Sensation seeking, the parental bond, and risky driving in adolescence: Some relationships matter more to girls than boys

The present study examined the relationships between a supportive parental bond, sensation seeking, and risky driving, with a focus on the role of mediation. The sample comprised 339 participants (143 males and 196 females), aged from 16 to 20 years, living in northern Italy. Mediation models were used to assess the direct and indirect effects of the parental bond on risky driving among adolescents through assessment of adolescents’ sensation seeking. These models were examined first for the total sample and subsequently for males and females separately. For the relationships between the parental bond and adolescent’s risky driving a partial mediation was supported for females as intensity and total sensation seeking score were entered as mediator variables. On the contrary, results for males indicated that the parental bond was neither directly nor indirectly associated with risky driving. Gender differences are discussed on the basis of the different cultural and parental socialisation processes that operate for male and female.