TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2012//
TI  - On the operational validity of perceptual peer delinquency: exploring projection and elements contained in perceptions
JO  - Journal of research in crime and delinquency
A1  - Boman, John H.
A1  - Stogner, John M.
A1  - Miller, Bryan Lee
A1  - Griffin, O. Hayden
A1  - Krohn, Marvin D.
SP  - 601
EP  - 621
VL  - 49
IS  - 4
N2  - OBJECTIVEs. The authors examine perceptions of a peer's substance use to determine whether and to what degree individuals project their own behavior onto their perceptions of peer's delinquency, and to determine whether the constructs of self-control and peer attachment are related to perceptions. <br><br>METHODS. Using a sample of 2,154 young adult respondents within friendship pairs in which each respondent reported their own substance use and their perception of the friend's use, the authors estimate a series of regression models with perceptions of a peer's alcohol, marijuana, Salvia divinorum, and hard drug use as dependent variables. <br><br>RESULTS. Perceptions of a peer's substance use are approximately equally related to a peer's and a respondent's use of each substance. Projection occurs to a greater extent when perceiving low-frequency behaviors. Low self-control is sporadically associated with higher perceived substance use. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS. Peer self-reported delinquency and perceptions of peer delinquency are distinct constructs. Because projection appears to be worse for infrequent behaviors, researchers should use caution when using low-frequency behaviors to measure perceptual peer delinquency. Although the data used are cross sectional, the perceptual measure is confounded by too many variables other than a peer's actual delinquency to be considered a valid measure of the sole construct of peer delinquency. KW: Juvenile justice; Juvenile delinquency;<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0022-4278
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022427811419367
ID  - ref1
ER  -