A possible contributor to the higher degree of girls reporting psychological symptoms compared with boys in grade nine?

Abstract

Background: It is a recurrent finding that adolescent girls report psychological symptoms in a higher degree compared with boys. The explanations for this difference vary, but the psychosocial school environment has never been a focus in these explanations. The aim of this study was to analyse whether psychosocial factors at school were associated with a high degree of psychological symptoms among boys and girls in grade nine, with a special focus on sexual harassment. Methods: The study was based on a cross-sectional study including 336 pupils (175 girls and 161 boys) in grade nine (about 15 years old), who answered an extensive questionnaire. The non-response rate was negligible (Results: Sexual harassment at school was associated with a high degree of psychological symptoms among girls. Conclusions: Sexual harassment must be acknowledged as a negative psychosocial school environmental factor of importance for the high degree of psychological ill-health symptoms among girls compared with boys.