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{{short description|Young male human}}
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{{Redirect|Lads|the band|The Lads}} {{Redirect|Boys|other uses|Boys (disambiguation)|and|Boy (disambiguation)}}
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] boys on the ].]]
{{Multiple issues|
A '''boy''' is a young ] (usually ] or ]), as contrasted to its ] counterpart, ]; thus in the wide sense of both terms all mankind, and in the strictest sense ], consists of 'boys and girls'.
{{missing information|boys' physical/mental/social characteristics|date=April 2019}}
{{cleanup rewrite|date=August 2019}}
}}
]|330x330px]]
{{Human growth and development}}
A '''boy''' is a young ] ]. The term is commonly used for a ] or an ]. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is usually described as a ].


==Definition, etymology, and use==
The term "boy" is primarily used to indicate biological ] distinctions, cultural ] role distinctions or both. The latter most commonly applies to adult men, either considered in some way immature or inferior, in a position associated with aspects of boyhood, or even without such boyish connotation as age-indiscriminate synonym. The term can be joined with a variety of other words to form these gender-related labels as compound words.
According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy is "a male child from birth to adulthood".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boy|title = Definition of BOY}}</ref>


The word "boy" comes from ] ''boi, boye'' ("boy, servant"), related to other ] words for ''boy'', namely ] ''boi'' ("boy, young man") and ] ''boai'' ("boy"). Although the exact ] is obscure, the English and Frisian forms probably derive from an earlier ] *''bō-ja'' ("little brother"), a diminutive of the Germanic root *''bō-'' ("brother, male relation"), from ] *''bhā-'', *''bhāt-'' ("father, brother"). The root is also found in <!--] ''boe'' ("brother"), ] ''boa'' ("brother"), and, through a reduplicated variant *''bō-bō-'', in ] ''bófi'', ] ''boef'' "(criminal) knave, rogue", ] ''Bube'' ("knave, rogue, boy"). Furthermore, the word may be related to ''Bōia'', an ] personal name.<ref>See:
Ongoing debates about the influences of ] in shaping the behavior of girls and boys raises questions about whether the roles played by boys are mainly the result of inborn differences or of socialization. Images of boys in art, literature and popular culture often demonstrate assumptions about ]. ]n farming boy.]]
* - entry for "boy"
* H. H. Malincrodt, ''Latijn-Nederlands woordenboek'' (Latin-Dutch dictionary)
* ''Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary''
* {{cite book | first=Carl Darling | last=Buck | author-link=Carl Darling Buck | title=A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages | location=Chicago | publisher=University of Chicago Press | orig-year=1949 | year=1988 | isbn=978-0-226-07937-0 }}</ref>
]
<!--Do not remove the following image without a consensus to do so. The matter has been discussed at length on the talk page. -->]


==Etymology== ===Specific uses===
====Race====
The word "boy" is recorded since 1154. Its ] is unclear; it is probably related to ] ''boi'', ] ''bófi'', ] ''boef'' "(criminal) knave, rogue" and ] ''Bube''.
Historically,{{When|date=June 2024}} in the United States and South Africa, "boy" was used not only for domestic servants but also more generally as a disparaging term for black men; the term implied a subservient status.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://harvardlpr.com/2011/12/21/court-finally-says-boy-comments-are-racist/|title=Court finally says 'boy' comments are racist|last=Corriher|first=Billy|date=2011-12-21|website=Harvard Law and Policy Review|access-date=2017-07-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.theroot.com/when-boy-is-not-a-racist-remark-1790880694|title=When 'Boy' Is Not a Racist Remark|last=Ifill|first=Sherrilyn A.|date=24 August 2010|work=The Root|access-date=2017-07-18|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/15/understanding-why-you-dont-call-a-black-man-a-boy/|title=Understanding why you don't call a black man a boy|last=Martin|first=Roland S.|date=15 April 2008|website=CNN.com|access-date=2017-07-18|archive-date=2022-05-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525032022/https://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/15/understanding-why-you-dont-call-a-black-man-a-boy/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://newsone.com/2282554/chris-christie-boy/|title=Racist Or Not? Gov. Chris Christie Calls Black Man 'Boy' In Town Hall |date=2013-03-16|work=News One|access-date=2017-07-18|language=en-US}}</ref> Thomas Branch, an early African-American Seventh-day Adventist missionary to Nyassaland (]) referred to the native students as "boys":{{blockquote|There is one way by which we judge many of our present boys to be quite different from some of those who were here long ago: those that are married have their wives here with them, and build their own houses, and all are busy making their gardens. I have told all the boys that if they wished to stay here and learn, those that had wives must bring them.<ref>{{Cite journal
| last = Branch
| first = Thomas H.
| title = British Central Africa
| journal = Review and Herald
| volume = 84
| issue = 1
| page = 18
| publisher = Review and Herald Publishing Association
| location = Washington, D.C.
| date = January 3, 1907
| url = http://docs.adventistarchives.org/docs/RH/RH19070103-V84-01__B.pdf?q=docs/RH/RH19070103-V84-01__B.pdf
| access-date = May 5, 2015
}}</ref>}} Multiple politicians – including New Jersey Governor ] and former Kentucky Congressman ] – have been criticized publicly for referring to a black man as "boy".<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />


During an event promoting the 2017 ] between ] and ], the latter told the former to "dance for me, boy."<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jul/15/mayweather-accuses-mcgregor-of-racism-and-uses-homophobic-slur|title=Floyd Mayweather accuses Conor McGregor of racism and uses homophobic slur|date=2017-07-15|work=The Guardian|access-date=2017-07-18|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The remarks led several boxers – including Mayweather and ] – as well as multiple commentators to accuse McGregor of racism.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2721466-andre-ward-doesnt-like-conor-mcgregor-calling-floyd-mayweather-boy|title=Andre Ward Doesn't Like Conor McGregor Calling Floyd Mayweather 'Boy'|last=Chiari|first=Mike|date=13 July 2017|work=Bleacher Report|access-date=2017-07-18|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://thegrapevine.theroot.com/yes-conor-mcgregor-is-a-racist-1796876545|title=Yes, Conor McGregor Is a Racist|last=Callahan|first=Yesha|date=13 June 2017|work=The Root|access-date=2017-07-18|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/2017/07/14/conor-mcgregor-racist/|title=Conor McGregor denies being a racist with racist statement|last=Bell|first=Gabriel|date=14 July 2017|website=Salon|access-date=2017-07-18}}</ref>


==Biology==
<gallery>
===Sex determination===
Image:boy with python.jpg|south american boy holding python showing prepubescent penis


]
</gallery>==Scope==
An adult male human is a ], but when age is not a crucial factor, both terms can be interchangeable, e.g., 'boys and their toys' applies equally to adults and young boys, just as 'Are you mice or men?' can also apply to young boys.


