Adolescent Boys: Statistics and Trends

The mission of the Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium (MAEC), a not-for-profit corporation,is to create learning environments free of race, gender, class, ethnic and cultural biases so that students of all backgrounds will have equal opportunities to flourish.

At this link on their website they have a very interesting collection of data titled Adolescent Boys: Statistics and Trends. Some of the items include statements such as:

• The range of affiliations available to boys are very limited; they are generally competitive models defined by winning or losing (ie. organized sports and athletics).


• Some research suggests that it is not inherently true that "normal adolescent boys" are naturally aggressive, withdrawn and emotionally unexpressive. More importantly, there needs to be an increasing awareness that many parents and schools support these types of behaviors in the belief that they are necessary for male success, and in fear of hindering the development of "normal" masculinity.


• Boys are more likely than girls to have discipline/behavior problems; to be diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Disorder; to be placed in special education; and to be involved in violent crimes. For example, boys constitute 71% of school suspensions.

Check out their site to see if there are any surprises for you.