I highly recommend Patricia Evans' books on Verbally Abusive Relationships, and Controlling People.

Basically, when kids get dolls, they understand that they are projecting their daily issues onto the dolls. They get to dress up the doll and put their worries on the doll and do all these things with the doll. When they do that with people, typically other younger kids, they are then taught that people aren't to be treated like dolls. People aren't an extension of our selves. Thus, women tend to be socialized to have better perspective taking skills, and if they need an outlet for this type of behavior, they can use dolls or the Sims etc as a healthy outlet.