Search

The gap in the literature this study sought to fill was whether a reduction in parental support or an increase in peer deviance during early adolescence explains the left or ascending side of the age-crime curve. Employing the control and social learning components of interactional theory as a guide and assessing longitudinal data provided by 845 early adolescent youth (406 boys, 439 girls) followed from a mean age of 11 (Wave 1) to a mean age of 13 (Wave 3), we assessed within-person change in perceived parental support/bonding, perceived peer deviance, and child delinquency using a random intercepts cross-lagged panel design. Results showed that decrements in perceived parental support but not increments in peer deviance between Waves 1 and 2 predicted a rise in delinquency from Wave 2 to Wave 3. Although there were no signs of a peer influence effect, there was evidence of a peer selection effect. As predicted, bidirectional effects failed to surface in this study. These findings support the social control aspects of interactional theory but not the bidirectional aspects and suggest that a criminogenic environment marked by a weakened parental bond may, in part, explain the left side of the age-crime curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El objetivo del presente artículo es analizar la relación entre el desarrollo moral de los adolescentes y sus comportamientos delictivos (autorreportados) distinguiendo según si son conductas contra la propiedad, las personas, el orden, o la salud pública. Se utilizan datos de una encuesta realizada en 2012 en Aragón a 1.762 adolescentes entre 14 y 18 años. El estudio emplea el análisis de componentes principales para identificar la estructura interna de los datos de algunas de las distintas dimensiones del razonamiento moral de los adolescentes. El análisis de regresión múltiple muestra que una mayor penalización de conductas antisociales, tener a los adultos como figura de referencia y ser chica reducen la probabilidad de cometer un delito. Mientras que la (mayor) edad, la legitimación de la violencia y la sumisión y optar por mecanismos de prevención social incrementan significativamente el riesgo de delinquir. The aim of this paper is to analyze the relationship between moral development of adolescents and their antisocial behavior (self-reported) differentiating on the basis of the nature of the conduct, if it is against property, against people, against the order, or against public health. The data used comes from a survey conducted in 2012 in Aragon to 1,762 adolescents between 14 and 18 years of age. Principal component analysis is used to identify the internal structure of the data for the different dimensions of moral reasoning of adolescents (reasoning about the rightfulness of anti-social behaviors, tolerance towards violence, opinion about prevention mechanisms, and their figures of reference). The regression analysis shows that higher penalty of antisocial behavior, having adults as leading figures and being a girl reduce the probability of committing a crime. On the contrary, (higher) age, tolerance towards violence and submission, and a greater preference for social prevention mechanisms significantly increase the risk of being an offender. Available from: https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl/0000-0000-0000-1081

This study examines the declining crime trend among Swedish adolescents between 1999 and 2017 using data from eight repeated cross‐sectional waves of a nationally representative school survey (N = ca. 49,000). We examined to what extent changes in parental monitoring, school bonds, attitudes toward crime, routine activities, and binge drinking were related to the noticeable decline in youth crime. Multilevel modeling was employed for the analysis of temporal trends. We found strong empirical support for our hypotheses, that is, that changes in social bonds, attitudes toward crime, and routine activities were all associated with the decline in youth crime. Routine activities had the strongest explanatory power, and all predictors combined accounted for most of the variance attributed to the decline in youth crime. This study moves research on the crime drop closer to the analysis of social mechanisms by demonstrating that micro‐level associations between theoretically relevant, proximal variables, and delinquency account for macro‐level