NCJ Number
125307
Journal
Journal of Moral Education Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Dated: (May 1989) Pages: 112-117
Date Published
1989
Length
6 pages
Annotation
It has been argued that non-compliant or delinquent behavior among adolescents is due to a failure of socialization to inculcate favorable attitudes toward institutional authority.
Abstract
Consistent with this position is the suggestion that female adolescents are not only less prone to delinquent behavior, but also more favorably disposed toward institutional authorities and ideologically more conservative. However, an examination of recent studies comparing male and female attitudes toward authority among adolescents reveals only limited support for this assertion. While studies conducted in Britian have suggested that females are generally more supportive of institutional authority than are their male counterparts, studies conducted elsewhere (e.g., Australia, Canada) have indicated that there is little or no such attitudinal difference between the sexes. Moreover, in some comparisons (e.g., Sweden and Sri Lanka) female adolescents have been reported as being less supportive of authority or less conservative than males. It is concluded that the relationship between gender and attitude toward institutional authority tends to vary cross-culturally and may depend upon the kind of socialization to which the sexes are exposed. 24 references. (Author abstract modified)