A recent study found that gender stereotypes result in girls being praised for their emotional openness and maturity in school, while boys are often expected to hide their emotional distress through silence or disruptive behaviors.
Participants in the study, including children and teachers, expressed concerns that boys’ mental health needs might go unnoticed in the school environment.
Researchers have expressed concern about the potential negative impact on girls, who may be seen as an ‘at risk’ group.
The researchers have cautioned about the consequence of emotional distress such as crying or self-harm in girls, which could be perceived as “feminised and diminished,” thus not taken as seriously.
They have urged for greater awareness of the role of gender in mental health services provided in schools, leading to resulting disparities.
The study was conducted by Lauren Stentiford, George Koutsouris, Tricia Nash, and Alexandra Allan from the School of Education at the University of Exeter. They interviewed students at two secondary schools in England and asked them: ‘Do you think that girls and boys experience…’
Are girls and boys experiencing mental health in the same way? This question was the focus of a recent study conducted in two different schools. One school was a mixed grammar school in a predominantly white, middle-class rural area, while the other was a mixed comprehensive school in a predominantly white, working-class urban area. This research took place in autumn 2022.
The study involved 34 students between the ages of 12 and 17, with 17 identifying as female, 12 as male, and 5 as gender diverse. In addition, 18 staff members, including a headteacher, school counsellor, SENCO, and classroom teacher, were interviewed.
The majority of the participants, 43 out of 52, believed that girls and boys experience mental health differently.
Girls and boys express their emotions differently due to stereotypes. Willow, a student, mentioned that girls are more open to discussing mental health because they are not told to suppress their feelings. Meanwhile, Kayla pointed out that boys often keep their emotions to themselves because they fear being judged with phrases like “man up” or “boys don’t cry.” The phrase “man up” was mentioned several times by both staff and students in the schools. Participants also discussed the persistent and challenging expectations placed on them.
There was a belief that boys should hide their emotions, according to Dr. Stentiford. He stated, “There was a perception that girls have an advantage over boys when it comes to receiving mental health support.”
Both students and staff members tended to view girls as being higher in the hierarchy for mental health support due to their perceived emotional openness. Girls were considered to be more emotionally mature than boys and were more likely to seek help when needed.
Participants also demonstrated an understanding of emotional distress being expressed differently in girls and boys in school, with girls being more likely to seek help.y to show emotion or withdraw, while boys are more prone to participating in off-task or disruptive behaviors such as goofing off in class.
“The findings indicate that girls are more likely to be quickly identified as in need of mental health support, whereas boys could be overlooked because their disruptive behaviors are misunderstood. Both girls and boys are therefore stuck in unhelpful gender stereotypes related to mental health.
“The study suggests that there is a new and emerging type of gender inequality, within the context of a perceived increase in mental health challenges among young people.
“There are risks associated with both girls and boys being limited by societal expectations regarding mental health.Devaluing the well-being of girls may occur if people perceive ’emotional’ girls as having an unfair advantage and taking up resources for mental health issues at the expense of boys, who are seen as particularly ‘at risk’ and a hidden problem. The study “Mental health and gender discourses in school: ‘Emotional’ girls and boys ‘at risk'” by Lauren Stentiford, George Koutsouris, Tricia Nash, and Alexandra Allan, published in Educational Review in 2024, explores this issue.The article can be accessed at the following link: 10.1080/00131911.2024.2306947