The present study intended to explore the gender
differences in perceptions of home environment in a sample of 1011 Indian
adolescents. The Home
Environment Inventory (HEI) developed by Misra (1989) was used to measure adolescents’
perceptions of home environment. The results of the study revealed significant gender differences in control, protectiveness, social isolation, reward, deprivation of privileges, rejection and permissiveness components of home environment. Male adolescents perceived their home environment to be significantly more controlled, socially isolated, deprived of certain privileges, rejected and permissive whereas females perceived their home environment to be more protective and rewarding than their male counterparts. The intervention strategies are discussed to improve the home environment of adolescents for promoting their well being.
Keywords: Home environment, perceptions, adolescents, gender differences