NCJ Number
88197
Date Published
1982
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relationship between self-reports of past behavior and of hypothetical future behavior to determine their relevance to deterrence theory and to the validity of estimations of correlates of delinquency.
Abstract
Opinions vary regarding the relationships among past behavior, current projections, and future behavior. These issues are a matter for empirical inquiry, since they cannot be decided by declaration. This analysis used two data sets. One came from questionnaires administered to over 3,000 high school students in 4 southern Arizona communities in the 1974-75 school year and the other came from students at a foothills high school in Tuscon, Arizona in 1977. The first questionnaire asked both about previous delinquency and actions in hypothetical situations involving peer pressure for delinquency. The second questionnaire examined hypothetical situations without such peer content and asked about drug use during the past year. Responses to questions about past delinquent behavior related significantly to delinquent choices in hypothetical situations, although the relationships ranged from weak to moderate. When reports of both past behavior and current choices were used, the threat of legal sanctions played some role as a barrier to delinquency. Regardless of past behavior, perceptions of risk related to current choices; the relationship persisted even when moral evaluations and delinquent associations were taken into account. Using each past behavior or current projections alone did not affect the conclusions. However, a combination of the two permits interesting new tests of theories of deviance. The creation of more complex categories than have been used in past survey research would be helpful. Nevertheless, using past actions or words about future actions may yield similar conclusions in assessing a population's behavioral tendencies. Tables, notes, and a list of 23 references are provided.