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COMPLETED

Young People and Gender: A review of research

Background

In 1999 TSA was awarded a contract by the Women’s Unit in the Cabinet Office, and the Family Policy Unit in the Home Office, to carry out a review of gender-specific research relating to young people. This was to enable policy-makers to utilize research findings in developing new programmes for vulnerable young people. This project has now been completed, and is available as a publication from TSA.

The project

Catherine Dennison and John Coleman carried out a comprehensive research review over the period of several months. This review covered a range of topics, including health, family, education and training, identity and self-esteem, and offending behaviour. In the review we concentrated particularly on gender inequalities.

In our conclusions we emphasised the point that neither one or other gender is more disadvantaged, but rather that both are disadvantaged in different areas. Among other areas for concern we highlighted the continuing differences between the genders in pathways post-16, with career choice in particular remaining heavily biased towards ‘traditional careers’. We stressed the different ways in which young men and young women experience mental health difficulties, and we looked at research which shows how boys and girls employ different coping strategies to deal with stress.

We also indicated the ways in which gender and race combine in some areas to maximise disadvantage. Thus African-Caribbean young men have especially high rates of unemployment and exclusion from school, while some Asian young women experience high levels of deliberate self-harm.

The report was delivered to the two Government departments, following which TSA was asked to assist in the production of a report for the public on these issues. The report appeared at the same time as the PAT 12 report from the Social Exclusion Unit on vulnerable young people, and was entitled ‘Young People and Gender: A review of research’. The report can be copied for a charge.

Project workers

The project was the responsibility of Catherine Dennison and John Coleman.

More information:
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Email: info@youngpeopleinfocus.org.uk
Tel: 01273 693311

November 2005