Although teen boys and girls share several experiences, a new Pew Research study found significant differences in their perceived expectations around appearance and strength. The survey asked thirteen to seventeen-year-olds to share their experiences with various social pressures.
When asked if they feel social pressure around physical strength, 43% of boys and 23% of girls said “yes,” the most significant gender gap among all questions asked. Conversely, 55% of girls said they feel pressure to “look good,” with only 39% of boys feeling similar pressure.
The pressure to be sexually active is shared by 7% of both boys and girls. Other questions were asked about sports, fitting in socially and getting good grades, with similar rates of boys and girls feeling social pressure in those areas.
A relatively wide gap exists between teenage boys’ and girls’ future plans, with less than half (46%) of boys saying they plan to attend a four-year college. Among girls, that rate is 60%. This aligns with teen sentiments about who is better at academics. Although more than half (55%) of respondents believe boys and girls perform “about the same” academically, 42% believe girls get better grades, and only 3% believe boys do.
Slightly more than a third (35%) of respondents said boys and girls have about the same level of friends who provide emotional support. However, more than half (58%) believe girls have it easier in this area. Only 7% of those surveyed believe boys have more emotional support among their friends.
The report also examined economic disparities in teens’ responses to social pressures. More information on the study, including methodological information, can be found here.
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