Human sex is determined at ] when the ]tic ] of the ] is determined by whether the ] ] contains an X or Y chromosome. If the sperm cell contains an ], the fetus will be XX and, typically, a ] will develop. A sperm cell carrying a Y chromosome results in an XY combination, and typically a boy will develop. Variations from this general rule result in ] fetuses.{{sfn|Fauci|Braunwald|Kasper|Hauser|2008|pp=2339-2346}}
] boys wearing ] at a festival.]]
The age boundary is not clear cut, rather dependent on the context or even on individual circumstances. A young man who has not assumed (or has been denied) the traditional roles of a man might also be called a boy. It may feel uncomfortable to a young male upon being referred to as a "man" before he believes he has assumed these roles, such as having a career, a partner, a household of his own, fatherhood. Conversely, it may feel uncomfortable to a male to be called a "boy" if he believes he has assumed the traditional roles of a "man". In ''mother's/mama's boy'', the word emphatically implies a male (] or adult in years) who is too immature to be independent.


===In utero development and genitalia===
In some traditions boyhood is held to be exchanged for adult manhood, or at least approach it significantly, by certain -in se independent- acts assuming a role deemed to be typical for a "normal" man (though there are limits) as marriage, fathering offspring or military service. Various cultural and/or religious ] serve, partially or specifically, to mark the transition to manhood.
] boys at play]]
In male embryos at six to seven weeks' gestation, "the expression of a gene on the Y chromosome induces changes that result in the development of the testes". At approximately nine weeks' gestation, the production of testosterone by a male embryo results in the development of the male reproductive system.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK222286/|title=Sex Begins in the Womb|author=Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Understanding the Biology of Sex and Gender Differences|editor-first1=Theresa M.|editor-last1=Wizemann|editor-first2=Mary-Lou|editor-last2=Pardue|date=November 28, 2001|publisher=National Academies Press (US)|via=www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov}}</ref>
] boy]]
The ] includes both external and internal organs. The external organs include the ], the ], and the ]s (or testes). The penis is a cylindrical organ filled with spongy tissue. It is the organ used by boys to expel ]. The foreskin of some boys' penises is removed in a process known as ]. The scrotum is a loose sac of skin behind the penis which contains the testicles. Testicles are oval-shaped gonads. A boy generally possesses two testicles. Internal male reproductive organs include the ], the ], the ], the ], and the ] gland.<ref name="clevelandclinic1">{{cite web|url=https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9117-male-reproductive-system|title=Male Reproductive System Information|website=Cleveland Clinic}}</ref><ref name="webmd1">{{cite web|url=https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/guide/male-reproductive-system|title=The Male Reproductive System|website=WebMD}}</ref>


===Physical maturation===
] on a public place in ].]]There is often a number of traditional differences in attire between boys and adult men, which may even give rise to a metaphoric term such as ''broekvent'' in Dutch (i.e., a boy who has not yet "graduated" from shorts to trousers) and in what is socially accepted as appropriate behaviour, e.g., boys may be publicly seen ] in cultures where men are not.
] is the process by which children's bodies mature into adult bodies that are capable of reproduction. On average, boys begin puberty at ages 11–12 and complete puberty at ages 16–17.<ref name="Kail">{{cite book| last = Kail | first = RV |author2=Cavanaugh JC| title = Human Development: A Lifespan View | isbn = 978-0-495-60037-4 | publisher = ] | year = 2010 | page = 296 |edition = 5th|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E-n5E7oyCgoC&pg=PA296}}</ref><ref name="Phillips">{{cite book|author=D. C. Phillips| title =Encyclopedia of Educational Theory and Philosophy| isbn = 978-1-4833-6475-9 | publisher = ] | year = 2014 | pages = 18–19|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=84StBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA18|quote=On average, the onset of puberty is about 18 months earlier for girls (usually starting around the age of 10 or 11 and lasting until they are 15 to 17) than for boys (who usually begin puberty at about the age of 11 to 12 and complete it by the age of 16 to 17, on average).}}</ref>


In boys, puberty begins with the enlargement of the testicles and scrotum. The penis also increases in size, and a boy develops pubic hair. A boy's testicles also begin making sperm. The release of semen, which contains sperm and other fluids, is called ejaculation.<ref name="hopkinsmedicine1">{{cite web|url=https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/puberty-adolescent-male |title=Puberty: Adolescent Male &#124; Johns Hopkins Medicine |publisher=Hopkinsmedicine.org |access-date=2020-02-27}}</ref> During puberty, a boy's erect penis becomes capable of ] ] and impregnating a ].<ref name="clevelandclinic1"/><ref name="webmd1"/> A boy's first ejaculation is an important milestone in his development.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.health24.com/Lifestyle/Teen/Your-body/Male-puberty-milestones-20120721 |title=Male puberty milestones |publisher=Health24 |access-date=2020-02-27}}</ref> On average, a boy's first ] occurs at age 13.<ref name="Jorgensen & Keiding">(Jorgensen & Keiding 1991).</ref> Ejaculation sometimes occurs during sleep; this phenomenon is known as a ].<ref name="hopkinsmedicine1"/>
In English, the words ], ] and ] may refer to either male or female. No gender-specific term exists for an intermediate stage between a boy and a man, except "young man", although the term ], for one who reached sexual reproductivity (or the legally assumed age, e.g. 14 for boys, often set lower for girls) without being a legal adult yet, stems from a Latin word for boys only, itself named after the accompanying male body hair, ''pubes'', on face and genital region.


