Self confidence
Sex differences
In both 2006 and 2007, young males reported slightly higher levels of self-confidence than young females.
In 2007, 80 percent of young males agreed or strongly agreed that they felt confident and positive about themselves (82.2 percent in 2006), compared with 73.9 percent of young females (78.4 percent in 2006).
Young females were more likely to disagree or strongly disagree with the statement (6.7 percent in 2007, compared to 2.6 percent of young males).
Proportion of young people aged 11 to 16 reporting 'I feel confident and positive about myself', by sex, 2007
Source: Youth Connectedness Study, Victoria University of Wellington, 2007
Further analysis of this data suggests that the sex difference is significant for older participants (ages 13 to 16), but not for those aged 11 and 12 years old.
