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The Development of Gender Roles in Children In a society filled with gender stereotypes and biases, children often adopt gender roles which are not always equal to both males and females. As children move on through childhood and later into adolescence many factors influence their views and behaviors towards gender roles. These attitudes and behaviors are learned initially in the home, and later reinforced by many other outside influences such as their school experiences, friends, teachers, and television. Children turn out to internalize many of the gender stereotypes and behaviors of the past. Where are these stereotypes coming from? The strongest influence on gender development occurs in the home, with parents passing on many of the beliefs they have about gender roles. Children learn at a young age what it means to be a boy or a girl in our society. Through opportunities, encouragement and discouragement, obvious behaviors, covert suggestions, and various types of guidance, children experience the formation of their gender role socialization. It is hard for children to grow into adults without experiencing some form of gender bias or gender stereotyping, whether it be that boys are supposed to be tough