Self-Reports of Delinquency
Official statistics reflect the delinquent behavior of youth that is both known to and recorded by authorities. Self-reports of delinquency are more comprehensive in that they include those behaviors not reported, or not otherwise known, to the authorities. Research indicates that young people are willing to report accurate information about their minor and serious delinquent acts (Farrington et al., 1996). Another advantage of self-report research (and research using parent and teacher reports) is that it focuses on misbehaviors (e.g., disobedience, defiance, aggression, and conduct disorder) that are not in themselves delinquent but may serve as precursors to some children's later involvement in delinquency. The Study Group's review of previous and current self-reported delinquency studies revealed the following (Espiritu et al., 2001):
- Although the vast majority of youth age 12 or younger (85 percent
of boys, 77 percent of girls) reported involvement in some form of aggression
or violence, only about 5 percent of children (9 percent of boys, 3
percent of girls) were involved in serious violence, that is, violence
considered to be a delinquent/criminal offense. (Denver Youth Survey
and Pittsburgh Youth Study data.)
- Roughly one-third of children age 12 or younger reported property offenses, one-quarter reported property damage, one-fifth reported status offenses, and less than one-tenth reported burglary or arson. (Denver Youth Survey and Pittsburgh Youth Study data.)
- Self-report rates for major forms of delinquency were practically the same in 1976 and 1998; for example, 16–17 percent of children ages 11–12 reported felony assault in 1976, compared with 14 percent in 1998. (National Youth Survey and National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data.)
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