Temporal Paths in Delinquency: Stability, Regression, and Progression Analyzed With Panel Data From an Adolescent and a Delinquent Male Sample

• NCJ Number: 128675
• Journal: Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 33 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1991) Pages: 23-44
• Author(s): M LeBlanc; G Cote; R Loeber
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 22 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada; University of Montreal
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

This Canadian study used a self-report questionnaire administered to a sample of representative adolescents (458) and a sample of known delinquents (470) to determine whether juveniles show a progression from less to more serious forms of delinquency and whether specialization in delinquent activities occurs over time.

Abstract

The questionnaire was administered twice at a 2-year interval in the mid-1970's, and transition matrices were constructed using an index of predictability. The matrices documented instances of stability, regression, and progression in delinquency. Both samples showed a moderate stability that varied by offense category. Over time delinquency tended either to remain stable or to progress, with a lesser tendency to de-escalate or regress. Escalation from minor to more serious offenses was more typical for the adolescent than for the delinquent sample; the latter apparently moved over time to more diverse forms of offending. Subjects in the delinquent sample commonly continued in the same offending pattern. Different delinquency paths over time were apparent in both samples. 2 tables, 3 figures, and 36 references (Author abstract modified)