NCJ Number
95191
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 12 Issue: 5 Dated: (1984) Pages: 445-455
Date Published
1984
Length
11 pages
Annotation
The relationship between self-report and official measures of crime remains unclarified. Adequate examinations of the comparability of the two measures have been limited because of the difficulty of obtaining both official and self-report data on the same subjects.
Abstract
In the present study, the authors use police records and self-report data on police contacts for members of a birth cohort, and find a sustantial level of agreement between the two data sources. However, by incorporating data on police contact seriousness and a variety of demographic characteristics, the authors find some evidence of under- and over-reporting by various groups of cohort members. The authors suggest reasons for both the over- and under-reporting by various groups of cohort members. (Author abstract)