The Sketchier

When girls arrive at school, they are more likely than boys to do well, especially at reading and writing. Although the research on gender differences among the pre-teen age group is sketchier, what exists suggests that girls enjoy school more than boys. Boys are more likely than girls to repeat a grade, and are more likely to be diagnosed with hyperactivity and attention deficit disorders. From birth, more boys than girls have a disability, until around age 15, when the percentage of young women with a disability becomes slightly higher than the rate among young men. Starting around grade six, a greater proportion of girls than boys begins to skip breakfast, and starts to diet or feel that they need to lose weight. Girls consistently report lower self-esteem than boys. The proportion of young people who feel “very happy” with their life declines steadily between grades six and 10, and at every age group, girls are less happy than boys. Girls are far more likely than boys to indicate dissatisfaction with their body, and to report loneliness. The prevalence of depressive disorders among girls aged 15 to 19 years old is twice as high as among boys in the same age group.