A measurement of delinquency differences between a delinquent and nondelinquent sample: what are the implications?

The present study compared 532 adolescents being detained by country juvenile authorities to 354 adolescents attending public school in reference to the volume of delinquent activity committed for a period of one year prior to the survey. Four levels of delinquent activity were developed, ranging from minor offenses such as runaway behavior to serious offenses such as assault. Participants were also compared on how they responded to several Likert-type questions that measured factors associated with the inclination to commit delinquent acts (anomie, social bonding, delinquent peer association, labeling, and self-esteem). This comparison provided information on the multiple pathways to delinquency which suggested forms of intervention.