Adolescent problem behaviour: The gender gap in European perspective
| Author | Ingrid K. van Dijk,Natascha Notten,Paula E. Thijs,Robin Stoof |
| DOI | 10.1177/1477370815578195 |
| Published date | 01 September 2015 |
| Date | 01 September 2015 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
European Journal of Criminology
2015, Vol. 12(5) 598 –615
© The Author(s) 2015
Reprints and permissions:
sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav
DOI: 10.1177/1477370815578195
euc.sagepub.com
Adolescent problem
behaviour: The gender gap
in European perspective
Paula E. Thijs
Radboud University, The Netherlands
Ingrid K. van Dijk
Radboud University, The Netherlands
Robin Stoof
Significant, The Netherlands
Natascha Notten
Radboud University, The Netherlands
Abstract
This study scrutinizes gender differences in adolescent problem behaviour and its potential
determinants, simultaneously taking into account the individual and contextual level, including
personality, family and country characteristics. Using the 2010 EU Kids Online Survey, we estimate
multilevel models on 18,027 individuals from 24 European countries. In line with earlier research,
we find that boys engage more in adolescent problem behaviour than girls. The gender gap is
largely explained by personality traits, such as self-control. Whereas the influence of self-control
does not differ between boys and girls, the association between conduct problems and problem
behaviour is stronger for boys than for girls. Family factors are relevant but not gender specific in
their impact on problem behaviour. European countries differ with respect to the gender gap in
adolescent problem behaviour, which is partly explained by the societal level of gender inequality.
Keywords
Adolescent problem behaviour, cross-national, gender gap, personality traits, social context
Corresponding author:
Paula E. Thijs, Department of Sociology, Radboud University, PO Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Email: p.thijs@maw.ru.nl
578195EUC0010.1177/1477370815578195European Journal of CriminologyThijs et al.
research-article2015
Article
Thijs et al. 599
Introduction
During adolescence, the likelihood of engaging in problem behaviour increases (Arnett,
1992), which is a major concern of parents, educators and governments. Involvement in
behaviours such as alcohol abuse, truancy, early sexual experience and trouble with the
police has detrimental consequences for both the adolescents concerned and society.
These behaviours increase the risk of health damage and could lead to more severe delin-
quent and criminal behaviour in adulthood (Moffitt, 1993; Tapert et al., 2001), burdening
society with increased healthcare costs and crime (Hawkins et al., 1992).
Prior research has found problem behaviour to be more common among boys than
girls (Junger-Tas et al., 2004; Leadbeater et al., 1999). This gender gap might be partly
explained by personality differences between boys and girls (Gottfredson and Hirschi,
1990; Moffitt et al., 2001). Moreover, social and cultural contextual factors, including
family and societal characteristics, could influence the gender gap if they affect boys and
girls differently (Hagan and Foster, 2003). Jessor (1992) emphasizes the importance of
both individual characteristics and the social context. Similarly, Bronfenbrenner (1986)
mapped circles of influence around individuals, stressing the effect of adolescents’
immediate environment and the cultural context in which they live. As such, the gender
gap in adolescent problem behaviour is said to be influenced by protective and risk
factors both at the individual level and within the social context (Jessor, 1992). In this
study, we use the concept ‘gender’ because we focus not only on biological or psycho-
logical differences between boys and girls, but also on the influence of the family and the
cultural climate in a society, which shape roles and behaviour depending on what is
considered appropriate for boys and girls (Belknap, 2014).
Although the gender gap in problem behaviour has been widely acknowledged and
discussed (see for example, Moffitt et al., 2001), less is known about differences between
boys and girls in predictors of adolescent problem behaviour. This study, therefore,
includes individual, family-specific and country-level characteristics. We focus on gender
differences in problem behaviour and their possible causes, simultaneously taking into
account the individual and contextual level. The question addressed is the following: To
what extent do boys and girls differ in the relationship between individual, family and
country characteristics and adolescent problem behaviour?
First, at the individual level, personality traits play a role in the development of
problem behaviour in adolescence (Compas et al., 1995; Pratt and Cullen, 2000). These
personality traits could be distributed unevenly between the genders (Gottfredson and
Hirschi, 1990; Moffitt et al., 2001), and their relationship to problem behaviour could
differ between boys and girls (Burton et al., 1998; Junger-Tas et al., 2004; LaGrange and
Silverman, 1999).
Second, adolescent problem behaviour is associated with family characteristics.
Economic deprivation within the household is stressful for adolescents (Barrett and
Turner, 2006), possibly leading to problem behaviour. Prior research suggests that
adolescents living in single-parent and divorced families are more likely to engage in
problem behaviour (see Levin et al., 2012). Yet, boys and girls may respond differently
to family characteristics (Steketee et al., 2013), such as stress in the household.
Third, adolescent problem behaviour is associated with the wider social and cultural
context (Jessor et al., 2003). For instance, according to Wilkinson and Pickett (2009),
To continue reading
Request your trial