Adolescent gender differences in social support: Structure, function, and provider type

Abstract

The study discussed in this article used survey data on 364 adolescents to examine gender differences in perceptions of support across three different constructs: (1) structural support related to the number of adults versus friends; (2) the quantity of support provided by mothers, fathers, peers, and teachers; (3) satisfaction with support from friends and family. Results indicate that young women report a greater number of supportive friends and receive more frequent support from their friends than do young men. However, young men are just as satisfied with friend support as are young women. Ho gender differences were found in the number of adult supporters, but males received more frequent support from fathers. Nonparental adults emerged as important sources of support for both genders. Implications for practice with adolescents are discussed. Key words: adolescents; gender; social support networks ********** Changes in interpersonal relationships during adolescence have been the subject of increased scrutiny because of the diversity of relationships teenagers have with peers, family, and other adults. Social support is one aspect of relationship quality that varies with age and type of relationship (Levitt, Guacci-Franco, & Levitt, 1993) and has been found to significantly affect a variety of mental health and academic outcomes during adolescence (Garnefski & Diekstra, 1996; Morrison, Laughlin, Miguel, Douglas, & Widaman, 1997; Richman, Rosenfeld, & Bowen, 1998; Wentzel, 1998). However, social support is a multifaceted construct in need of disaggregation and specification across structural and functional dimensions as well as by provider type and recipient characteristics. Predictive research has begun to suggest that different providers and different support dimensions differentially affect outcomes, and recipient characteristics (such as personality factors, race, and gender) can affect the type and amount of support adolescents perceive (Colarossi & Lynch, 2000; Henly, 1997). In addition, predictive research can be enhanced by a more detailed research foundation that describes the interrelationships among these areas. Gender is an important area of study because gender differences affect outcomes such as mental health and academic achievement among adolescents and because of the research that indicates that social support can serve as a protective factor for the problems of adolescence. Are there descriptive differences between males and females in the type and amount of social support and by provider that have not been fully explored? Can these differences provide a better foundation for further predictive research in this area? To address these questions, studies during the past decade focused on specifying adolescents' supportive relationships across social network members such as parents, teachers, siblings, peers, and familial and nonfamilial adults. Studies also have examined gender differences in these relationships. However, few studies explored gender differences across various providers and support constructs, and even fewer applied this information to social work practice. Furthermore, to incorporate interventions that increase support between adolescents and others in their lives, social workers need to understand the developmental context of adolescent social support and the way in which adolescents perceive support from others. Recent research has shown that 30 percent to 50 percent of family support workers rate their training and knowledge in the area of adolescent development and how to promote social network assets as inadequate or poor (Scales, 1997). Gender-sensitive practice also necessitates the understanding of gender differences that exist in these processes. The purpose of this article is three-fold. First, it reviews information about social support in the context of adolescent development and the influence of gender. …