NCJ Number
69087
Date Published
1980
Length
45 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY DESCRIBES THE DISTRIBUTION, NATURE, PATTERN, AND MAGNITUDE OF SEX DIFFERENCES IN SELF-REPORT DELINQUENCY. SEX DIFFERENCES IN PROPORTIONS OF OFFENDERS AND RATES OF INVOLVEMENT ARE PRESENTED.
Abstract
THE NATIONAL YOUTH SURVEY IS A 5-YEAR PANEL STUDY INVOLVING A NATIONAL PROBABILITY SAMPLE OF ADOLESCENTS. THE DATA REPORTED HERE ARE BASED ON THE FIRST FIVE ANNUAL INTERVIEWS WITH THE SAMPLE. A STRUCTURED ONE-HOUR INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED WITH EACH RESPONDENT BY A TRAINED INTERVIEWER IN A PRIVATE SETTING. THE INTERVIEWS INVOLVED REPORTS OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR AND DRUG USE FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR (1976), AS WELL AS RESPONSES TO A VARIETY OF ATTITUDINAL, VALUE, AND BEHAVIORAL INDEXES. THE SELF-REPORT DELINQUENCY (SRD) MEASURE USED IN THIS STUDY (1) REPRESENTS THE FULL RANGE OF DELINQUENT ACTS (INCLUDING SERIOUS AND VIOLENT CRIMES) TO A GREATER EXTENT THAN PREVIOUS MEASURES, (2) MINIMIZES THE NUMBER OF REDUNDANT ITEMS, (3) USES AN OPEN-ENDED RESPONSE SET WHICH IS MORE APPROPRIATE TO PRECISE ESTIMATES OF THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF BEHAVIORS COMMITTED, AND (4O) INCORPORATES A 1-YEAR TIME FRAME. THE RESULTING MEASURE CONTAINS 47 ITEMS (4) DELINQUENCY ITEMS AND 7 DRUG ITEMS); SEX DIFFERENCES ARE REPORTED FOR TOTAL SRD, AS WELL AS FOR A SERIES OF SUBSCALES. SUBSCALES INCLUDE PREDATORY CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS AND PROPERTY (ASSAULTS AND THEFTS); ILLEGAL SERVICE CRIMES (PROSTITUTION AND DRUG AND LIQUOR DEALING), PUBLIC DISORDER CRIMES (CARRYING A CONCEALED WEAPON, PANHANDLING, MARIJUANA USE, STATUS CRIMES (RUNAWAY, SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, ALCOHOL USE, AND TRUANCY), AND HARD DRUG USE. FINDINGS SHOW NO BEHAVIOR IN WHICH GIRLS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE INVOLVED THAN BOYS. EVEN DELINQUENT BEHAVIORS TRADITIONALLY ATTRIBUTED TO FEMALES, SUCH AS PROSTITUTION, INDICATE THE ABSENCE OF SEX DIFFERENCES. BOYS ARE INVOLVED IN 17 (OUT OF 47) BEHAVIORS TO A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER EXTENT THAN GIRLS, AND ARE MORE INVOLVED IN PROPERTY CRIMES AND VIOLENT CRIMES. ALTHOUGH SEX DIFFERENCES ARE APPARENT IN APPROXIMATELY 30 PERCENT OF THE BEHAVIORS, MALES AND FEMALES GENERALLY ENGAGE IN THE SAME DELINQUENT BEHAVIORS. IN ADDITION TO THE RESEARCH INSTRUMENT, 64 REFERENCES, FOOTNOTES, AND APPENDED SYMPOSIUM MATERIAL ARE INCLUDED.