change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the declining crime trend among Swedish adolescents between 1999 and 2017 using data from eight repeated cross‐sectional waves of a nationally representative school survey (N = ca. 49,000). We examined to what extent changes in parental monitoring, school bonds, attitudes toward crime, routine activities, and binge drinking were related to the noticeable decline in youth crime. Multilevel modeling was employed for the analysis of temporal trends. We found strong empirical support for our hypotheses, that is, that changes in social bonds, attitudes toward crime, and routine activities were all associated with the decline in youth crime. Routine activities had the strongest explanatory power, and all predictors combined accounted for most of the variance attributed to the decline in youth crime. This study moves research on the crime drop closer to the analysis of social mechanisms by demonstrating that micro‐level associations between theoretically relevant, proximal variables, and delinquency account for macro‐level change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2007, juvenile crime in the Netherlands has dropped. Changes in exposure or vulnerability to risk and protective factors could offer an explanation for this drop. Data from three cohorts of the Youth Delinquency Survey (2005, 2010, and 2015; n = 4,855) were used. ANOVAs were conducted to measure differences between cohorts in exposure to risk and protective factors. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to measure differences between cohorts in vulnerability. Results suggest that the 2015 cohort was less exposed to risk factors – eg alcohol use and delinquent peers – and more exposed to protective factors – eg perceived parental emotional support and monitoring – compared to previous cohorts. Serious delinquents showed stability across the cohorts in reported offenses. Changing social-cultural attitudes toward risk behaviors over time offer an additional explanation for the juvenile crime drop. Implications for the prevention of delinquency are discussed from the perspectives of both Preventive Science and Positive Youth Development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the key issues in criminology is the investigation of criminal recidivism. Reoffence rates are used inter alia to examine the effects of criminal sanctions, to evaluate the effectiveness of reintegration measures, to analyse the development of crime rates, and to map criminal careers. In so doing, the study of reoffending behaviour largely depends on officially recorded criminal sanctions. Thus, the analysis of reoffence rates is, in most cases, restricted to crimes that authorities have become aware of. This paper examines the proportion of officially recorded reoffences and self-reported crimes among a sample of sex offenders and violent offenders who participated in a longitudinal study evaluating the impact of correctional treatment on criminal recidivism. In addition, it is investigated whether the discrepancy between officially recorded and self-reported criminal recidivism is influenced by individual factors such as age, impulsivity, self-esteem, and intelligence. The study is based on a sample of 140 sex and violent offenders for whom officially recorded reoffence data was collected. Data was also collected at follow-up (on average, 1.5 years after prison release) when offenders were asked to complete a self-reported delinquency questionnaire.

El objetivo del presente artículo es analizar la relación entre el desarrollo moral de los adolescentes y sus comportamientos delictivos (autorreportados) distinguiendo según si son conductas contra la propiedad, las personas, el orden, o la salud pública. Se utilizan datos de una encuesta realizada en 2012 en Aragón a 1.762 adolescentes entre 14 y 18 años. El estudio emplea el análisis de componentes principales para identificar la estructura interna de los datos de algunas de las distintas dimensiones del razonamiento moral de los adolescentes. El análisis de regresión múltiple muestra que una mayor penalización de conductas antisociales, tener a los adultos como figura de referencia y ser chica reducen la probabilidad de cometer un delito. Mientras que la (mayor) edad, la legitimación de la violencia y la sumisión y optar por mecanismos de prevención social incrementan significativamente el riesgo de delinquir.

