Press releases
Nearly half the UK thinks we discriminate against boys
Issued: 10 November 2008
Nearly half of the people in the UK think boys are perceived as being more trouble and harder to parent, according to new research out today (Monday 10th November).
The ICM survey was commissioned by the British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF) as part of its National Adoption Week campaign, which starts today. The charity is concerned that these negative perceptions could lead to some boys waiting longer for adoption.
The key findings reveal:
- Nearly half (49%) of all people thought there was a general perception that boys were more trouble and harder to parent than girls
- Nearly a quarter of men (24%) and more than 1 in 5 women (21%) thought that boys were more trouble and difficult to parent
- Around 1 in 5 women said they would prefer a girl if they were to consider adoption
Further analysis shows that young people are more likely to feel there is a negative attitude towards boys. 69% of 18-24 year olds agreed that, in general, other people thought boys were more trouble and harder to parent.
The picture is not the same across the UK. The survey found that Scots look more favourably on boys with over half (55%) disagreeing that boys were more trouble and harder to parent than girls. Scotland was also the only country with a preference for adopting boys over girls, with 21% saying they would prefer to adopt a boy, compared to 17% preferring to adopt a girl. Respondents in Wales and the South West of England showed the least interest in adopting boys, with nearly a quarter (24%) preferring to adopt a girl, and only 8% saying they would prefer to adopt a boy. Worryingly, the South West of England is one of the key regions where boys have been identified as waiting longer than girls for adoption.4 Similarly, in Northern Ireland only 9% said they would prefer to adopt a boy.
Over half (53%) of the people replying felt that the media portrayed boys in an overly negative way. Men felt this more than women, with 55% of men agreeing, compared to 50% of women. People in Wales and the South West agreed most that the media portrayed boys in a negative way (56%), followed by Northern England (55%) and Scotland (54%).
David Holmes, Chief Executive of BAAF, says: “Too often, anti-social behaviour, violence, crime and gangs are associated in our minds when we think about boys. We all need to remember that boys are children and young people first. The findings of this research concern us as we are worried that some prospective adopters might be put off adopting boys because of negative perceptions. In reality there is little evidence to show that boys really are more difficult. We would urge people to remember that boys need adopting too.”
The views of BAAF are supported by other organisations. Lucy Edington, Chief Executive of Parentline Plus, said: “Based on calls to our helpline we know that parents worry equally about boys and girls. Last year 49.7% of calls were about problems with boys, and 50.3% were about problems with girls. We believe that boys are not more difficult to parent, they’re just different. Support is available to adoptive and birth parents if they experience difficulties.”
National Adoption Week runs from 10th – 16th November and aims to recruit new permanent families for those children who need adoption. The campaign highlights the children who wait longest for adoption. As well as some boys, this can include sibling groups, older children, disabled children and some black and minority ethnic children. Events will be taking place across the country to encourage people to think about adoption.
Notes to editors:
- For more information please call BAAF press office on 020 7421 2632/3 or email esther.freeman@baaf.org.uk. For out of hours enquiries, call the press office mobile on 07767 444 589.
- Country and regional statistics and spokespeople are available upon request, including for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- ICM interviewed a random sample of 1045 adults aged 18+ from its online panel between 26th -29th September 2008 Surveys were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Further information at www.icmresearch.co.uk.
- According to figures from South West Adoption Consortium.
- Parentline Plus is national charity that operates a 24-hour confidential Parentline 0808 800 2222 that is free to landlines and most mobile phone networks. More information is available at www.parentlineplus.org.uk
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