ATTITUDES OF SOCIETY TOWARD SEX ROLES ARE IMPORTANT IN THE WORK OF PROBATION OFFICERS AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. SOCIAL TRAINING FOR A MALE TRADITIONALLY LEADS TO THE MYTH THAT MEN CANNOT GET LOVE DIRECTLY BUT RATHER MUST ACHIEVE IN SCHOOL OR WORK, OR BOTH, IN ORDER TO BE LOVABLE. FOR THE FEMALE, THE MYTH IS THAT SHE MUST LOVE FIRST; ACHIEVEMENT IS TO GET A HUSBAND. AS A PERSON MOVES THROUGH LIFE, THE TASK OF BECOMING COMPETENT IS MADE MORE DIFFICULT THAN IT SHOULD BE DUE TO SEX ROLE STEROTYPES. SELF-IMPOSED PRESSURES LEAD MANY MEN TO SPEND AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF ENERGY ON COMPENSATING FOR PRESUMED WEAKNESSES AND CAUSE THEM TO RETREAT INTO SILENCE WHEN PLACED UNDER PRESSURE, ESPECIALLY IN DEALING WITH SO-CALLED AUTHORITY FIGURES. THIS RETREAT INTO SILENCE OFTEN LEADS TO REPRESSED HOSTILITY AND PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH LOSS OF CONTROL AND EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION. COMMON OFFENSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOSS OF CONTROL ARE ASSAULT AND BATTERY AND DRIVING AT EXCESSIVE AND DANGEROUS SPEEDS. WOMEN WHO LIVE BY THE CONVENTIONAL MYTH OF FEMALENESS ARE NOT CAUGHT UP IN SCHOOL OR WORK ACHIEVEMENT. AS A RESULT, MANY YOUNG GIRLS GET PREGNANT BEFORE MARRIAGE. OBVIOUS WEAKNESSES IN THE SOCIALIZATION OF WOMEN ARE OVEREMPHASIS ON DEPENDENCY AND TOO MUCH FOCUS ON THE ROLE MODEL OF INTIMATE, LOVING, AND FAIRY TALE-LIKE HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS. WHEN MEN AND WOMEN HAVE DIFFERENT SOCIALIZATION TRAINING, COMMUNICATION BREAKS DOWN BETWEEN PARTNERS AS GOALS CHANGE. INADEQUATE COMMUNICATION AND INSECURITY IN ROLES ADVERSELY AFFECT THE FAMILY UNIT, AND THE ROLE MODEL DEVELOPED BY MEN AND WOMEN AFFECTS THEIR SELF-CONCEPT. (DEP)