Risk, protective, and promotive factors are instrumental in predicting and, in some cases, explaining human behavior. In the current study, an attempt was made to determine which of these three functions prosocial peers served with respect their effect on future delinquency and drug use. A sample of 2905 youth (51% female, 47% White, 21% Hispanic, 17% Black, mean age = 12.14 years) from the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) project were included in this study. Longitudinal analyses, conducted over a period of one year and controlling for age, sex, race, parental knowledge, parental support, unsupervised routine activities, peer delinquency, and prior delinquency/drug use, revealed that associating with prosocial peers led to significant reductions in property offending and drug use. Although there was no evidence that prosocial peers moderated or neutralized the risk generated by delinquent peer associations, they did serve as risk and promotive factors. Hence, associating less often with prosocial peers predicted a rise in property offending and drug use (risk effect), whereas associating more often with prosocial peers predicted a decline in future property offending and drug use (promotive effect). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence suggests that positive experiences with the police can foster attitudes of respect towards the justice system that can reduce an adolescents' propensity to commit later illegal behaviors. To advance prior work, we tested whether this association might be stronger for those adolescents who associate with deviant peers. Additionally, we tested whether the link between attitudes towards police and the justice system, and the influence of peer delinquency, would be weaker for those with elevated callous–unemotional (CU) traits. These predictions were examined in a prospective study using a sample (N = 1,216) of adolescent males who were followed prospectively for 2 years following their first official contact with the juvenile justice system. Positive experiences with the police following the youth's first arrest were associated with less self-reported delinquency 2 years later, which was partially mediated by reductions in adolescents' cynicism about the legal system. However, this link was only significant for youth with low levels of peer delinquency. Although CU traits were related to less positive perceptions of experiences with the police and greater cynicism about the justice system, CU traits did not moderate the associations among experiences, attitudes, and later illegal behavior nor did they moderate the influence of peer delinquency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research demonstrated that children who had been exposed to physical maltreatment by parents are at higher risk of using violence as adolescents. It is assumed that parental violence unfolds negative influences on later delinquency directly and indirectly, that is, mediated through other crime predictors. This contribution presents an empirical test of theoretical propositions explaining this cycle of violence derived from three major theories, namely social learning, self-control and social control/bonding theory. Using data from 26 countries of the ISRD3 study, the mediating roles of delinquent peer association, crime-related moral values, self-control as well as family and school bonds among juveniles of grades 7 to 9 are assessed. Moreover, with exploratory intent, it is tested if the same mediating effects apply to each country. Overall the results showed both a significant direct effect of maltreatment on the use of violence and indirect (mediating) effects via each of the considered mediators. Delinquent peer association, self-control and family bonds had higher mediational strength than moral values and school bonds. This is in support of the theoretical assumptions of all three theories. Further, great variability of direct, indirect and total effects of maltreatment on violence across countries and within each mediator were observed. There is tentative evidence that the prevalence rates of maltreatment are negatively associated with the impact of maltreatment on later violence in the considered countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Cultural groups vary in how they understand child maltreatment and children's misbehavior and these cultural variations may impact the relationship between maltreatment and delinquency. Objective This study investigated the impact of maltreatment on delinquency among South Korean youth. Participants and Setting: Using Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey data, this study followed two cohorts of middle (n = 2,275) and high (n = 2,272) school youth for their first self-reported delinquency over 4 years. Method Discrete-time hazard model was used for the analyses. Results Approximately 19% of middle and 11% of high school youth engaged in delinquency for 4 years. Maltreatment is associated with delinquency only for high school youth (HR = 1.42). In both cohorts, male youth with high levels of aggression were more likely to engage in delinquency. Additional risk factors included high levels of depression (HR = 1.36) and negative attitudes toward school rules (HR = 0.68), father's education less than high school (HR = 0.63), low levels of self-control (HR = 0.63). Findings also identified culturally unique factors that place Korean youth at heightened risk of delinquency: mother's education more than high school (HR = 1.49) and higher family income (HR = 1.93). Conclusion Preventive interventions need to identify culturally specific risk factors for youth at increased risk of delinquency and thus these preventive interventions should be culturally tailored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Situational action theory (SAT) has emphasized the interaction