Are gender differences in antisocial behaviour still an issue? A comparison of Portuguese male and female adolescents

Although most research on antisocial behaviour focuses on male deviancy, gender differences have been widely recognised by literature. Considering the fast changes in European societies with regards to gender (in)equalities, it is now, more than ever, important to deepen our knowledge of antisocial behaviour in adolescent males and females, through its related factors, and understand if gender differences still make sense to consider nowadays. This research focused on male and female antisocial manifestations and their relation with age, socioeconomic status, personality, social skills, self-concept, and family environment in a sample of 489 Portuguese students between 9 and 17 years old (60.5% females). Despite different rates of antisocial behaviour, indicating boys as more prone to deviancy, results suggest that there are common factors underlying male and female antisocial tendencies. Significant relations between antisocial behaviour and age, personality, social skills, self-concept and family environment in both boys and girls reveal the importance of individual dispositions regardless of gender. When compared to previous research, this study suggests an increasing equality in contemporary male and female adolescent experiences with regards to social development, unveiling new areas of research and intervention approaches in the scope of adolescent antisocial behaviour and gender.