SICK DAYS: Boys bully and girls stay home

PAIN

Boys act out and girls tense up when confronted with chronic pain. Annette LaGreca, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Miami, surveyed the parents of 77 children with irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and abdominal pain. Boys had significantly higher levels of aggression and delinquency. Girls were highly anxious about making and keeping friends. "Girls have social and academic stress at school, which leads to more sick feelings and physical complaints," explains LaGreca, who presented her findings at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association. "Boys externalize their problems and girls internalize them. This is a typical behavioral pattern that distinguishes the sexes."