Girls Will Be Girls: Childhood Gender Polarization and Delinquency

The impact of childhood gender polarization on adolescent problem behaviors and delinquent behaviors was measured through a survey of students in sociology and criminal justice classes. Three predictors were measured: parental gender-polarized attitudes during middle and late childhood, gender-coded activities during middle and late childhood, and parental heteronormative expectations regarding dating, romance, and marriage. Gender-coded activities increased the risk of problem and delinquent behaviors for both boys and girls, but gender-polarized attitudes affected only girls, and heteronormative expectations affected both female heterosexual and lesbian/bisexual respondents. Significant differences were found based on the race and social class of the respondents.