between individual and social influences on youth crime involvement. In this study, attitudes towards violence, self-control and perception of neighbourhood are tested in order to determine to what extent they predict versatility in violent and non-violent offences. In order to attain this goal, 2309 Belgian youths aged from 12 to 18 years were administered the Self-report Delinquency Questionnaire. When the offences are divided into violent and non-violent versatilities, the results show differences in the factors that predict delinquency; whereas attitudes towards violence and self-control predict all type of offences, the perception of neighbourhood is only a predictive factor for non-violent offences. External and internal factors need to be included in order to predict the widest range of criminal versatility, since committing a crime involves making choices that depend on the perceived alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the validity and reliability of the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY), the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI), and the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV) in a sample of Spanish adolescents with a community sanction (N = 105). Self-reported delinquency with a follow-up period of 1 year was used as the outcome measure. The predictive validity of the three measures was compared with the unstructured judgment of the juvenile’s probation officer and the self-appraisal of the juvenile. The three measures showed moderate effect sizes, ranging from area under the curve (AUC) = .75 (SAVRY) to AUC = .72 (PCL:YV), in predicting juvenile reoffending. The two unstructured judgments had no significant predictive validity whereas the SAVRY had significantly higher predictive validity compared with both unstructured judgments. Finally, SAVRY protective factor total scores and SAVRY summary risk ratings did not add incremental validity over SAVRY risk total scores. The high base rates of both violent (65.4%) and general reoffending (81.9%) underline the need for further risk assessment and management research with this population. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present study aimed to examine the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Self-Reported Delinquency (SRD) among college students and compare adolescents with high SRD and low SRD on EI. The sample consisted of 200 boys taken from different government and private colleges of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. EI scale (Wong & Law, 2002) was used to measure EI. Self Reported Delinquency Scale (SRDS) (Naqvi & Kamal, 2007) was used to measure delinquent tendencies among adolescents. Reliability of EI was found to be (.81) where as for SRDS it was (.83). Results indicated that EI is negatively correlated and it also negatively predicts SRD (r=-.502, p < .001, ΔR² = .36). Comparison of adolescent boys with different income levels, on SRDS and EI showed that SRD is high in adolescents with low SES while it has no effects on EI (F = 19.218, p< .001). Comparison of adolescents with high delinquent tendencies and low delinquent tendencies groups were made on EI. Results indicated that EI is low in high delinquent tendencies group (t= 9.521, p < .001). The study tends to explore the effects of different family system on EI and SRDS. The results showed that adolescents living with nuclear family system scored higher on delinquency (t = 2.648, p < .01) and adolescents living in joint family system were found higher on EI (t= 2.086, p < .05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Monatsschrift fuer Kriminologie und Strafrechtsreform is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, over 400 London males have been followed up from age 8 to age 48 in face-to-face interviews and up to age 56 in criminal records. About 42 % of the males were convicted up to age 56. During five age ranges up to age 47, 94 % of the males admitted at least one of eight offenses, in comparison with 31 % who were convicted for at least one of these offenses in these age ranges. The prevalence of offending, and the number of offenses committed, decreased steadily after age 18 according to both convictions and self-reports. On average, there were 38 self-reported offenses per conviction, and this ratio also decreased with age. Convicted males self-reported 25 offenses per conviction on average. It is concluded that the 'scaling-up factor' from convictions to self-reported offenses is very important, especially in evaluating the effectiveness of intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines sex differences in the risk threshold for adolescent delinquency. Analyses were based on longitudinal data from the Pittsburgh Youth Study ( n = 503) and the Pittsburgh Girls Study ( n = 856). The study identified risk factors, promotive factors, and accumulated levels of risks as predictors of delinquency and nondelinquency, respectively. The risk thresholds for boys and girls were established at two developmental stages (late childhood: ages 10-12 years, and adolescence: ages 13-16 years) and compared between boys and girls. Sex similarities as well as differences existed in risk and promotive factors for delinquency. ROC analyses revealed only small sex differences in delinquency thresholds, that varied by age. Accumulative risk level had a linear relationship with boys' delinquency and a quadratic relationship with girls' delinquency, indicating stronger effects for girls at higher levels of risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé: Cet article étudie les traits de personnalité prédictifs de la délinquance des filles au Nouveau-Brunswick. Deux cent quatorze étudiantes universitaires et 30 jeunes délinquantes âgées de 18 à 30 ans ont répondu à des échelles de l’inventaire de Jesness, Eysenck, et à un questionnaire de délinquance auto-révélée. Deux questions de recherches importantes sont abordées : est-ce que l’association entre certains traits de personnalité et les comportements délinquants est semblable pour les filles non délinquantes et délinquantes ? Quels traits de personnalité expliquent et prédisent mieux les comportements délinquants des filles au Nouveau-Brunswick ? Les résultats de nos analyses révèlent que les facteurs qui prédisent le plus la délinquance des filles sont : le mépris de l’autorité, la propension vers la délinquance et l’impulsivité. Les perspectives et les limites de cette recherche sont abordées et commentées. