An empirical analysis within the framework of the Power-Control Theory

There is plenty of evidence that boys commit more crime than girls. A prominent theory that seeks to explain the gender gap in juvenile delinquency is John Hagan's Power-Control Theory,. It posts that work-related power differentials between parents determine levels of control levied over sons and daughters. Gender-specific differences in parental control are linked to higher risk preferences and lower risk perceptions of boys compared to girls, which result in boys being more delinquent than girls. In this study, a test of the Power-Control Theory is performed, based on a student survey conducted in Upper Austria. The results support both the power and the control related elements of the theory.