Is high school harder for males or females?

Is high school harder for males or females?

By Hadley Hatch Posted: December 18, 2020

This is a question that all people tend to answer with the same gender as they are, but have you ever looked at the facts? There are many pieces to examine to find the answer, for example, sexual harassment, different punishments based on gender, different expectations for genders, and boy and girl stereotypes. What makes school truly difficult? 

We must answer this question before we figure out which gender has it harder. Stress can make school unbearable and not enjoyable. Causes of this stress usually include trauma, the feeling of unfairness, and too much work. The next thing that makes school hard is expectations, these may include looks, grades, personality, and punctuality. Finally, school is extremely hard when personal life interferes with it. Examples of this include not having time to do homework, dating, and emotional hardships that continue throughout the school day.

Males in high school have plenty of struggles. One major struggle includes the high school male stereotype where you have to be smart but not a nerd, have a nice physical body but not have that be your main focus, and lastly not showing your emotions but still going through all the hardships. Being a high school male is tough with this stereotype many girls will only date guys with these standards, and guys do have this standard to ridicule the guys who don’t. These are just some of the struggles the average high school male faces.

Females go through plenty in school as well. Let’s start with sexual assault. First, younger people are at the highest risk of sexual assault, but 82% of juvenile sexual assault victims are female. Female ages 16-19 are four times more likely to be victims of rape, sexual assault, or attempted rape. This statistic holds strong throughout the United States. Any form of sexual trauma can have on a person, one symptom of sexual assault is PTSD which can cause a person to break down and become silent. Have you ever wondered why that one girl at school is constantly depressed, just imagine being sexually assaulted and having to continue going to school and having to conceal your knowledge of being sexually assaulted? Many girls have experienced this especially in the age group of high school.

Females also experience much discrimination in school believe it or not. In high school, if a girl gets pregnant, what do people automatically think? Some thoughts include how bad she is and how she has ruined her life. Then let’s flip the tables when a boy has sex with a girl in high school he is known as a role model to the other guys. He is known as a stud. He is praised and admired. This should not happen, but sadly it does. Males and females go through plenty of hardships in school as for which one goes through the most, that is for you to decide. 

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