The question of 'boys being boys' and 'girls being girls' (nature-nurture debate) has been discussed at length for decades. Unfortunately as is the case with many debates that are intense and passionate misleading reviews of research and facts are often used to underpin and strengthen ones argument.  The recent publication of Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine and subsequent review by Suzy Freeman-Greene (Insight - The Age 25^th September) has once again ignited the nature-nurture debate.  While this debate on one hand can be viewed as a philosophical banter at another level the understanding of the differences and similarities between boys and girls and how the environment may influence these differences and similarities has a huge impact on how we parent and educate young children.

To suggest that males and females are only different in their genitalia is absurd.   The XX and XY chromosomes influence many aspects of our development from utero; we also now have a deeper and more extensive understanding of what is known as "sex linked characteristics".  The basic template is our DNA which is unique to us as individuals and our sex.  This has been demonstrated consistently over 1,000's of years across all species.  Biology is the starting point - but this does not mean that biology is everything!  The environment has great capacity to influence the expression of our genetic template. 

Early childhood exposures to differing environments have been shown to increase the risk of adult diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis.  Likewise the environment may influence our emotional capacity as adults in terms of resilience, composure and interpersonal skills.  We also now know from our understandings of epigenetics that the environmental exposure of our parents and even our grandparents can influence the expression of the genetic template. But all this does not mean that environment is everything! 

Each individual's response to the environment is determined by their genetic template - that is why some of us living in the same environment are at higher risk of certain diseases or illness than others.  So what it does mean is that we are biological beings and as children our experiences and exposures shape our basic biological starting point - the outcome for us as adults is the combination of both.  Socio culturists who suggest otherwise are setting parents and teachers up for unrealistic expectations and does not put in place what is most important for our children: a deep, rich and more meaningful understanding of the influences of both biology and environment on our children. 

• Shona Bass
• CEO
• Early Life Foundations

We have a fact sheet on Parenting Boys click here to go directly to this fact sheet.