Depressive Mood and Violent Behaviour among Teenagers: A Gender Dynamic Approach to the Study of Stressor Effects

Numerous studies have shown that the risk of depression in girls and the risk of violent behavior in boys progressively increase during adolescence. However, studies that clearly link the social mechanisms of gender to these results are relatively rare and studies that clearly delve into roots of these phenomena are even rarer still. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the genderization of spaces and life experiences during adolescence and its effect on adolescent mental and behavioral health. The recent scientific literature dedicated to this topic and the results of our own previous research have led us to define our hypotheses and analysis procedures. Concretely, we’ve tested the links between depression and violent behavior in both gender groups separately and we’ve investigated the potential role of gendered stressors and expectations influencing the developmental processes that lead to either depression or violent behaviour. The data used to perform our analysis of male and female pupils halfway through secondary education were drawn from the 2016 Belgian ISRD-3 study (International Study on Self-Reported Delinquency, third wave) we have conducted. Our findings confirm that the stressors adolescents have to face and the significance they assign to them reflect the genderization of symbolic and material spheres (private and emotional for girls, public and competitive for boys). In terms of reaction to these stressors, depressive mood and violent attitude appear interlinked. Male gender norms appear to encourage boys to seek recognition through violent behaviors and to avoid emotional demonstrations. In this gender group, a high score of depression reflects sensitivity to stressors comparable to the female group but also, perhaps, a fear of rejection by peers. Nevertheless, these results must be considered with caution given the rapidly changing nature of the social world as well as the fact that the instruments of measurement can themselves be governed by gender.