Sex-related patterns of worry in secondary school pupils

This investigation sought data concerning sex differences in the worry patterns of children. The sample comprised 182 comprehensive school pupils, 91 boys and 91 girls, between the ages of 12 years 1 month and 13 years 7 months. The Simon-Ward Worry Survey (1976) was administered in order to ascertain the frequency and intensity of worry experienced in the following areas; family, school, economic, social, personal adequacy, health, imagination and animals. Both in the frequency and intensity of worry girls scored higher than boys in the areas of family, social and imagination, but no significant differences occurred for personal adequacy, health, animal or economic factors. For both sexes the category order, from highest to lowest, was the same--family, social, school, imagination, personal adequacy, health, economic and animals.