Parents' instructions to girls also emphasized injury vulnerability and cautiousness. The results were the same no matter whether instructions were given by the mother or father. There were also no differences in the skills or abilities of the boys and girls studied. The study appears in the fall 1999 issue of the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. The researchers say the findings are significant because beginning at age three, boys experience two to four times more injuries than girls.
Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of childhood mortality beyond one year of age.