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.
Gender stereotypes are strongly established in today's youth by age 10, according to a new study just released. Gender stereotypes lay out a society's set ideas about the ways boys and girls should behave.

The roles can be dangerous for those who go against them. Children who go against gender stereotypes can be made to feel bad about themselves and are often picked on. They are at greater risk for both suicide and violence, the study warns.

The study was performed at 15 countries. Its results suggest that huge amounts of money are wasted on stereotype prevention programs for teenagers. Money is better spent if the efforts begin far earlier in adolescence.

When Gender Roles Are Set

Gender roles are "well established in kids by the time they are 10 or 11 years old," lead researcher Kristin Mmari said.

Yet billions of dollars around the world are spent on programs for teenagers that "don't kick in until they are 15," Mmari said. "By then it's probably too late to make a big difference."

The study looked at 450 young teenagers, along with their parents or guardians.

Interviews were conducted in the following countries: Bolivia, Belgium, Burkina Faso, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Scotland, South Africa, the United States and Vietnam.

Stereotypes Can Be Dangerous

Researchers found that gender stereotypes that emphasize female passivity can encourage abuse. Girls are expected to stick close to home and to quietly accept what others tell them to do or do to them.

Such stereotypes expose girls to many dangers. They "leave girls at greater risk of dropping out of school or suffering physical and sexual violence," the report said. The roles also can lead to "child marriage, early pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections."

Boys, on the other hand, are encouraged to spend time outside of the home on their own.

When it came to dating, almost everywhere boys were viewed as being the ones allowed to take the first step. The only exception was the city of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Meanwhile, girls across the world are taught that their bodies are very important.

"In New Delhi, the girls talked about their bodies as a big risk that needs to be covered up," Mmari said. In Baltimore, girls said that "they need to look appealing — but not too appealing."

Proper Dress And Behavior

Boys can suffer from gender stereotypes too. Stereotypes that emphasize physical strength and independence can make boys more likely to become involved with drugs and violence.

The researchers did find signs that some societies are beginning to accept girls who want to dress or act like boys. This was particularly true in Belgium, China, India and the United States. However, it is different for boys to break out of gender roles. There is "almost zero tolerance for boys" who push back against typical gender roles, the report said.

Boys who "challenge gender norms by their dress or behavior" are widely seen as "socially inferior," the report said. Boys who dress or behave in a way girls usually do are often bullied, teased and beaten.

The study found that from a very early age children learn to think of girls as weak and helpless, while boys are seen as "strong and independent," researcher Robert Blum said. This was true in all the countries studied.

"And this message is being constantly reinforced," Blum said. It is spread in every area of life, by everyone from family members to classmates, teachers and coaches.

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