Why are more boys than girls regarded by their teachers as being students with special needs (2 out of 3 are boys)? This study aimed to compare teacher descriptions of boys and girls identified as students with special needs. Data were collected from the collection of 351 records of students identified by their teachers as special students. The records are part of a database initiated in 2001 by a research group. They contain spontaneous descriptions provided by teachers of student characteristics that could justify the notification. The descriptions were divided into content units and were categorized. The frequency for each category was computed for the groups, which were divided according to gender. Of the 351 records, 66.1% referred to male students, while 33.9% were girls. The comparison of the incidence of categories between groups showed that the only significant difference was the indication of boys based on the category of behavior problems. Based on the literature, the paper discusses theories explaining gender bias on the eligibility of boys and girls by their teachers, as well as the scientific implications and the need for mechanisms to monitor this type of bias. Special Education still supports this kind of bias that contributes to social inequality based on gender.
Special Education; Gender; Behavior Problems; Identification