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Justicia Juris is the property of Universidad Autonoma del Caribe and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the extant literature, adult-onset offending has usually been identified using official sources. It is possible, however, that many of the individuals identified would have had unofficial histories of prior offending. To investigate this issue, the men from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development (CSDD) were examined. The CSDD is a prospective longitudinal study of men from inner-city London, followed from age 8 to age 48. Onset of offending was identified using official records and then the self-reported offending of the adult-onset offender group (with a first conviction at age 21 or later) was compared to others. All the adult-onset offenders self-reported some previous offending in childhood and adolescence but most of this offending was not sufficiently frequent or serious to lead to a conviction in practice. About one-third of adult-onset offenders were considered to be self-reported delinquents who were realistically in danger of being convicted because of the frequency of their offending. For some, the adjudication by the criminal justice system was simply the first time that their ongoing pattern of offending had been detected. Their lack of detection was because the types of offences they were committing had lower detection rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to investigate explanations of gender differences in referrals to juvenile court. In the Seattle Social Development Project, a prospective longitudinal survey of 808 youths, annual data on court referrals and self-reported offending were collected between ages 11 and 17. Boys were more likely than girls to be referred to juvenile court, and boys committed more offenses than girls according to self-reports. In general, the probability of a self-reported offense being followed by a court referral was similar for boys and girls, indicating that male offenders were more likely to be referred to court primarily because they committed more offenses than female offenders. The exception was that boys were more likely to be referred to court after each aggressive offense, but this gender difference disappeared after taking into account that boys were more rebellious, more likely to be gang members, and more likely to carry guns. These results suggest that gender differences in rates of court referral are unlikely to be attributable to gender biases in law enforcement or juvenile justice processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars in the field of developmental criminology traditionally assign a major role to long-term risk factors such as inadequate parental supervision or poor school performance. Only recently has attention been paid to the effects of situational risk factors such as the presence of co-offenders and being drunk. Hardly any empirical research, however, integrates both long-term and short-term risk factors. We formulated hypotheses derived from the Integrated Cognitive Antisocial Potential theory (Farrington 2005) with regard to long-term and short-term risk factors for serious delinquency, and tested these hypotheses using data from the WODC Youth Delinquency Survey (data sweep 2005) of 292 juvenile delinquents. The findings indicate that serious delinquency is related not only to (an accumulation of) long-term risk factors, but also to situational factors, such as lack of tangible guardians and having used substances (alcohol or drugs) prior to the offence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Criminal Justice Issues / Kriminalisticke Teme is the property of Fakultet Kriminalistickih Nauka Univerziteta U Sarajevu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is a considerable body of evidence from earlier research to show that offending is associated with an increased risk of victimization, and being a victim with an increased risk of offending. There have been few earlier studies of the link. These have generally set out to test specific explanations, for example, the idea that the same lifestyles or routine activities may be associated with both victimization and offending. In a current study of a cohort of 4,300 adolescents in Edinburgh we have found a correlation of 0.421 between crime victimization and self-reported offending at the age of 15 when offending peaks. Variables chosen to test three broad types of theory – life-style and routine activities, weak social bonds, aspects of personality – are shown to be related both to victimization and to offending in adolescence. The present analysis uses latent class growth mixture models to track the dynamic relationships over time between adolescent victimization and offending both before and after controlling for these explanatory variables. In the short term, offending is strongly related to a later rise in victimization, but in the longer term to a fall that tends to cancel out the earlier rise. These findings remain the same after controlling for the ten explanatory variables. Victimization is associated with a later rise in offending in the longer term. The theoretical perspectives suggested by earlier