socio‐cognitive mechanisms underlying children's bias against GN peers. The present study was the first to examine children's dehumanization of GN peers (developmental trajectory, form, and link to bullying). Chinese children in Hong Kong (N = 472; in four age groups: 5–6, 7–8, 9–10, and 11–12 years) were assessed individually in an in‐person experimental study. Children were shown experimentally manipulated vignettes of four hypothetical peers (GC boy, GC girl, GN boy, and GN girl). Next, children's blatant and subtle dehumanization of these peers, and their propensity to bully these peers, were assessed. In the blatant dehumanization task, children rated how human‐like/insect‐like each peer was using a visual scale with a continuous slider. For subtle dehumanization, a mind perception task was used to assess the frequency and diversity of mental state words spontaneously used by children to describe videos associated with different peers. Children also completed questions assessing bullying tendency. By age 9–10 years, children dehumanized GN peers both blatantly and subtly, regardless of peer gender. Older children rated GN peers as less human‐like/more insect‐like than GC peers and also spontaneously attributed fewer and less diverse mental states to GN peers than to GC peers. According to multilevel moderated mediation analyses, blatant dehumanization partially explained older children's tendency to bully GN peers. Further research may develop interventions aimed at reducing children's dehumanization of GN peers. Summary: 5‐ to 12‐year‐old children's blatant and subtle dehumanization of gender nonconforming peers were assessed.Older children (7‐ to 12‐year‐old) blatantly rated gender nonconforming peers as less human‐like/more insect‐like than gender conforming peers.Older children (9‐ to 12‐year‐old) spontaneously ascribed fewer and less diverse mental states to gender nonconforming peers than to gender conforming peers.Older children's (9‐ to 12‐year‐old) blatant humanness ratings partially explained their propensity to bully gender nonconforming peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Developmental Science is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1111/desc.70070
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 16
        StartPage: 1
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Gender nonconformity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Dehumanization
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Bullying
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Nonbinary people
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychosocial functioning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social marginality
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Hong Kong (China)
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Experimental Evidence of Peer Gender Nonconformity Triggering Dehumanization in Children: Developmental Trajectory, Form, and Link to Bullying.
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            NameFull: Hui, Marshall M. C.
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            NameFull: Kung, Karson T. F.
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            – D: 01
              M: 11
              Text: Nov2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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