Children believe gender stereotypes by age ten

The subject of gender stereotypes is being much debated. A new six-year study has found that children are convinced by gender stereotypes by the age of ten. Examples include such beliefs as boys should be brave and adventurous, and girls should be beautiful and protected. The global study gathered data on 10- to 14-year-olds in 15 different countries of varying degrees of wealth and development from across the world, interviewing 450 adolescents and their parents. Researchers reported that a ‘uniformity of attitudes about what it takes to be a boy or a girl’ was prevalent among all societies, from the most conservative to the most liberal, with children internalising gender myths and expectations from a very early age.

Such “gender straitjackets” are believed to have negative consequences for children, since they create certain expectations and impact their ability to make their own choices or take risks. The research suggests that programmes which target pre-teens would help to readdress gender roles, and help to question why males and females should look and behave in a certain way. Read more here.