When a boy reaches puberty, ] triggers the development of secondary sex characteristics. A boy's muscles increase in size and mass, his voice deepens, his bones lengthen, and the shape of his face and body changes.<ref name="Bjorklund">{{cite book |vauthors=Bjorklund DF, Blasi CH|title=Child and Adolescent Development: An Integrated Approach|publisher=]|isbn=978-1133168379|year=2011|pages=152–153|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZTQIAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA152}}</ref> The increased secretion of testosterone from the testicles during puberty causes the male secondary sexual characteristics to be manifested.{{sfn|Van de Graaff|Fox|1989|p=933-4}} Male secondary sex characteristics include:
Many occasions occur when an adult male is commonly referred to as a boy. A person's ] or loverboy may be of any age; this even applies to a 'working' call-boy, ] (though usually younger than the client as youth is generally considered attractive). Reflecting the general aesthetic preference for youth, one says ''pretty boy'' (e.g. in the nickname of ], who committed his first bank robbery at age 30) or ] (name of a mythological youth) even when a male beauty is clearly of riper age. In terms (used pejoratively or neutrally) for ] such as ] (alongside "batty man"; from "bottom") or "bum boy", age is not essential, but the connotation of immaturity can strengthen insulting use.
]]]
* Growth of ], including ], ], ], and ] hair.<ref name="Pack">{{cite book |vauthors=Pack PE|title=CliffsNotes AP Biology, 5th Edition|publisher=]|isbn=978-0544784178|year=2016|page=219|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GsalDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA219}}</ref><ref name="Bjorklund"/>
* Growth of ].<ref name="Bjorklund"/>
* Enlargement of ] (Adam's apple) and deepening of ].<ref name="Bjorklund"/><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=https://www.hartnell.edu/faculty/asteinhardt/mywebs/sexual_reproduction.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208223522/http://www.hartnell.edu/faculty/asteinhardt/mywebs/sexual_reproduction.htm|url-status=dead|title=Help is here!|archive-date=February 8, 2009|website=hartnell.edu}}</ref>
* Increased ]; adult males are taller than adult females, on average.<ref name="Bjorklund"/>
* Heavier ] and ] ].<ref name="Bjorklund"/>
* Increased ] mass and strength.<ref name="Bjorklund"/>
* Broadening of ]s and chest; shoulders wider than hips.<ref name="secondary">{{cite web|url=http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/ATLAS_EN/html/secondary_characteristics.html |title=Secondary Characteristics |work=hu-berlin.de |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927075821/http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/ATLAS_EN/html/secondary_characteristics.html |archive-date=2011-09-27 }}</ref>
* Increased secretions of oil and ]s.<ref name="autogenerated1" />


== Group and gender norms ==
]s]] A man's group of male friends etc. engaged in ] are often called "the boys". It is most common to refer to men, irrespective of age or even in an adult age group, as boys in the context of a team (especially all-male), such as ]s for networking of adult men who attended the same school(s) as boys, or as professional colleagues, e.g. "the boys at the office, - police station etc." (often all adults). The members of a ] can be called frat(ernity) boys, technically preferable to the pleonasm frat-bro(ther), and remain so for life as adults, after graduation.
Boys across various age groups are often part of social circles that establish their own unique norms. These norms serve as a benchmark for boys to assess their peers. The adherence to these group norms often holds more weight than the mere affiliation to the group. In fact, boys who do not conform to these norms are often evaluated lower than those who, despite being strangers, conform to the group’s norms. This phenomenon underscores the powerful influence of group norms in shaping attitudes and actions, and the social implications of conformity.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Children's and adolescents' evaluations of peers who challenge their group: The role of gender norms and identity|date=2022 |doi=10.1111/sode.12546 |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/sode.12546 |last1=McGuire |first1=Luke |last2=Palmer |first2=Sally B. |last3=Rutland |first3=Adam |journal=Social Development |volume=31 |issue=2 |pages=423–437 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|chapter=Group Norms |doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.013.453 |isbn=978-0-19-023655-7 |chapter-url=https://oxfordre.com/psychology/abstract/10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.001.0001/acrefore-9780190236557-e-453|access-date=2024-03-25 |title=Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology |date=2020 |last1=Smith |first1=Joanne R. }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Conformity in Groups: The Effects of Others' Views on Expressed Attitudes and Attitude Change|date=2016 |doi=10.1007/s11109-015-9312-x |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11109-015-9312-x|access-date=2024-03-25 |last1=Levitan |first1=Lindsey C. |last2=Verhulst |first2=Brad |journal=Political Behavior |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=277–315 }}</ref>
In sports 'the boys' commonly refers to the ]s; e.g., ] football managers quite often refer to their players as "The boy so-and-so" and this usage is by no means restricted to the youngest players, though it is rarely applied to the most senior.
Boys who defy gender norms may face a higher risk of abuse, and may experience more depression than gender-conforming peers, as well as ] from parents<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bridges|first1=Dori|date=24 April 2019|title=Parents more uncomfortable with gender-nonconforming behaviors in boys, study finds|publisher=PsyPost|url=https://www.psypost.org/2019/04/parents-more-uncomfortable-with-gender-nonconforming-behaviors-in-boys-study-finds-53540|access-date=19 August 2020}}</ref> and peers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gender Nonconforming Children, Particularly Boys, Are Less Popular With Peers|url=https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/gender-nonconforming-children-particularly-boys-are-less-popular-with-peers-lbkr/|access-date=19 August 2020|website=The Good Men Project|date=20 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Roberts|first1=Andrea|last2=Rosario|first2=Margaret|last3=Slopen|first3=Natalie|last4=Calzo|first4=Jeren|date=2012|title=Childhood Gender Nonconformity, Bullying Victimization, and Depressive Symptoms Across Adolescence and Early Adulthood: An 11-Year Longitudinal Study|url=https://jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567(12)00872-6/fulltext|journal=Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry|volume=52|issue=2|pages=143–152|doi=10.1016/j.jaac.2012.11.006|pmid=23357441|pmc=3635805|access-date=19 August 2020}}</ref> The ] towards them can increase the risk of alcohol use, anxiety, and depression in adulthood.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bauermeister|first1=José A.|last2=Connochie|first2=Daniel|last3=Jadwin-Cakmak|first3=Laura|last4=Meanley|first4=Steven|date=May 2017|title=Gender Policing During Childhood and the Psychological Well-Being of Young Adult Sexual Minority Men in the United States|journal=American Journal of Men's Health|volume=11|issue=3|pages=693–701|doi=10.1177/1557988316680938|issn=1557-9883|pmc=5393921|pmid=27903954}}</ref>
In US urban, particularly ] and ] ] the term boy is used with a possessive as meaning friend (''my boy,'' ''his boys''), presumably as a reduction of ''homeboy'', originally a male from the same area.


