Gender, parental control, and adolescent risk-taking

This study examines the relationship between gender, control, and adolescent risk-taking in a sample of 599 adolescents and explores the relation of paternal and maternal direct and indirect control with adolescent risk-taking, controlling for potentially confounding effect of family-related stressors and differential association. Gender differences in levels and effects of direct and indirect control, in levels and effects of family-related strain and in differential association are found. Although the variables related to direct control had a larger explanatory power in girls than in boys, and were in part mediated by differential association, none of the variables explains a substantial part of the gender gap in aggressive and/or non-aggressive risk-taking.