GENDER, AGE, AND CHILDREN AT HOME INFLUENCE RISKY BEHAVIOR IN ADULTS

Abstract

"Extant research in risk-taking and self-harm behaviors has indicated that gender, age, and certain socioeconomic factors are associated with risk-taking behaviors. Our study tested the connection between gender, age, having children at home, and risk-taking behavior among adults. We predicted that having children at home would be associated with reduced risky behavior for both women and men, but more so in women than men. More than 450 (N = 454) American adults (M age = 33.3 years, SD = 11.9) were recruited from Prolific. Participants identified as male (54.4%), female (45.4%) or transgender (0.2%). Ethnicity was self-identified as Caucasian/White (80.4%), African American/Black (7.7%), multiracial (4.4%), Latinx (4%), Asian/Asian American (3.1%), Native American or Alaskan Native (0.2%), and other (0.2%). Participants completed the Risky, Impulsive, and Self-Destructive Behavior Questionnaire (Sadeh & Baskin-Sommers, 2016) to measure engagement in various forms of risky behavior throughout their lifetime including illegal risky behavior and risky sexual behavior. Differences in illegal behavior, risky sexual behavior, and other types of risky behavior were found between men and women, F(3, 441) = 9.09, p < .0001, partial ?2 = .06, with men reporting more risky behavior of all types. ANCOVAs were used to further assess the relationships between gender identity and having children (IVs) and total risky behavior and illegal behavior (DVs); age was covaried. Significant interactions between IVs revealed that male participants with children at home engaged in significantly more risky sexual behavior, F(1, 441) = 4.24, p = .04, overall risky behavior, F(1, 441) = 3.89, p = .049, and illegal behavior, F(1, 441) = 3.59, p = .059, than those without children at home. For women, there was no relationship between having children at home and risky behavior, illegal behavior, or risky sexual behavior. The results may inform parenting education and law enforcement."