NCJ Number
115399
Journal
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology Volume: 21 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1988) Pages: 227-240
Date Published
1988
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article describes a research instrument, the Self-Report Early Delinquency Scale (SRED), that is designed to obtain self-reports of illegal and norm-violating behaviors by New Zealand adolescents.
Abstract
Instrument reliability and validity were investigated using data from 724 New Zealand adolescents who are members of a birth cohort born in Dunedin, New Zealand. Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, known-groups criterion validity, and convergent validity with reports of antisocial behavior from parents and teachers were all found to be adequate for recommending the instrument for use in social science research. Frequencies for reporting each item by boys and girls are presented, and subscales of homogeneous item categories are described. Finally, relations between the SRED and selected theoretical correlates of delinquent behavior are examined. Findings in the predicted directions are obtained for the relation between SRED scores and gender, family instability, history of behavior disorder, social class, and intelligence quotient. 4 tables, 38 references. (Author summary modified)