Introduction:

Gender norms that legitimise gender inequalities can have negative implications for the health, well-being, and social engagement of adolescents.

Material and methods:

This study explored 13-year-old boys’ and girls’ perceptions of gender roles and their impact on social functioning. 1984 students were surveyed in Poland as part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in 2018. The 5-item Gender Roles Perception Scale (GRPS) was used to measure gender stereotypes. Satisfactory psychometric properties of this scale in the studied age group were demonstrated (Cronbach’s a 0.914; RMSEA 0.079).

Results:

Girls were more likely to express support for gender equality, with 54.9% to 68.5% disagreeing with stereotypical statements (compared to 29.8-37.5% for boys). The greatest differences were observed in the leadership item. The percentage of young people recognising gender role stereotypes was lower in larger cities, more privileged areas, and among students with better school performance. Conversely, the association with the neighbourhood social capital was slightly weaker. Both boys and girls with more conservative views functioned less well in social relationships, considered relationships with other people less important, and were less likely to report an interest in volunteering. Gender was a moderating factor in the studied relationships.

Conclusions:

It is therefore recommended that programmes to promote equitable gender attitudes be developed and tailored to the unique needs of demographic and social subgroups among school-aged children.