In some cultures, the birth of a male child (boy) is considered prosperous.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Selecting Boys Over Girls Is A Trend In More And More Countries|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/08/26/434616512/selecting-boys-over-girls-is-a-trend-in-more-and-more-countries|access-date=2021-05-14|website=NPR.org|date=26 August 2015 |language=en|last1=Brink |first1=Susan }}</ref>
] at summer camp in the ].]]
In some cases, a word using boy is used merely to designate the age of the (male) person, irrespective of the function, as in ], a minor acting as liturgical ], or in ]s, an organisation specifically for boys. Thus the compound ''-man'' can then be replaced by ''-boy'', as in ]; or boy is simply added, either as a prefix (e.g., in ]) or as a suffix (e.g., in ]).


== Boys and child labor ==
An adult equivalent (with or without ''-man'') is not to be expected when -boy designates an apprentice (for which some languages use a compound with the equivalent of boy, e.g. ''leerjongen'' 'learning boy' in Dutch) or lowest rank implying specific on the job training if promotion is to be obtained, as in ]. Similarly ''schoolboy'' only applies to minors; the modern near-synonym ''pupil'' originally designated a minor in Roman law as being under a specific adult's authority, as ''in loco parentis''.
], 1912]]
Boys perform the majority of ] around the world compared to girls; 88 million child laborers are boys and 64 million are girls. Boys are also the primary victims of hazardous child labor. They are mainly employed in the ], ] and ] sectors. Boy workers also account for about 87 percent of those who died on the job between 2003 and 2016 in the US.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Child Labor Facts and Statistics about Child Labor Around The World - Compassion International|url=https://www.compassion.com/poverty/child-labor-quick-facts.htm|access-date=2021-05-26|website=www.compassion.com}}</ref>


Boys are given a basic reading, writing and mathematics skill and then forced to pursue their father's profession in order to alleviate financial burden of the family. This is one of the main reasons why boys are preferred over girls by the rural communities in poor countries. In ], by contrast, the majority of adopted children are girls even though boys are preferred in general compared to girls.<ref>{{Cite web|title=10 Basic Facts about Child Labor Globally – stopchildlabor|url=https://stopchildlabor.org/?p=4504|access-date=2021-05-26|website=stopchildlabor.org| date=16 July 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=June 12, 2018|title=World Day Against Child Labour: 152 million children are forced to work for a living|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/world-day-against-child-labour-over-152-million-children-are-forced-to-work-for-a-living-1258140-2018-06-12|access-date=2021-05-26|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-07-11|title=The number of Children available for adoption is less than 1/4th the demand despite the simplification in adoption process|url=https://factly.in/number-children-available-adoption-less-14th-demand-despite-simplification-adoption-process/|access-date=2021-05-26|website=FACTLY|language=en-US}}</ref>
<!-- Unsourced image removed: ] in ], college ] students engage in traditional boyish games]] -->
Expressions such as "boys will be boys" (i.e., a male always retains a tendency for boyish games or mischief) allude to stereotypically ascribed characteristics of boys and men; in the term '']'', a woman's (according to the counterpart-gender stereotype) uncharacteristically bold nature is even described solely by comparing her to a boy.


==See also==
The use of boy (like ]) in (fantasy or descriptive) nick-names, also for adult men (e.g. ] for a wrestler with matching costume), may also connote to the informal or naughty image of boyhood.
*]
*]
*]


==References==
In such terms as 'city boy' or 'home boy', the age notion is at most anachronistic, as they indicate any male who grew up (or by extension lived a long time) in a certain environment.
{{reflist}}