researchers are fairly successful in explaining this linkage running from victimization to offending. Future research should focus on the role of peer influence in linking victimization and offending, and should push forward the analysis into the adult years. The implications for criminal justice policy could be far-reaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Monatsschrift fuer Kriminologie und Strafrechtsreform is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Drawing from the criminology literature and family studies, we investigated the long-term effects of established family risk factors and parenting styles on male young adult delinquency. We used data sets from two longitudinal studies, the Pittsburgh Youth Study (N=474) and the Child-Rearing and Family in the Netherlands Study (N=128), each with assessment periods covering at least 10 years. The lack of orderly and structured activities within the family during adolescence was a strong predictor of delinquency in young adulthood, once prior aggression and demographic variables were considered. No evidence was found for a relationship between authoritarian and authoritative parenting styles and later delinquency. Furthermore, previously identified family factors such as socioeconomic status, supervision, punishment and attachment were not related to delinquent behaviour in young adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Monatsschrift fuer Kriminologie und Strafrechtsreform is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Crime and insecurity have been major political issues in France during the past 20 years, and especially during the presidential election campaign of 2002. This survey focuses on empirically-based social science that is relevant to these issues. Key themes are crime trends and the influence of incivilities and of fear of crime. The political debate about crime and crime reduction since the 1970s is described and analysed. The paper describes and critically assesses the various measures of the crime phenomenon (vital statistics, victim surveys, self-report studies) and summarizes the information provided by these measures at various times. The various societal responses to crime and insecurity are reviewed, including police work (and police reform), incarceration trends, social prevention and the new partnerships at a local level. Moves to decentralize policy and practice in the field of control and prevention of crime are discussed. Finally, key publications, centres of criminological research and sources of funding are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Switzerland's programme of opiate prescription to drug-addicts has been thoroughly evaluated under many aspects. The results published so far on the final findings, covering the programme's first year of operation, have focused on self-reported delinquent acts and victimisation reported during interviews. This article addresses these two issues. How did police recorded crime develop over time, taking the offence type into account? Have these trends been affected by changing police control over the addicts participating in the programme? In other words, has an eventual drop been produced by less strict crime reporting (or recording) practice for programme participants, rather than by lower crime rates among this group? The analysis reported here confirms the results based on self-reported delinquency and victimisation data. According to police files, the drop in serious property offences was indeed comparable. As it turned out, this drop is not due to reduced probabilities of the police recording offences committed by programme participants after their admission to heroin prescription. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a large increase in research in the last 10 years or so on the nature, extent, and causes of female delinquency, especially on how patterns differ from those of male delinquency. Few research efforts, however, have systematically examined sex differences in the reliability and construct validity of the most common technique used in causal research--the self-report method. The present study addresses this issue by empirically examining male-female differences in self-report reliabilities and the effect of the prevalence and incidence of delinquent behavior on official contact (i.e., arrest, court referrals). Multiple-group covariance structure models are employed to test hypotheses of measurement and structural invariance. The major conclusion is that while self-report measurement parameters (e.g., reliabilities) may differ, the structural link between the prevalence and incidence of delinquent behavior and official contact is generally invariant with respect to sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Situational action theory (SAT) has emphasized the interaction between individual and social influences on youth crime involvement. In this study, attitudes towards violence, self-control and perception of neighbourhood are tested in order to determine to what extent they predict versatility in violent and non-violent offences. In order to attain this goal, 2309 Belgian youths aged from 12 to 18 years were administered the Self-report Delinquency Questionnaire. When the offences are divided into violent and non-violent versatilities, the results show differences in the factors that predict delinquency; whereas attitudes towards violence and self-control predict all type of offences, the perception of neighbourhood is only a predictive factor for non-violent offences. External and internal factors need to be included in order to predict the widest range of criminal versatility, since committing a crime involves making choices that depend on the perceived alternatives., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2017 The Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law.)