Class clowns: Playful boys viewed more negatively than playful girls, study finds

(Frontiers) New research finds that boys with a playful disposition in kindergarten are viewed as rebellious and disruptive by teachers, as opposed to playful girls who are not labeled this way. Teachers disregard for these 'class clowns' -- and their active discouragement of expressions of playful behavior -- is assimilated by the boys themselves as well as their peers, leading to more negative perceptions of the boys and decreasing their self-esteem.
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news