==Further reading==
Historically, in countries such as the ] and ], "boy" was not only a 'neutral' term for domestics but also used as a disparaging ] ] towards non-white males (especially of African descent), recalling their subservient status even after the 20th century legal emancipation (from slavery, evolved to ], viz. ]) and alleged infantility, and many still consider it offensive in that context to this day.
*{{cite journal |last=Allen |first=Edward A. |title=Public School Elites in Early-Victorian England: The Boys at Harrow and Merchant Taylors' Schools from 1825 to 1850 |journal=Journal of British Studies |volume=21 |issue=2 |year=1982 |pages=87–117 |doi=10.1086/385791 |s2cid=144610133 }}
*{{cite book |last1=Baggerman |first1=Arianne |author-link1=Arianne Baggerman |first2=Rudolf |last2=Dekker |author-link2=Rudolf Dekker|title=Child of the Enlightenment: Revolutionary Europe Reflected in a Boyhood Diary |year=2009 |publisher=Brill |isbn= 9789004273641}}
*{{cite book |editor-last=Clement |editor-first=Priscilla Ferguson |editor2-first=Jacqueline S. |editor2-last=Reinier |title=Boyhood in America: an encyclopedia |others=2 vol |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2001 |isbn=978-1-57607-215-8}}
* {{cite book|title = Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine|last1 = Fauci|first1 = Anthony S.|publisher = McGraw-Hill Medical|year = 2008|isbn= 9780071466332|pages = 2339–2346|edition = 17th|last2 = Braunwald|first2 = Eugene|last3 = Kasper|first3 = Dennis L.|last4 = Hauser|first4 = Stephen L.|last5 = Longo|first5 = Dan L.|last6 = Jameson|first6 = J. Larry|last7 = Loscalzo|first7 = Joseph}}
*{{cite book |last=Giese |first=Rachel |title=Boys: What it Means to Become a Man |publisher=Seal Press |year=2018 |isbn= 9781443442916}}
*{{cite book |last=Hunt |first=Peter |title=International companion encyclopedia of children's literature |publisher=Routledge |year=2004 |isbn=9780415290531}}
*{{cite book |last=Illick |first=Joseph E. |title=American childhoods |year=2005 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |isbn=9780812236590}}
*{{cite journal |last=Killian |first=Caitlin |title=Covered girls and savage boys: Representations of Muslim youth in France |journal=Journal of Social and Ecological Boundaries |volume=3 |issue=1 |year=2007 |pages=69–90 }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Kugler |first1=Adriana D. |first2=Santosh |last2=Kumar |title=Preference for boys, family size, and educational attainment in India |journal=] |volume=54 |issue=3 |year=2017 |pages=835–859 |doi=10.1007/s13524-017-0575-1 |pmid=28484996 |pmc=5486858 |doi-access=free }}
*{{cite journal |last=Liu |first=Fengshu |title=Boys as only-children and girls as only-children—parental gendered expectations of the only-child in the nuclear Chinese family in present-day China |journal=Gender and Education |volume=18 |issue=5 |year=2006 |pages=491–505 |doi=10.1080/09540250600881626 |s2cid=144525986 }}
*{{cite journal |last=Macleod |first=David I. |title=Act Your Age: Boyhood, Adolescence and the Rise of the Boy Scouts of America |journal=] |volume=16 |issue=2 |year=1982 |pages=3–20 |doi=10.1353/jsh/16.2.3 }}
*{{cite book |last=Mintz |first=Steven |title=Huck's raft: A history of American childhood |url=https://archive.org/details/hucksrafthistory00mint_0 |url-access=registration |publisher=Harvard UP |year=2004 |isbn=9780674015081}}
*{{cite book |last=Naka |first=Kansuke |title=The Silver Spoon: Memoir of a Boyhood in Japan |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |year=2015 |isbn=9781611720198 }}
*{{cite journal |last=Plafker |first=Ted |title=Sex selection in China sees 117 boys born for every 100 girls |journal=] |volume=324 |issue=7348 |year=2002 |page=1233 |doi=10.1136/bmj.324.7348.1233/a |pmid=12028966 |pmc=1123206 }}
*{{cite book |editor-last=Powell |editor-first=Sacha |editor2-first=Kate |editor2-last=Smith |title=An introduction to early childhood studies |publisher=Sage |year=2017 |isbn=9781526417480}}
*{{cite book |last=Rose |first=Clare |title=Making, selling and wearing boys' clothes in late-Victorian England |publisher=Routledge |year=2016 |isbn=9781138261860}}
*{{cite journal |last=Theriault |first=Daniel |title=A Socio-Historical Overview of Black Youth Development in the United States for Leisure Studies |journal=International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure |volume=1 |issue=2 |year=2018 |pages=197–213 |doi=10.1007/s41978-018-0013-y |s2cid=158309254 |doi-access=free }}
* {{cite book|last1=Van de Graaff|first1=Kent M.|last2=Fox|first2=Stuart Ira|title=Concepts of Human Anatomy and Physiology|date=1989|publisher=William C. Brown Publishers|location=Dubuque, Iowa|isbn=0697056759|url=https://archive.org/details/conceptsofhumana00vand}}
*{{cite journal |last=Wainman |first=Ruth |title='Engineering for Boys': Meccano and the Shaping of a Technical Vision of Boyhood in Twentieth-Century Britain |journal=Cultural and Social History |volume=14 |issue=3 |year=2017 |pages=381–396 |doi=10.1080/14780038.2017.1314581 |s2cid=164528642 }}
*{{cite journal |last=Wolff |first=Larry |title=The Boys Are Pickpockets, and the Girl Is a Prostitute": Gender and Juvenile Criminality in Early Victorian England from Oliver Twist to London Labour |journal=New Literary History |volume=27 |issue=2 |year=1996 |pages=227–249 |doi=10.1353/nlh.1996.0029 |jstor=20057349 |s2cid=162188050 }}


==External links==
==Specific uses and compounds==
* {{commons category-inline}}
The following subsections treat some specific contexts where the term boy is frequently used, as such or in compound terms, often 'emancipated' from the age notion as such.
* {{Wikiquote-inline}}
* {{Wiktionary-inline}}
* , website and journal for the study of boys
*


{{Family}}
They also show that similar semantic broadness applies to many languages, notably Indo-European; to avoid lengthy duplication, cases may simply be linked here.
{{Humandevelopment}}

{{Authority control}}
*] was replaced (not for a slave owner or his overseer etc.) by the late 19th century, as a form of address, especially employed by servants, by ] (etymologically equal) for the master of the household and other adults, but retained for boys till age 13

===Military===
The term 'our boys' is commonly used for a nation's soldiers, often with sympathy. Given the physical demands of battle, recruits are preferably in their physical prime, but adult professionals remain included in the term as long as they remain in service.

A case where the term is formally used for (adult) men is ], a member of an even-numbered group of seaman posted in two rows at the Quarterdeck when a visiting dignitary boards or leaves a ship.

In the Ottoman empire, the young, mainly Christian military recruits for life (often forcibly enlisted by ']') were officially called ''acemi oglanlar'' ("novice boys").

Thus "-boy" can enter the ] for a particular nation's ]s, e.g. the US (infantry) ], or a specific force, e.g. ''Fly-boy'' is slang for an ].
Furthermore, specific terms refer to minors used in the armed forces:
*]
*] is a ] in naval training; ] refers to specific, low-paid apprentice ranks, notably in the ]; until the middle of the twentieth century, they were the only Navy staff subject (like their civilian age-peers, at home and in school) to physical punishment, usually ], traditionally administered on the bare bottom (as in English public schools; the adults were lashed on the backside above the waist), either formally (ordered in ], publicly executed on deck) or, more often but less severely, summary; the same was true of a ], also a minor, but indicated with "-man" rather than "-boy", possibly reflecting their higher status as future naval officers. Sometimes in ex-servicemen's parades, an old man is described as "ship's boy" to say that he served so classed in the Navy as a boy.

However, when a minor in military employ is considered (historically often far less restrictive then nowadays) too young to be a 'normal' warrior (illegal under present UN rules, but without precise enforceable age limits), he's called ], regardless whether he's used as an armed fighter or only in logistic or similar functions such as bearer.

===Domestic, residential and similar 'personal' attendants===
*], or often "boy" for short, became a common term for domestic staff, notably non-European natives in the Asian and African colonies, adopted as such in other languages, e.g. in Dutch and French (also in the Belgian colonies).
*] was originally a ship's bell-ringer, later a hotel page.
*] is a rank in restaurants etc. below (head) waiter, fitting for trainees but may be held by ripe adults, even under younger (e.g. better qualified) superiors
*], from the Greek παις ''pais'', again in many languages, already in Hellenistic times παίδες βασιλικοί ''paides basilikoi'' 'royal (i.e. court) boys'.
*]
*]
*] "bath boy" (also called Tellak) working in a Turkish bath.
*]
*], belows the cook(s); in a large household there may be specific functions, such as ]
*] like linkman meant ]- or other light-bearer

===Cultural and religious life===
*] (see above)
*] designates a boy (always a minor) singer in a ]; here applies a specific physiological, artistically relevant criterion: they remain a musical category of their own (], also known as a ]) until their voice 'breaks', during puberty, to join one of the adult male ]s (] (closest to treble), ], ], ], or ]); only the ] may (not guaranteed) remain a ] as an adult man; historically the term was designed for all-male (mainly church) choirs, with men with already broken voices (often former choir boys), in modern times it also applies to mixed choirs.

