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Abstract
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The convergent validity of the two most frequently used methods for assessing violent offending in juveniles (i.e., self-reports and arrests) was evaluated. Participants were 87 serious juvenile offenders and their maternal figures, primarily from disadvantaged families. Validation measures tapped established behavioral, family, and peer correlates of delinquency. Results failed to support the ability of either arrests for violent crimes or self-reported violent offenses to index violent criminal behavior accurately. Several methodological features of the study support our hypothesis that the findings were not spurious. Procedural and conceptual implications of the findings are discussed.
VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The intent of this article by Henggeler et al. was to assess the validity of the most commonly used measures of violent offending in juveniles: Self-reporting and arrest rates.
METHODOLOGY:
The authors employed a quasi-experimental design by comparing self-reported rates of delinquency with arrest rates and a series of validation measures. This comparative assessment occurred among 87 adolescents who were identified by the Department of Youth Services staff as being at imminent risk of out-of-home placement due to their serious criminal activity. They were, as a result, referred to the Family and Neighborhood Services Project (FANS). A research assistant interviewed the primary caretaker of the youth via an hour-long home visit with paper-and-pencil instruments. In addition to the interview, the frequency of violent and nonviolent arrests were obtained from archival records. A Self-Report Delinquency Scale (SRD) (Elliott, Ageton, Huizinga, Knowles, & Canter, 1983) was also employed to obtain youths' reports of their criminal behavior over the previous 4 months. Several different validation measures were utilized to assess the accuracy of these arrest records and SRD rates. Adolescent behavior problems were assessed with the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist (Quay & Peterson, 1987); adolescent social competence was measured with The Child Behavior Checklist (Achenback & Edelbrock, 1983); family relations were assessed with The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (Olson, Portner, & Lavee, 1985); maternal psychopathy was assessed with the self-report SCL-90-R (Derogatis, 1983); and peer relations were assessed with the Missouri Peer Relations Inventory (Borduin, Blaske, Treloar, Mann, & Hazelrigg, 1989).
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The mean age of the youths was 15; 71% were male; 56% were African-American, 43% were Caucasian, and 1% were Hispanic-American; 26% lived with neither biological parent. Fewer than 50% of the youths arrested for violent offenses self-reported a violent offense. High self-reports of nonviolent offending were associated with maternal reports of conduct problems, socialized aggression, low family cohesion, high peer aggression and school competence (this last finding was unanticipated). Another unexpected finding was that violent arrests were associated with maternal reports of low socialized aggression, low attention problems, and high family cohesion. These results did not support the ability of self-reports and arrest rates to determine levels of criminal activity. In addition, there was not an agreement between self-reports and arrest records on the distinction between violent and non-violent offending. However, the findings did suggest that there was a closer relationship between measures of generic antisocial behavior and nonviolent behavior than there was between measures of generic antisocial behavior and violent behavior.
AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
The authors indicated that measures other than self-reported delinquency and arrests rates should be used to accurately obtain delinquency rates among adolescents. They also concluded that violent and nonviolent behaviors should be separated in future studies, until better indicators were established for identifying the correlates of violent behaviors as distinct from the correlates of other antisocial behaviors.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - Juvenile Violence
KW - Juvenile Offender
KW - Arrest Rates
KW - Crime Rates
KW - Self Report Studies
KW - Research Methods
KW - Comparative Analysis
KW - Offender Characteristics
KW - Offender Assessment
KW - Statistical Validity
KW - Self Report Statistics vs. Arrest Statistics
Language: en |