In a society filled with gender stereotypes and biases, children often adopt gender roles

which are not always equal to both males and females. As children move on through childhood

and later into adolescence many factors influence their views and behaviors towards gender roles.

These attitudes and behaviors are learned initially in the home, and later reinforced by many other

outside influences such as their school experiences, friends, teachers, and television. Children turn

out to internalize many of the gender stereotypes and behaviors of the past. Where are these

stereotypes coming from? The strongest influence on gender development occurs in the home,

with parents passing on many of the beliefs they have about gender roles.

Children learn at a young age what it means to be a boy or a girl in our society. Through

opportunities, encouragement and discouragement, obvious behaviors, covert suggestions, and

various types of guidance, children experience the formation of their gender role socialization. It

is hard for children to grow into adults without experiencing some form of gender bias or gender

stereotyping, whether it be that boys are supposed to be tough

avoid an activity like dancing because they see it as a traditionally feminine activity. Boys would

childhood. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research states, “messages about what is appropriate based

love relationships” (Lytton 292). Those parents who wish to be gender fair encourage the best

(McCreary 519). Often times this punishment is mental, with boys being teased by their fathers

strongest influence seems to occur in the home where parents covertly pass on gender bias

stereotypes to their children. Fathers seem to have a greater impact than do mothers on gender

From the time they are babies, parents treat sons and daughters differently, dressing infants in

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