===Rural life and professions===
*] originally designated a herds''boy'' employed as ], but lost the age notion, first retaining the connotation of inferior status, later applying to the whole ranch life culture; by contrast "shepherd's boy" (rather herding ] or ]s, representing less capital) remained restricted to minors.

===Commercial and other services===
Often the term "boy" describes positions of the ] type, such as ] (a junior ]).
*] in a film crew denotes the chief assistant, usually of the gaffer or key grip, next in line to be promoted; an example of a use where the term is traditionally unaltered in crediting female incumbents
*] and ] refer to a young(est) employee (i.e. lacking experience), in training and/or performing menial services such as making photocopies.
*Even into the early 20th century, the British empire systematically employed boy ]s, including a specific rank of boy copyist, recruited by examination (despite the name, requiring schooling) and reserved for candidates aged 15-18, not retained in that rank after the age of 20.

Certain jobs need so little training or formal qualifications that they can easily be performed as ], and thus tend to be filled mostly or exclusively by minors, as it would not pay to employ an adult at or above minimum wage. Thus an equivalent word with the compound man (or similar) may be the rarer one, or even inexistent. Examples include ], errand boy, messenger boy and various specific terms naming the product to deliver, such as ] (closest adult counterpart postman), ] boy (alongside pizzaman), or to serve, such as a ] (drinks waiter). In other cases the compound mentions a crucial attribute of his task, e.g. ] (more recently also girls) in tennis.
In some cases his small, light body makes a boy a better choice, e.g. as ] where no weight handicap is in force.
* A ] originally was a boy send out by an adult (often his own father) as ] (thief who 'snatches' purses), later a boy assistant to various professions such as a ], still later (recorded since 1859) a boys' age term roughly equal to ]

===Role play===
In ], the term boy, often in the deliberate misspelling ] (which has other gay uses), sometimes specified (notably 'domestic' ''houseboi''), refers not to junior age, but to the submissive position in the role play (e.g. father-son, teacher-pupil, owner-slave) at the masters beck and call, also known as ], especially if this implies submitting to discipline by the dominant 'top', who may not only command and humiliate the boi at his discretion but even administer punishment (often ], making the term bottom most appropriate) at his (dis)pleasure.

==Non-function specific analogous terms==
Boys, in the strict or a wider sense, are often informally referred to by analogous or metaphorical terms. The literal connotations, which may be ironic or downright pejorative, have often been eroded by common use. Some terms are unisex, with or without (at least historical) preponderance of use for boys:-
* ], ](py) and ] compare boys to the young of predatory animals, the slang ] even to that of an amphibian;
* ], another animal young, usually refers to a sexually adventurous male youngster
* ], originally an (idle) lout, has got -mainly in Scotland- unrelated specific meanings, including boy, ] and looney person
* ] compares to a plant's young shoots
* References to the boy's generally lighter physique then a man include ] 'slender youth' and -rather insulting- slang like half-pint or small-fry
* More specifically, ''shaveling'' (or in slang ]) refers to boys' lesser hair growth then men's before - and densification around puberty
* Various terms refer to children's, often especially boys', lack of adult manners (e.g. "snot(ty) nose(d) (kid)") or to often mischievous behavior, e.g. "]", also by analogy with animals, e.g. "monkey", "]" (as 'prickly' as a hedgehog); "]" refers to such undiscipline for lack of firm upbringing.
* Furthermore, common boys' names have also been used metonymically to stand for boys and/or men in general, as in 'every Dick and Tom'.

==Analogous uses and popular etymology==
By analogy "boy" can also refer as an ] term to a young male (or any male) of another animal, either in general or species-specific; in the last case it may even have a specific term, notably derived from a boy's name, such as "billy goat" for a 'boy' goat, or ] (known since 1809, for any male cat; but just Tom, applied to male kittens, is recorded since c.1303)

Again by analogy "boy" can occasionally even refer to a 'male' object.

Some words contain 'boy' in English by mistake (]), actually referring to a (near) homophone such as French ''bois'' = "wood" (e.g. in "low boy", a type of ], and in "tallboy", both furniture and a high glass or ]).

==Similar originally youth-related terms==
<!-- Unsourced image removed: ] -->
*] evolved in the 14th century from "knight in training" (possibly by the staff to train for swordfight) to "junior member of a guild or university" and by 1386 to "unmarried man"
*]
*], the French for boy, a form of the archaic or non-standard ''gars'' (meaning (usually young) man), was adopted in various languages (in English reported since 1788) for a (food or drinks) ]
*] (not the ]ly unrelated homophone meaning "husband-to-be") originally meant "young male", possibly related to "gromet" (servant, especially ship's boy), and only in the 1667 was specifically used for a ] or - boy (even the last not necessarily a youth).
*'''infant''', originally 'child too young to speak' evolved to ] 'foot soldier' (also footman) and, in Iberian language, to the princely style ] (this, like the original meaning, unisex).
*'''knave''' (Old English ''cnafa'' or ''cnapa'', cognate with Dutch ''knaap'', German ''Knabe'', and ''Knappe'', "boy"), originally "a male child", "a boy" (Chaucer, ]: Clerks Tale, I. 388). Like Latin ''puer'', the word was early used as a name for any boy or lad employed as a servant, and so of male servants in general (]: ], 1. 204), and especially a ]. The current use of the word "knave" for "a man who is dishonest and crafty, a rogue", was however an early usage, and is found in ] (c. 1205). In ] the lowest court card of each suit, the jack, representing a medieval servant, is still often called the knave.
*The term ] = 'younger', antonym of ], occurs in titles as 'lower grade', in terms of service years (not age) or even merely hierarchical, on criteria regardless of experience; equivalent is ].
*The term ''lad''', or in the Scottish diminutive form '''laddie''' (recorded since 1546): known since c.1300 as ''ladde'' "foot soldier," also "young male servant" (attested as a surname from c.1100), possibly from a Scandinavian language (cf. Norwegian ''-ladd'', in compounds for "young man"), perhaps originally a plural of the pp. of lead (v.), thus "one who is led" (by a lord); present meaning "boy, youth, young man" attested from c.1440; in Northern England, and particularly in the county of ], males of all ages jokingly refer to themselves as being a Lancashire "lad". Lass(ie) is the female counterpart.
*] now usually applies unisex, but historically there was often a different age limit (a remnant may be the age of sexual consent) or even a legal system in which women were never fully emancipated in the eyes of the law, and so passed from the dominion of their fathers to that of their husbands.
*''oac'', the Old Irish for "youths", later came to mean "soldier", as in ] (gallowglass)
*], literally a parent's male child, has been used for a male 'junior' which could be called a boy, specifically in respect to a senior, especially a ']', as a man often calls a (significantly younger) boy who addresses him as Sir, or a clergyman (still commonly addressed as father) used to address male laymen, especially those in his pastoral care; the diminutive ''sonny'' is reserved for young boys
*The terms ] and ], both from Old French ''esquier'' (modern French ''écuyer''), itself from Latin ''scutarius'' "shield bearer", originally entered English as a boy in attendance to a ] (like page), but were socially promoted and lost their age-connotation.
*The term ], from ] ''sveinn'', originally meant young man or servant, even as a Norwegian court title) entered English c.1150 as "young man attendant upon a knight" i.e. squire, or junior rank, as in ] and ], but now usually means a boyfriend (since 1585) or a country lad (farm laborer since 1579; especially a young shepherd, cognate with Old English swan 'swineherd').
*The term ] stems from an Old Celtic root *''wasso-'' "young man, squire" (e.g. Welsh ''gwas'' "youth, servant," Breton ''goaz'' "servant, vassal, man," Irish foss "servant").
*The term ] and its variant "varlet" also derive from "vassal" (above) and apply to male servants, sometimes specifically boys.
*'''wag''', now meaning "person fond of making jokes," is recorded in English since 1553; it derives from the verb to wag (i.e. to make a swinging movement), perhaps in this context as a shortening of ''waghalter'' "gallows bird," a person destined to swing in a noose or halter, soon applied humorously to mischievous children (the same notion remains in the Dutch expression ''voor galg en rad opgroeien''), later to all young men without the naughty connotation, finally to witty persons

