The involvement in delinquent and criminal behavior is measured using the self-report technique. The main purpose of the Self-Report Delinquency Scale is to assess if individuals have involved themselves in criminal behavior, and if so, the frequency of their actions.
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The survey includes personalized answer responses with a set sub scale based on the type of criminal offense and the frequency of committing that particular offense. Since the commencement in the 1950s, the value of the psychometric self-report method has increased. Categories of juvenile crimes from the Uniform Crime Report were rationally selected. Methods such as follow questions and broad frequency sets are used to increase reliability. The validity of the self-report data is high and dependable for research.
Authors: Terence Thornberry, Marvin Krohn, Alan Lizotte, Carolyn Smith & Kimberly Tobin, 2003- Multisite Violence Prevention Project,2004
Validity and Reliability
The Cronbach’s Alpha for the self-report delinquency scale was found to be .91 by Elliot and Ageton (1980); based on the accepted alpha value of .7 or more being significant, the self-report delinquency scale shows high reliability. Three categories – content, construct, criteria – were used to assess the validity of the instrument. The problematic issues with cross-sectional research were reduced through the use of the self-report in the context of longitudinal designs. Weaknesses were presented in the accuracy of earlier self-report scales along with the concealing or forgetting of past criminal behavior by the subjects.
References
Thornberry, Terence P., and Marvin D. Krohn. Forthcoming. The development of delinquency:An interactional perspective. In Handbook of law and social science:Youth and justice, edited by Susan O. White. New York:Plenum Press.
Thornberry, Terence P. (1997). Developmental theories of crime and delinquency. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers..
Journal of Quantitative Criminology2 (4):293–327.
Lehnen, R.G., and A.J. Reiss. 1978. Response effects in the National Crime Survey. Victimology: An International Journal3:110–124.
