NCJ Number
185538
Date Published
January 2000
Length
51 pages
Annotation
This chapter reviews the origins of the self-report method of
measuring involvement in delinquent and criminal behavior, the
growth and refinement of this measurement technique since then,
and its role in criminological research, especially longitudinal
research on the etiology of delinquent and criminal behavior.
Abstract
The self-report technique is one of three major ways of measuring
delinquent and criminal behavior. The basic approach of the
self-report method is to ask individuals whether they have
engaged in delinquent or criminal behavior, and if so, how often
they have done so. This chapter gives particular attention to the
assessment of the reliability and validity of self-reported
measures of delinquency. The authors also discuss specialized
data collection methods, such as random response techniques and
audio-assisted computer-based interviewing, which have the
potential to increase the accuracy of responses. Overall, the
authors conclude that the psychometric quality of the self-report
method has increased considerably since its inception in the
1950's. Although there is much room for continued improvement,
self-report data appear acceptably valid and reliable for most
research purposes. 133 references
Date Published: January 1, 2000