Gender, Race, and Delinquent Behavior: An Extension of Power-Control Theory to American Indian Adolescents

Abstract

Research testing Hagan’s power-control theory has largely been tested with samples of non-Hispanic whites. We extend prior research by testing the theory’s merits with a sample of American Indian (AI) adolescents. Overall, we find mixed support for the theory’s merits. However, we find that our measure of patriarchy is a robust predictor of AI female delinquent activity. We also find that a grandparent in the household serves to greatly reduce involvement in violent behavior among AI females. Compared to a sample of non-Hispanic whites, these results reveal the importance of testing explanations of deviant behavior across racial and ethnic groups.

The Role of Parental Maltreatment and Parental Social Control on Self-Reported Violent Offending in Indonesia and the U.S.: Does Gender Make a Difference?

“…They also find that the role of the grandparent is an important factor in preventing delinquency among American-Indian females. This is in line with evidence that grandparents and other adult family members may often play a more significant role than parents in other racial groups [76,77]. Other researchers have also tested power-control theory with samples from Europe [78]; Russia [79] and South Korea [80] with partial support for the theory.…”

“…Generally, these studies have tested the theory across smaller samples of limited racial and cultural groups instead of looking at specific and within-group differences. One study sought to test power-control theory across a sample of youth from American-Indians and argued that "unique cultural and historical experiences of American-Indian tribes that focus on gendered divisions of labor would not necessarily translate into hierarchical relationships of power" ( [76], p. 1026). However, their findings reveal that patriarchy is a robust predictor of American-Indian female offending, and both paternal and maternal relational controls were deterrents of delinquent offending among females.…”

Examining the Role of Power-Control Theory and Self-Control to Account for Computer Hacking

“…To date, empirical tests of power-control theory have been mixed (e.g., Blackwell, 2000; Blackwell & Piquero, 2005; Eitle et al, 2014; Morash & Chesney-Lind, 1991; Schulz & Bryan, 2017; Singer & Levine, 1988). Many extensions and elaborations of the theory have also been advanced which consider within and between family differences (Blackwell & Reed, 2003), alternative measures of risk-preference, (Grasmick et al, 1996), variations in gender dominance ideologies (Hadjar et al, 2007), as well as differences in parental agency and support for dominant gender schemas (McCarthy et al, 1999).…”

Propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Desviación de la Norma en jóvenes

“…Con respecto a las diferencias en el comportamiento antisocial según el sexo, estudios de investigación previos confirmaron que, salvo ciertas excepciones, los hombres se involucran con mayor frecuencia en comportamientos antisociales o delictivos (Eitle, Niedrist, & Eitle, 2014). Entre las diferencias encontradas en la literatura se identificó que los hombres beben con mayor frecuencia y consumen cantidades más elevadas de alcohol que las mujeres (Chaiyasong et al, 2018).…”