NCJ Number
55815
Journal
BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY Volume: 15 Issue: 1 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1976) Pages: 33-39
Date Published
1976
Length
7 pages
Annotation
THE VALIDITY OF USING THE JESNESS INVENTORY, A JUVENILE DELINQUENCY PREDICTION SCALE DEVELOPED IN THE U.S., FOR FORECASTING DELINQUENCY IN BRITSH YOUTHS IS EXAMINED IN A SERIES OF STUDIES.
Abstract
THE JESNESS INVENTORY CONSISTS OF 155 ITEMS SCORED ON 10 SUBSCALES: SOCIAL MALADJUSTMENT, VALUE ORIENTATION, IMMATURITY, ALIENATION, AUTISM, WITHDRAWAL, MANIFEST AGGRESSION, SOCIAL ANXIETY, REPRESSION, AND DENIAL. A DELINQUENCY PREDICTION SCORE, CALLED THE ASOCIAL INDEX, IS DEVELOPED FROM THE SUBSCORES. THE INVENTORY HAS PROVED HIGHLY PREDICTIVE IN AMERICA. A TABLE COMPARES TEST DATA FOR THREE BRITISH STUDIES WHICH INVESTIGATED THE ABILITY OF THE INVENTORY TO PREDICT LEVELS OF DELINQUENCY. THESE STUDIES INVOLVED 385 BOYS IN DETENTION CENTER, 454 ON PROBATION, AND 203 IN BORSTALS. THESE RESEARCH EFFORTS FIND THAT THE SOCIAL MALADJUSTMENT, VALUE ORIENTATION, ALIENATION, AND MANIFEST AGGRESSION SCALES SEEMED PREDICTIVE OF DELINQUENCY LEVEL. THE INVENTORY WAS ALSO USED TO PREDICT RECONVICTION DURING AND FOLLOWING A PERIOD ON PROBATION. IN THESE 2 STUDIES, THE INVENTORY WAS ADMINISTERED TO SAMPLES OF 454 BOYS AND 385 BOYS, RESPECTIVELY. THE SOCIAL MALADJUSTMENT, VALUE ORIENTATION, ALIENATION, MANIFEST AGGRESSION, AND DENIAL SCALES PROVED TO BE SIGNIFICANT PREDICTORS. MIXED RESULTS WERE OBTAINED FOR THE REPRESSION AND ASOCIAL INDEX SCALES. THE IMMATURITY, AUTISM, WITHDRAWAL, SOCIAL ANXIETY, AND REPRESSION SCALES WERE VALID WHEN USED IN AMERICA BUT NOT IN GREAT BRITAIN. THE IMPORTANCE OF VALIDATING INVENTORIES STANDARDIZED IN AMERICA BEFORE USING THEM WITH A BRITISH POPULATION IS EMPHASIZED. TABLES PRESENT STATISTICS. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)