Viewing the differential responses of boys and girls in treatment through a feminist lens

Present day knowledge of gender differences challenges clinical social workers to become more sensitive to these distinctions in both the assessment and treatment of children. Clinical material from drawings and from explanations of moral choices gathered in a social work research study is presented. The themes in boys' and girls' responses are analyzed by gender and found to support the thinking of Chodorow (1974) and Gilligan (1979, 1982) that for girls a sense of responsibility comes through relationships of caring, while boys are oriented towards rights and rules. Implications of the findings suggest modifications of treatment programs for young children to better reflect the differential development of boys and girls.