Five-year-old ballet dancer Barry Zhang performs as boys and girls ages 6 and 7 try out at The School of American Ballet Winter Term at the P.S. 124 Yung Wing school in New York's Chinatown in 2015. The School of American Ballet was established in 1934 and is one of the premier ballet academies in the United States. Photo: AFP Photo/Timothy A. Clary/Getty Images
Gender stereotypes are ideas about how girls and boys should look and behave. Every country has them.

There are set roles for how people think girls should look and act. There are other roles for how people think boys should look and behave.

One example is toys. Girls are expected to play with dolls. Boys are expected to play with trucks.

Some Roles Can Be Harmful

A new study says these gender stereotypes can cause problems. Some children do not stick to their gender role. They do not feel it is right for them. Many of these children are picked on. That can make them very unhappy.

Gender roles are learned very early, the study says. These roles are fixed in a child's mind by age 10.

There are programs that try to stop the problems that many gender stereotypes cause. Most programs are for teenagers age 15 and older, though. By then it is too late to make a big difference, the study says.

How Girls And Boys Are Expected To Act

The study looked at 450 young teenagers and their parents. The teens live in 15 different countries.

In all 15 countries, girls are meant to stick close to home. They are expected to do what they are told. Girls are taught not to fight back or speak out.

Such stereotypes can be very bad for girls, the new study says. They can make girls drop out of school. The gender roles can lead to girls being hurt.

Things are very different for boys. They are expected to spend time outside of the home, exploring the world on their own.

Pretty And Strong Are Stereotypes

When it comes to dating, boys are supposed to ask the girl out. Girls are not supposed to ask a boy for a date. There is one place where people think girls can ask out a boy. It is in the country of Scotland.

Girls are taught that the way they look is very important. That idea causes many problems.

Many teen girls think they cannot be anything but pretty. Others worry they are not pretty enough.

Gender stereotypes can cause problems for boys too. People want boys to be strong and tough. Those stereotypes can make boys get into fights.

One Day They Might Go Away

The study did find some good news, though. Some countries are changing. They are beginning to accept girls who want to dress or act like boys.

Boys are still not supposed to act or look like girls, though. Boys who do can have a very hard time. They are often bullied and teased.

Gender stereotypes are all around us. They are spread by everyone from family members to classmates and teachers.

It will be a while before we can get rid of them.

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