Gender in Adolescent Autonomy: Distinction between Boys and Girls Accelerates at 16 Years of Age

Introduction. Autonomy is a major developmental feature of adolescents. Its success mediates transition into adulthood. It involves a number of psychological parameters, including desire, conflict with parents and actual achievement. Method. How male and female adolescents view autonomy was investigated in a large sample of 12-17 year-old adolescents (n=934) who were recruited from a pool of 6829 high-school students. Responses from 3 age groups on the frequency of positive responses to an 11 item-questionnaire were recorded. Each item was scored with regard to desire for autonomy, achievement of autonomy, and disobeying parents. Results. From 12-15 years of age, responses of male and female adolescents regarding autonomy were comparable. Major differences between male and female adolescents were found at 16 years of age and thereafter: boys reported an increasing frequency of achievement of autonomy, whereas girls reported little progress. Statistical analyses showed that the enhanced level of achievement of autonomy reported by boys in late adolescence was associated with greater frequency of disobeying parents. Discussion. We conclude that: (i) there are major gender-associated differences with regards to autonomy in adolescence; (ii) these differences start at the 16-17 year age bracket; (iii) in late adolescence, boys show a higher rate of achievement of autonomy than girls, and this is associated with a greater frequency of parental disobedience among boys.