NCJ Number
52518
Date Published
1977
Length
11 pages
Annotation
THIS INTERVIEW GUIDE IS DESIGNED TO TEST THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEARNING DISABILITY AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. METHOD OF INTERVIEW, AND SAMPLES OF INTERVIEW INSTRUMENTS ARE INCLUDED.
Abstract
THE INTERVIEW GUIDE DISCUSSED AND PRESENTED WAS ADMINISTERED TO APPROXIMATELY 2,000 CONSENTING 12-TO-16-YEAR OLD BOYS AND GIRLS AS PART OF THE DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES OF THE LEARNING DISABILITIES-JUVENILE DELINQUENCY RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM. THE SAMPLE INCLUDED YOUTHS ALREADY ADJUDICATED DELINQUENTS AND YOUTHS WITH NO OFFICIAL RECORD OF DELINQUENCY. THE ASSESSMENTS WERE CONDUCTED FROM APRIL THROUGH SEPTEMBER 1977, AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN ARIZONA, INDIANA, AND MARYLAND. PORTIONS OF THE INTERVIEW WILL BE READMINISTERED AS PART OF THE POSTTEST THAT WILL BE GIVEN TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE REMEDIATION-PROGRAM PORTION OF THE STUDY. INTERVIEWS WERE ADMINISTERED INDIVIDUALLY BY MEMBERS OF THE ASSESSMENT TEAM, SUPERVISED BY EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE. MANY OF THE ITEMS IN THE INTERVIEW GUIDE WERE ADAPTED FROM PREVIOUS RESEARCH. THE RESEARCH SOURCES OF VARIOUS ITEMS IN THE INTERVIEW GUIDE ARE IDENTIFIED. A NUMBER OF THE INTERVIEW ITEMS ARE DESIGNED TO INDICATE THE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND FAMILY BACKGROUND OF EACH STUDENT, WHILE OTHERS INDICATE ATTITUDES TOWARD SCHOOL. OTHER ITEMS ARE INTENDED TO GAUGE THE TRUTH OF THE SUBJECT'S ANSWERS TO THE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. THE HEART OF THE INTERVIEW GUIDE IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE QUESTIONS THAT CONSTITUTE SELF-REPORTED DELINQUENT ACTIVITY. THE SELF-REPORT MEASURES WERE ADAPTED FROM RESEARCH OF THE INSTITUTE FOR JUVENILE RESEARCH. THE 28 ITEMS OF THE SELF-REPORT SCALE CAN BE VIEWED AS 7 GROUPS OF 4 ITEMS EACH, EACH GROUP REPRESENTING A CATEGORY OF OFFENSES. FOR EACH OF THE 28 ITEMS, RESPONDENTS WERE ASKED HOW MANY TIMES THEY HAD ENGAGED IN THE BEHAVIOR AND HOW MANY TIMES WITHIN THE PAST YEAR. A SAMPLE OF THE ITEMS INCLUDED IN THE SELF-REPORTED DELINQUENCY SCALE IS INCLUDED, TOGETHER WITH A SAMPLE OF THE INTERVIEW GUIDE. (RCB)