Gender Role Orientations and Styles of Pathology Among Adolescents

Abstract

This paper assesses the effect of gender identity on rates of psychological distress, delinquency, and drug and alcohol problems among a representative sample of adolescents. It examines whether pathologies such as delinquency that are prevalent among males can be viewed as functionally equivalent to those involving the internalization of distress more common among females. As expected, females display higher rates of distress and males of delinquency and alcohol and drug problems. In addition to these sex differences, gender identity is related to the behaviors of interest. Both males and females with masculine identities show relatively low rates of distress and alcohol and drug problems. For males, high rates of delinquency are associated with identification with masculinity and rejection of femininity. The influence of gender identity on these styles of pathology increases over the course of adolescence and young adulthood. The implications of these findings for theories of the functional equivalence of sex-sterotyped pathologies are discussed.