A new U.S. study finds that boys believe discussing problems is a waste of time. University of Missouri researchers conducted four different studies that included surveys and observations of nearly 2,000 children and adolescents, and found that boys think talking about problems is not a useful activity.
“For years, popular psychologists have insisted that boys and men would like to talk about their problems but are held back by fears of embarrassment or appearing weak,” said lead author Amanda J. Rose.
“However, when we asked young people how talking about their problems would make them feel, boys didn’t express angst or distress about discussing problems any more than girls. Instead, boys’ responses suggest that they just don’t see talking about problems to be a particularly useful activity.”
Researchers stated “parents should encourage their children to adopt a middle ground when discussing problems. For boys, it would be helpful to explain that, at least for some problems, some of the time, talking about their problems is not a waste of time…On the other hand, many girls are at risk for excessive problem talk, which is linked with depression and anxiety, so girls should know that talking about problems isn’t the only way to cope.”
The study will be published in an upcoming edition of the journal Child Development.
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