==Boys in art==
In classical (especially Greek) art, the dominant image of physical beauty, adopted even for the gods, is that of the male ], whether a ripe boy or a young adult, in Greek art often a ] in the ]. Especially the ] followed their example, here as in many things.

Many mythological boys have frequently been represented in various arts, e.g. Venus' often mischievous son ], himself a young god of love which he 'inflicts' on humans by shooting his arrows; in some style periods even multiplied as naked little boys called '']''.

In religious art, generally adults preponderate (except as extras), with certain marked, stereotypical exceptions such as the ] or ]s which may even act as 'Christianized' putti.

In ] art, and generally in commissioned work (including funeral art), the subjects are usually determined by the wishes of the (adult) client, so minors are often in the minority, yet in wealthy families especially heirs are (re)presented as part of their social positioning in view of future marriage and succession, generally either as mini-adults or stereotypical youth, e.g. at play or in cozy home scenes.

Some artists displayed a clear predeliction for scenes with boys, in certain cases (especially if frequently depicting revealing poses) believed to have to do with a homo-erotic taste, as is believed of the highly respected Old Master ], or ] who kept producing such works even though the market circa 1900 was rather unappreciative.

In music, boys' voices before they 'break', of a soprano register (specifically known as ]) unlike adult men (in a choir usually tenor and bass), have been most sought-after, especially where female voices were considered inappropriate as often in church and certain theatrical music - this even lead to the practice of physically trying to prevent their 'angelical' voices ever to break by surgically cutting short the hormonal drive to manhood: for centuries, ] singers, who coupled adult strength and experience with a treble register, starred in contratenor parts, mainly in operatic styles.

<gallery>
Image:Fayum02.jpg|Roman-Egyptian funeral portrait of a young boy
Image:Hyacinthus.jpg|Two Greek gods: ], patron and model of beauty and athletes, and the young ]; 16th c. Italian engraving by Jacopo Caraglio
Image:Amor Victorious.jpg|'']''. 1602–03 Caravaggio shows ] prevailing over other human endeavors: war, music, science, government.
Image:Tuke, Henry Scott (1858–1929), "The Bathers".jpg|''The Bathers'' by ].
Image:Cupidon.jpg|'']'', by ], 1875
Image:WalterRaleighandson.jpg|Sir ] and his son, 1602
</gallery>

==See also==
{{commons| Category:Boys| Boys}}
{{wiktionary}}
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==Sources and references==
{{Citation style}}
{{cite book | first=Carl Darling | last=Buck | authorlink=Carl Darling Buck | title=A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages | location=Chicago | publisher=University of Chicago Press | year=1949 | id=ISBN 0-226-07937-6 (1988 reprint) }}
*{{1911}}
*
*H.H.Malincrodt, ''Latijn-Nederlands woordenboek'' (Latin-Dutch dictionary)
*Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary
*, website and journal for the study of boys
* discusses news items, new research
*


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Latest revision as of 18:48, 16 December 2024

Young male human "Boys" redirects here. For other uses, see Boys (disambiguation) and Boy (disambiguation).

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A young boy in Laos
Part of a series on
Human growth
and development
Stages
Biological milestones
Development and psychology
Developmental stage theories

A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is usually described as a man.

Definition, etymology, and use

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a boy is "a male child from birth to adulthood".

The word "boy" comes from Middle English boi, boye ("boy, servant"), related to other Germanic words for boy, namely East Frisian boi ("boy, young man") and West Frisian boai ("boy"). Although the exact etymology is obscure, the English and Frisian forms probably derive from an earlier Anglo-Frisian *bō-ja ("little brother"), a diminutive of the Germanic root *bō- ("brother, male relation"), from Proto-Indo-European *bhā-, *bhāt- ("father, brother"). The root is also found in Norwegian dialectal boa ("brother"), and, through a reduplicated variant *bō-bō-, in Old Norse bófi, Dutch boef "(criminal) knave, rogue", German Bube ("knave, rogue, boy"). Furthermore, the word may be related to Bōia, an Anglo-Saxon personal name.

Poor Neapolitan children
African boy transporting fodder
Tanzanian boy transporting fodder

Specific uses

Race

Historically, in the United States and South Africa, "boy" was used not only for domestic servants but also more generally as a disparaging term for black men; the term implied a subservient status. Thomas Branch, an early African-American Seventh-day Adventist missionary to Nyassaland (Malawi) referred to the native students as "boys":

There is one way by which we judge many of our present boys to be quite different from some of those who were here long ago: those that are married have their wives here with them, and build their own houses, and all are busy making their gardens. I have told all the boys that if they wished to stay here and learn, those that had wives must bring them.

