Adolescence is a critical period for the formation of gender identity and for experimentation with gender norms, beliefs, and expression. With a global adolescent population projected in 2024 to more than 1.3 billion, as per the WHO, understanding the dynamics of gender in adolescents’ lives is a core aim for those who wish to promote adolescent health, well-being, and success. Additionally, given the wide range of gender diversity that now exists, it is often during adolescence that youth explore and consider their own gender identities and the expression of these. Given the salience and importance of gender in the lives of youth, their parents, peers, health professionals, understanding the roots and outcomes of adolescents’ gender development provides researchers, policy makers, practitioners, educators, and parents with the knowledge they need to promote positive adjustment.
The goal of this Research Topic is to advance and share knowledge about contemporary issues and advancements related to adolescent’s gender development. This special topic will provide a platform for researchers to discuss adolescent gender development and the connections between it and other related developmental issues (such as mental health, bullying, and academic performance/interests). It is also intended to inform interventions designed to promote positive youth development and social responsibility. To meet these goals, we intend to bring together a series of high quality and novel empirical studies or theoretical papers that explore the developmental science of gender development in adolescence.
This research topic is open to empirical pieces that use either cross-sectional or longitudinal methods and meta-analyses or systematic reviews. Research on gender development that involves quantitative or qualitative methods or mixed methods and experimental approaches and that involves either basic or applied science on relevant topics is encouraged. Work that focuses on individual, group, or relational perspectives on gender development is also encouraged. Research that utilizes large and diverse samples of adolescents or work done in diverse cultural contexts is especially welcomed.
The focus of possible papers to be considered include, but are not limited to, the following topics pertaining to adolescence:
• diversity in adolescent gender development
• relationships between gender development and adolescents’ mental health and well being
• adolescents’ cognitions and intergroup attitudes and stereotypes regarding gender
• socialization experiences and practices that promote healthy adolescents in a gender-diverse world
• adolescent gender differences and similarities
• gender and adolescent peer relationships
• neighborhood, school, or other contextual factors that promote healthy gender development
• gender-based intervention programs for adolescents
• sexuality and intersectionality and gender
• gender and academics/STEM learning and interests
• social media and adolescent gender development
Keywords:
gender, adolescence, gender development, mental health, gender identity, stereotypes, adjustment
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Adolescence is a critical period for the formation of gender identity and for experimentation with gender norms, beliefs, and expression. With a global adolescent population projected in 2024 to more than 1.3 billion, as per the WHO, understanding the dynamics of gender in adolescents’ lives is a core aim for those who wish to promote adolescent health, well-being, and success. Additionally, given the wide range of gender diversity that now exists, it is often during adolescence that youth explore and consider their own gender identities and the expression of these. Given the salience and importance of gender in the lives of youth, their parents, peers, health professionals, understanding the roots and outcomes of adolescents’ gender development provides researchers, policy makers, practitioners, educators, and parents with the knowledge they need to promote positive adjustment.
The goal of this Research Topic is to advance and share knowledge about contemporary issues and advancements related to adolescent’s gender development. This special topic will provide a platform for researchers to discuss adolescent gender development and the connections between it and other related developmental issues (such as mental health, bullying, and academic performance/interests). It is also intended to inform interventions designed to promote positive youth development and social responsibility. To meet these goals, we intend to bring together a series of high quality and novel empirical studies or theoretical papers that explore the developmental science of gender development in adolescence.
This research topic is open to empirical pieces that use either cross-sectional or longitudinal methods and meta-analyses or systematic reviews. Research on gender development that involves quantitative or qualitative methods or mixed methods and experimental approaches and that involves either basic or applied science on relevant topics is encouraged. Work that focuses on individual, group, or relational perspectives on gender development is also encouraged. Research that utilizes large and diverse samples of adolescents or work done in diverse cultural contexts is especially welcomed.
The focus of possible papers to be considered include, but are not limited to, the following topics pertaining to adolescence:
• diversity in adolescent gender development
• relationships between gender development and adolescents’ mental health and well being
• adolescents’ cognitions and intergroup attitudes and stereotypes regarding gender
• socialization experiences and practices that promote healthy adolescents in a gender-diverse world
• adolescent gender differences and similarities
• gender and adolescent peer relationships
• neighborhood, school, or other contextual factors that promote healthy gender development
• gender-based intervention programs for adolescents
• sexuality and intersectionality and gender
• gender and academics/STEM learning and interests
• social media and adolescent gender development
Keywords:
gender, adolescence, gender development, mental health, gender identity, stereotypes, adjustment
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.