Multiple politicians – including New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Kentucky Congressman Geoff Davis – have been criticized publicly for referring to a black man as "boy".

During an event promoting the 2017 boxing bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor, the latter told the former to "dance for me, boy." The remarks led several boxers – including Mayweather and Andre Ward – as well as multiple commentators to accuse McGregor of racism.

Biology

Sex determination

A child's genetic sex is determined by the sex chromosome of the sperm involved. Typically, if an egg is fertilized by a sperm containing an X chromosome, the fetus will have two X chromosomes and its chromosomal sex will be female. If an egg is fertilized by a sperm containing a Y chromosome, the fetus will have XY chromosomes and its chromosomal sex will be male.

Human sex is determined at fertilization when the genetic sex of the zygote is determined by whether the sperm cell contains an X or Y chromosome. If the sperm cell contains an X chromosome, the fetus will be XX and, typically, a girl will develop. A sperm cell carrying a Y chromosome results in an XY combination, and typically a boy will develop. Variations from this general rule result in intersex fetuses.

In utero development and genitalia

Armenian boys at play

In male embryos at six to seven weeks' gestation, "the expression of a gene on the Y chromosome induces changes that result in the development of the testes". At approximately nine weeks' gestation, the production of testosterone by a male embryo results in the development of the male reproductive system.

Filipino boy

The male reproductive system includes both external and internal organs. The external organs include the penis, the scrotum, and the testicles (or testes). The penis is a cylindrical organ filled with spongy tissue. It is the organ used by boys to expel urine. The foreskin of some boys' penises is removed in a process known as circumcision. The scrotum is a loose sac of skin behind the penis which contains the testicles. Testicles are oval-shaped gonads. A boy generally possesses two testicles. Internal male reproductive organs include the vas deferens, the ejaculatory ducts, the urethra, the seminal vesicles, and the prostate gland.

Physical maturation

Puberty is the process by which children's bodies mature into adult bodies that are capable of reproduction. On average, boys begin puberty at ages 11–12 and complete puberty at ages 16–17.

In boys, puberty begins with the enlargement of the testicles and scrotum. The penis also increases in size, and a boy develops pubic hair. A boy's testicles also begin making sperm. The release of semen, which contains sperm and other fluids, is called ejaculation. During puberty, a boy's erect penis becomes capable of ejaculating semen and impregnating a female. A boy's first ejaculation is an important milestone in his development. On average, a boy's first ejaculation occurs at age 13. Ejaculation sometimes occurs during sleep; this phenomenon is known as a nocturnal emission.

When a boy reaches puberty, testosterone triggers the development of secondary sex characteristics. A boy's muscles increase in size and mass, his voice deepens, his bones lengthen, and the shape of his face and body changes. The increased secretion of testosterone from the testicles during puberty causes the male secondary sexual characteristics to be manifested. Male secondary sex characteristics include:

Adolescent boys in Uruguay

Group and gender norms

Boys across various age groups are often part of social circles that establish their own unique norms. These norms serve as a benchmark for boys to assess their peers. The adherence to these group norms often holds more weight than the mere affiliation to the group. In fact, boys who do not conform to these norms are often evaluated lower than those who, despite being strangers, conform to the group’s norms. This phenomenon underscores the powerful influence of group norms in shaping attitudes and actions, and the social implications of conformity. Boys who defy gender norms may face a higher risk of abuse, and may experience more depression than gender-conforming peers, as well as social stigma from parents and peers. The gender policing towards them can increase the risk of alcohol use, anxiety, and depression in adulthood.

In some cultures, the birth of a male child (boy) is considered prosperous.

Boys and child labor

Boys working in textile mills Massachusetts, 1912

Boys perform the majority of child labor around the world compared to girls; 88 million child laborers are boys and 64 million are girls. Boys are also the primary victims of hazardous child labor. They are mainly employed in the agriculture, construction and mining sectors. Boy workers also account for about 87 percent of those who died on the job between 2003 and 2016 in the US.

Boys are given a basic reading, writing and mathematics skill and then forced to pursue their father's profession in order to alleviate financial burden of the family. This is one of the main reasons why boys are preferred over girls by the rural communities in poor countries. In India, by contrast, the majority of adopted children are girls even though boys are preferred in general compared to girls.

See also

References

  1. "Definition of BOY".
  2. See:
    • Etymology Online - entry for "boy"
    • H. H. Malincrodt, Latijn-Nederlands woordenboek (Latin-Dutch dictionary)
    • Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary
    • Buck, Carl Darling (1988) . A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-07937-0.
  3. Corriher, Billy (December 21, 2011). "Court finally says 'boy' comments are racist". Harvard Law and Policy Review. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  4. Ifill, Sherrilyn A. (August 24, 2010). "When 'Boy' Is Not a Racist Remark". The Root. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  5. ^ Martin, Roland S. (April 15, 2008). "Understanding why you don't call a black man a boy". CNN.com. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  6. ^ "Racist Or Not? Gov. Chris Christie Calls Black Man 'Boy' In Town Hall [VIDEO]". News One. March 16, 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  7. Branch, Thomas H. (January 3, 1907). "British Central Africa" (PDF). Review and Herald. 84 (1). Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association: 18. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  8. ^ "Floyd Mayweather accuses Conor McGregor of racism and uses homophobic slur". The Guardian. July 15, 2017. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  9. Chiari, Mike (July 13, 2017). "Andre Ward Doesn't Like Conor McGregor Calling Floyd Mayweather 'Boy'". Bleacher Report. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  10. Callahan, Yesha (June 13, 2017). "Yes, Conor McGregor Is a Racist". The Root. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  11. Bell, Gabriel (July 14, 2017). "Conor McGregor denies being a racist with racist statement". Salon. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  12. Fauci et al. 2008, pp. 2339–2346.
  13. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Understanding the Biology of Sex and Gender Differences (November 28, 2001). Wizemann, Theresa M.; Pardue, Mary-Lou (eds.). Sex Begins in the Womb. National Academies Press (US) – via www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
  14. ^ "Male Reproductive System Information". Cleveland Clinic.
  15. ^ "The Male Reproductive System". WebMD.
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